Queen Elizabeth II, goodbye to a style icon

A figure who became history due to the length of her reign and as a one-of-a-kind style icon. Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away at 96 on September 8, will live forever in the memory of her subjects and beyond. A woman born to be Queen against her will, extremely loved by her subjects, strong and tenacious enough to face every obstacle with incomparable aplomb. In her 70-year reign, she really saw everything: war and scandals, Brexit and pandemics, she faced the most influential people in the history of the latest century. Her devotion to the crown did not prevent her from being a loving wife and a caring mother who tolerated her rebellious children, and only the death of her husband Prince Phillip really troubled her spirit. Since her coronation on February 6, 1952, the Queen was everywhere: from the 130 countries she visited to punk record covers, from contemporary artists’ works, especially Andy Warhol and Banksy, to pop songs and famous tv shows. Elizabeth II always remained true to the words uttered on her 21st birthday that best represent the figurehead of her reign. And, of course, the perfect way to sum up her life, also spent in style but with great restraint.

Famous is the dress that Elizabeth II wanted for her wedding because, although it was designed by designer Norman Hartnell, it was made from cloth purchased with ration card in deference to the post-war climate of austerity. And similarly, like a normal English woman, between 1948 and 1964, the Queen gave birth to four children, Charles, which is now the new ruler Charles III, Anne, Andrew and Edward, and without battling an eyelid, a handful of years after the wedding she got ready to walk down the same aisle of the abbey in which she had been married to be crowned Queen in 1952. She herself was well aware of the importance of cultivating the monarchy’s popularity and the necessity of establishing an emphatic communication with ordinary people. She did all of it with simple yet effective devices, the Christmas speeches that became a tradition, the habit of walking among the crowds and of periodically meeting with representatives of her subjects.

Likewise, she was able to handle the various personalities of successive Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom by staying true to her conservative views but without demonstrating overly blunt preferences, with the exclusion of Winston Churchill, who she considered a second father. The Queen’s serenity, however, suffered a sever blow in the 1990s with the ruinous outcomes of those Royal Weddings that made the royal family the subject of bitter public recriminations and the world press’ favorite target. Cheating, secret relationships and questionable behavior added up to the separations, during 1992, of Charles and Andrew from the respective wives Diana Spencer and Sarah Ferguson, along with daughter Anna’s divorce from Captain Mark Phillips.

It was difficult to conciliate the reasons of the crown with those of the heart and that was even more evident in the aftermath of the tragic accident in which Princess Diana lost her life, when Elizabeth II was forced to renounce her usual composure to show a more empathetic face and participate, reluctantly, in the commemoration of a figure so beloved by the people but so disliked by the Queen. The sumptuous and above all heartfelt celebrations for the 2012 Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years since her coronation, showed that the Queen had been right once again and that, thanks to her charismatic presence, that strong relationship between the Royal Household and British people had not been lost. And this is net of the events that have marked the last years of her reign, from private matters, such as the scandals that involved Prince Andrew and Megxit, the exit from the royal family of her grandson Harry with his wife Meghan Markle, to the shock of Brexit, as well as the darkness caused by the pandemic.

However, the world's second longest-serving Queen never lost heart, battling the fragility of recent years with the solidity of her myth and concealing the difficulties of the monarchy behind her usual, barely cracked smile. Last June's Platinum Jubilee celebrations were once again proof of that. The British sovereign was also able to invent an aesthetic code representative of her power, seemingly always the same, with her coat-hat-purse triad, to recall the imperishable character of the monarchy, but in fact an expression of a strong personality in which the choice of one color rather than another concealed a message that went far beyond trends. An impeccable style with proverbial elegance, scratched by a pop layer, an immediate reflection of those bright hues for which she always had a predilection, and which spoke unabashedly of stability, optimism and hope.

Over the years her tailored suits and coats, paired with ton sur ton accessories, gloves, scarves and hats, including her favorite models by Philip Treacy, broken up by her ever-present black pumps or loafers by Anello & Davide and a handbag by the historic leather goods brand Launer London alternated with the military uniforms she wore during the war and on official occasions, as well as her outfits with raincoats and Hunter boots on her feet for days spent outdoors with her beloved dogs. The truth is that no one is and will ever be like her. A Queen by accident and a sovereign capable of keeping her promise to reign until the end of her days, she became the one and only true universal icon of our time, destined to forever remain in the hearts of her subjects and all who loved her.

Burberry and Raf Simons cancel their London shows but fashion week is confirmed

London Fashion Week, scheduled for September 16-20, will take place but not without the first illustrious defections, as announced by the British Fashion Council, the organization heading the event. «London Fashion Week is a business-to-business event and an important time for designers to showcase their collections», a note reads. «Therefore, fashion shows and presentations will be held, but we ask designers to respect the mood of the nation and the period of national mourning».  In fact, the Bfc has recommended that brands postpone or cancel events deemed non-essential, such as parties and openings, and suspend communication activity on their channels for the duration of the national mourning period, which will end after the sovereign's funeral scheduled for 10 days from now.

Burberry, however, has decided to cancel its show, scheduled for September 17. In this wake, Raf Simons has also canceled his show scheduled for September 16. All of Sunday's shows remain at risk including Nensi Dojaka, Rejina Pyo, Simone Rocha, Erdem and Richard Quinn, a designer who in 2018 hosted the Queen for the first and only time in the front row of his show alongside Anna Wintour. In fact, although the date of the funeral has not yet been set, according to Operation London Bridge it is expected to be held on Sunday 18, the day on which national mourning will be declared. (All rights reserved)