The fashion girls of Monaco

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A family fortune of around 1 billion euros provides the Grimaldi ladies with a nice trust fund that makes shopping enjoyable. Princess Charlene (38), the current first lady of Monaco, however, had a slow start as a fashionista. Not only was she constantly compared to her legendary mother-in-law, the late Princess Grace, but she is also not so... princess-like in the classic way. She has nothing to do with tiaras and diamonds, and she doesn't want to be found dead in a ball gown. This resulted in sad years, during which she wrapped herself in beige rags from Armani and went to a royal wedding in Stockholm looking like tree bark.

Fortunately, she has recently found her groove, thanks to husband Albert II, who even when her pixie cut turned into spikes kept saying he thought it was wonderful. Charlene discovered red, blue, and white and has now developed her own Princess 2.0 style. She attended a ball in a bright red jumpsuit, is often seen privately in tough leather thigh-high boots, and consistently opts for fashion that is free of frills, which is more cool than romantic. Does that cause problems in the palace? “I am aware of my role for the country, which I want to commit to one hundred percent,” she says. “And my husband supports me unconditionally in all my choices.”

Chanel for Caroline

Take that, Princess Caroline (60). The sister of Prince Albert served as first lady for a long time after the death of Prince Rainier and secretly hoped to saddle Charlene with family friend Karl Lagerfeld, who has a house in Monte Carlo. As the joke goes in Monaco: Caroline, Princess of Hanover and Monaco, even has dish brushes from Chanel at home. Karl and Caroline have been confidants for over thirty years, and the princess has been his best unofficial ambassador for just as long. “She is very chic, but not too classic,” says Kaiser Karl.

Caroline agrees. “I wore a uniform to school as a teenager, and in a broader sense, I now have a number of clothing items that I often revert to,” she says. “I think there is way too much choice, so it remains manageable. My mother used to pick out my clothes and let me wear her hand-me-downs, which influenced my taste. Additionally, I grew up in the hippie era, and some of that has stuck with me. It should also be fun, even if it may not always reflect good taste.”

Charlotte is casual chic

Her daughter Charlotte Casiraghi (30) shares that opinion. She has been embraced by Gucci, which dresses the horse girl in haute hippique and lets her pout deeply for many campaigns. Charlotte's style is casual chic: jeans with a designer blazer and fairy-tale dresses with ballerinas underneath. “Riding is an elegant sport, so I want to look good on horseback,” she explains. “Furthermore, my taste is not very classic. Fashion is something... it's handy to know what suits you and to have a basic wardrobe to always fall back on. But you shouldn't take it too seriously either. If you're in love with a slightly weird piece of clothing, it will look good on you, simply because it makes you happy.” Her only rule is that it shouldn't be too ostentatious. “For example, I don't like bags with huge logos; I prefer low-key and classic,” says Charlotte. “I use the Soho the most; it's so small that you can wear it as a crossbody, so your hands are free.‘

The ice princess

Caroline's other daughter, Princess Alexandra (17) from her marriage to Prince Ernst August of Hanover, is still searching for her own style. Her appearance is less voluptuous than that of her mother and half-sister Charlotte, and her hobby – she is very good at figure skating – often limits her to training pants and sweaters. However, in the past year, her interest in fashion seems to be growing. She debuted at her mother's Rose Ball in, of course, Chanel, was spotted in a Chanel jacket from her mother over jeans, and wore a striking petrol-colored coat on National Day. “But skating is still the most important thing for me,” she says. “I skate almost every day, just in a tracksuit. I feel really lucky to be able to compete. Monaco is small, and we don't have many skaters, which gives me a chance. And at a competition, the outfit does matter.”

Beatrice: Bella Figura

Alexandra and Charlotte have two sisters-in-law who couldn't be more different: hippie chick Tatiana Santo Domingo (33) and fashionista Beatrice Borromeo (31). The latter comes from an old noble Italian family and married Pierre Casiraghi, the youngest son of Princess Caroline, in 2015. During festivities that lasted a week and took place in two countries, she wore five wedding dresses, seven cocktail dresses, and another seven evening gowns. The court suppliers in this case were Armani and Valentino, both ‘friends of the family.’.

Pierre had known Beatrice for seven years by then, and she made her fashion debut in 2013 at the wedding of Prince Félix of Luxembourg to Claire Lademacher, where Borromeo stole the show in Armani Privé with a subtle antenna as a fascinator. While the other Grimaldis often neglect the princess factor, Beatrice embraces it, with voluminous red ball gowns from Giambattista Valli and cheerful daywear from Dolce & Gabbana. “I am a girl,” she once declared. “I love heels, I love dresses, and I love skirts that swirl around you.”

Alternative Tatiana

She shares this with sister-in-law Tatiana. Tatiana is married to Andrea Casiraghi, the eldest son of Princess Caroline. Born and raised in Switzerland, she belongs to one of the richest families in Colombia. Tatiana is the hippie chick of the family, always clad in the Ibiza look of kaftans, ethnic jewelry, and rope sandals. She has even made her look her work: with her friend Dana Alikhani, she runs Muzungu Sisters, a luxury fair-trade webshop for handmade clothing and accessories. Tatiana is the walking billboard for the brand, with embroidered peasant blouses, flowing tiered skirts, velvet Venetian slippers, kurtas, and djellabas. “Curious, adventurous, and colorful,” Tatiana describes her style. Her biggest challenge is translating that distinct taste into evening wear when she has to attend a Grimaldi moment, “but with a vintage vibe, I get quite far.”

