Princess Alexandra of Hanover is following in some very fashionable footsteps. For Chanel’s spring 2024 couture show earlier this week, the Monégasque Royal repurposed a vintage LBD worn by a very special someone: her mother, Princess Caroline of Monaco.
Alexandra, 24, slipped into her mother’s dress which originally debuted for the French brand’s fall 1990 couture collection. The tea-length piece features a white collar, gold button detailing, and matching embroidery at the sleeves and pocket flaps. The Princess paired the archival dress with sheer black tights, sandal heels, and a quilted Chanel bag.
Princess Caroline, a longtime friend and confidant of late Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, was first spotted wearing the dress back in 1990, just a few months after it initially debuted on the Parisian runways. Grace Kelly’s daughter styled the piece with a Chanel hat, sleek heels, and a white glove and later re-wore the LBD again three years after.
Caroline’s look appeared to be a near replica of what was shown on Lagerfeld’s runway while Alexandra modernized the dress with a bold red lip, pin straight hair, and gold accessories.
The Gen Z Royal is no stranger to couture or the Chanel runways—she’s attended several of the brand’s presentations, including a joint appearance with Caroline back in 2020. Alexandra’s half-sister, Charlotte Casrigahi, was also in attendance on Tuesday, opting for a casual choice of jeans and a tweed blazer. (If you’re wondeirng why Alexandra is a “Princess” while Casrigahi is not, it’s because she’s actually gets her title from her father, Ernst August, Prince of Hanover. He’s Princess Caroline’s third and current husband).
It’s no secret that Royals are proponents of rewearing items—Kate Middleton has made it a cornerstone of her reign as has Queen Letizia of Spain. Younger members seem to be following suit, too. Princess Josephine of Denmark just restyled her mother’s vintage Prada coat earlier this month and it’s no surprise that Princess Alexandra sneaked into the very stylish closet of Princess Caroline before heading to the Chanel show.
Now, some Royal watchers might frame these acts of rewearing clothes as a way to appeal to the masses—but truly, who wouldn’t want to give Karl Lagerfeld-era Chanel a second life?
This post was originally published on W Magazine
