Princess Grace of Monaco’s legacy lives on in the luxury brand Grace de Monaco. We find out more
Words: Sophia Charalambous
Keeping the legacy of Princess Grace of Monaco alive is the inspiration behind the self-proclaimed “world’s first luxury brand for good”.
Grace de Monaco launched in 2021 and is overseen by Princess Grace’s son, Prince Albert II. Its uniqueness lies in giving 100 per cent of its profits directly to the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, with the sole aim to promote artists in the fields of theatre, dance and film.
It was very important to Prince Albert II and the team that this was a luxury brand – products that Princess Grace would have worn herself.
Claudia Poccia, CEO of Grace de Monaco (pictured below), says: “Princess Grace was very much ahead of her time in both her timeless style and her collaborations. Her influence on fashion remains relevant today and will continue to be the guiding light for the brand.
“Princess Grace’s love of flowers and her dried flower art drove the decision to enter the business through the categories of fragrance, home decor and accessories, where the silks collection resides.”
Fragrance is key to the Grace de Monaco brand; it has created Promenade Sur Le Rocher and Danse Étoilée and recently Ombre Sereine, made by the perfumer Xavier Blaizot.
According to Blaizot, Ombre Sereine is meant to transport the wearer back to the Monaco of the 1960s to the 1980s.
Speaking about the power of scent, he says: “I believe we all have a scent that evokes vivid memories of a specific person.
“For Princess Grace, I did a lot of research into this idea and found she had pictures of her Fleurissimo fragrance by Creed. This helped create the basis of the floral bouquet when creating Ombre Sereine – I like to think she would have worn my composition.”
Every detail has been considered for Grace de Monaco; the silk scarves are a signature clothing item of Princess Grace and they feature royal emblems and colour palettes.
Monaco is key to the brand’s heritage; the Hollywood star became a princess after she moved to the principality and married Prince Rainier III.
Blaizot was inspired by Monaco, selecting all the ingredients for his scent himself. He chose ones that are indicative of the region, including lavandin absolute, which can be found an hour’s drive from Monaco, and a new ingredient that comes from the water used to distil fleur d’oranger.
He said his fragrance Ombre Sereine is a modern interpretation of Monaco as he tried to interpret the principality’s famous rock into the scent.
“In French we refer to Monaco as le Rocher – the Rock,” he explains. “This was a challenging exercise as a perfumer, as I had to recreate an impression of an object that doesn’t really have a distinct smell.
“I was inspired by a mineral, watery, almost ozonic, salty accord to create this effect – you can start to notice it when the perfume develops on the skin after a few hours.”
But it is the Princess Grace Awards programme that lies at the heart of Grace de Monaco – celebrating emerging artists in theatre, dance and film. There’s even the Princess Grace Statue award, which to date has recognised 67 award winners who have made a significant contribution to their chosen field since their initial scholarship.
Poccia says: “There is such honesty, beauty and storytelling behind the arts, it touches us each in different ways, while encouraging community and sharing – it’s a fundamental part of humanity.”
She tells me that she has long been inspired by Princess Grace, initially due to her immense style. “Growing up, I always considered Princess Grace a role model and fashion icon.
“Over the years, I learned more about her philanthropic spirit, her commitment to the arts and her pioneering leadership in promoting equity for women in film.
“I’m very proud to play a small role in carrying forth her legacy.”