Tatiana added Ibiza chic to the Grimaldis, Beatrice a dose of Italian flair

Stéphanie by Quality Street

Or as Princess Stéphanie (51) would often say with great interest at such moments: “Oh, so it's second-hand?” Not meant badly, as this Highness actually finds everything splendid, due to a lack of a subtle personal style. Steph has somewhat remained stuck in the eighties and loves shiny fabrics (her evening wardrobe seems inspired by Quality Street wrappers), fillings that further accentuate her already square shoulders, and black, a lot of black, preferably with studs. For years, she was the most experimental fashionista among the Grimaldis, wearing extraordinarily exciting designs and not shying away from geometric visual violence. Recently, her look has mostly been that of a working single mother (designer jeans, black jacket), although she does have a few nice outfits ready for palace appearances, mostly from Chanel. “I aspire to a life as ordinary as possible,” she tells, “and I dress accordingly.”

Rock chick meets Coachella

Fortunately, she compensates with two fashion-addicted daughters: Camille (19) from a relationship with Jean Raymond Gottlieb and Pauline (22) from her marriage to Daniel Ducruet. Camille is a selfie-addicted rock chick who prefers to wrap herself in mini skirts from Zara with a leather jacket stolen from her mother, in the tough and sexy category. Pauline had a brief career as a model for Lancaster but decided she preferred to work in fashion. She obtained her styling license at the Istituto Marangoni in Paris and has been studying Fashion Design at the prestigious Parsons in New York since 2015, hoping to work as a fashion designer. Based on her work, her taste is Italian-tinted: lots of leather, hefty heels, splits, short dresses, all styled in a Coachella manner. Of the new generation, Pauline is the most fashion-hungry. She describes her aunt Caroline's walk-in closet (sisters Stéphanie and Caroline are neighbors in Monte Carlo) as ‘a treasure trove,’ also because there are still pieces from grandma Gracia to be found. “Fashion should never be the most important thing ever,” she believes, “but it is the most fun sideline in life.”

The outsider

Lastly, there is Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (24), the eldest daughter of Prince Albert, born out of wedlock from his relationship with Tamara Rotolo and good friends with Pauline. Grandpa Rainier was always against recognizing Jazmin, but as soon as Albert became the Prince of Monaco, he arranged it, so she has been visiting the palace for ten years now. Still, the American Jazmin is a bit of an outsider among all the French chic of her half-sisters, aunts, and cousins. She is not even Calvin Klein/Ralph Lauren-preppy, but rather Michael Kors/Tory Burch-practical. And while she aspires more to vintage Oscar de la Renta, as her idol is her grandmother, Princess Grace. “I got to know her through her films,” says Jazmin. “High Society was my favorite. In that film, I realized for the first time that I had a connection with her. I love acting, singing, and dancing; when I see her do that, I still get goosebumps. When I'm at the palace, I always go to her dressing room, which is still there. Decorated with mementos she has kept.” Aunt Caroline sometimes gives her some of her grandmother's things, but she doesn't dare to wear them because that would be ‘sacrilege.’ “Although I am very happy with it. It's something of hers that connects me to the family.”

Vintage chic: Gracia

Cashmere Pringle twinsets, the Kelly roll, headbands, trench coats, Hermès scarves, kaftans in the style of Madame Grès, and her own Kelly Bag from Gucci, where she tried to hide her pregnancy belly; the look of movie star Grace Kelly, later Princess Grace, has become iconic. “I have kept many of her clothes and still wear them,” says her daughter, Princess Caroline. “There is a gray cashmere dress from 1962 that is still beautiful. If it's well made, it's timeless and indestructible. That is the power of true craftsmanship.”

Antique chic

Fashion consciousness runs in the Grimaldi blood. Caroline's and Stéphanie's grandmother, Princess Charlotte, was a trendsetting flapper in the twenties, and great-great-grandmother Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton was a stubborn Scot who dumped the countless layers of petticoats long before fashion for clothing in which she could walk more easily. Or in her case: could run away. She entered into a forced marriage with Albert I and returned pregnant to her mother in Baden-Baden. There she gave birth to Prince Louis in 1870, never to return to Monaco again. The marriage was annulled, Mary Victoria remarried an Austrian count, and became a well-known society figure in Hungary, where she made the Scottish tartan incredibly popular.

Thanks to family friend Karl Lagerfeld, Princess Caroline has always been well supplied with Chanel

Mini-chic: Gabriella & India

Princess Gabriella (2), the daughter of Princess Charlene and Prince Albert, already has a designer collection to be envious of. Her play clothes are mostly from the French Jacadi and Louise Misha, and for photo moments, it's nothing less than Baby Dior, darling. Cousin India (2), the daughter of Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo, usually dresses in the batik cottons that are totally Tat's taste. However, during the last National Day, she wore a red velvet robe manteau that was clearly arranged by grandma Caroline. And judging by the wide breast band, it was Chanel Haute Couture, from uncle Karl. It's still a nice connection, that Lagerfeld.

Written by: Isabel Bos