Prince Charles unveils sustainable Modern Artisan clothing range

Prince Charles has unveiled his new sustainable luxury his and hers clothing range in collaboration with Italian retail group, Yoox Net-A-Porter.

The Prince of Wales, 71, said he believes it is ‘utter madness to have a take, make, throw away approach’ to clothing in a clip released to celebrate The Modern Artisan project – a fashion training programme co-founded by The Prince’s Foundation.

Made up of 18 pieces, the royal’s collection will include ten items for women and eight for men, with prices ranging from £395 to £1295.

It was designed in Italy before being produced – mainly by hand – by students learning traditional skills at Dumfries House, the headquarters of The Prince’s Foundation in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Prince Charles, who is an advocate of sustainable fashion and is often seen wearing the same garments again and again, recently told British Vogue how he preferred to get items ‘repaired, rather than just throw it away’. 

His new project, part of a long-term partnership between The Prince’s Foundation and Yoox Net-A-Porter Group, was created in the hopes of strengthening traditional textile skills in the UK and Italy.

Designed by six Italian students from the leading fashion school Politecnico di Milano, the collection includes a men’s cashmere turtleneck sweater, a women’s double-breasted wool camel coat and a burnt orange blouse.

It also boasts a checked suit jacket and matching wide leg trousers, a women’s navy jumpsuit, a white shirt and a grey cashmere bomber jacket.

The collection was made by six British artisans who undertook training in small batch production skills at Dumfries House, allowing them to craft the majority of the items by hand in the estate’s Textile Training Centre.

During the manufacturing process, the artisans learnt advanced technical production skills such as industrial sewing, pattern drafting and quality control, while also developing the expertise to handle wool, cashmere and silk fabrics to ensure garment finishes meet the requirements of the luxury market.

These skills were formally recognised with the manufacturing artisans completing a Modern Apprenticeship Award in Heritage Textiles in partnership with Glasgow Clyde College.

The knitwear was manufactured at Johnstons of Elgin’s knitwear mill in Hawick, Scotland, where all of the artisans learnt about the British knitwear development process.

Speaking about the new collection, Prince Charles said: ‘I’m enormously impressed by the effort that’s gone into it and by the ideas, the vision, that these students have had.’ 

He added: ‘The key it seems to me, is to rediscover the importance that nature plays in all this and where the natural materials come from. It seems utter madness to have this approach which takes, makes and throws away.

‘I think many of the students have perfected the techniques they were finding quite difficult at the beginning…

‘And hopefully they’ll take away that understanding of sustainability in design and fashion by applying it to their own businesses they want to start.’ 

The royal was pictured visiting the Scottish team to see the collection across the last 18 months. Social distancing measures were followed for those shots taken since March, according to The Prince’s Foundation.

All profits from the collection, which have been created to ‘last a lifetime and beyond’ will go to The Prince’s Foundation to support its textile education programmes.

Each style is equipped with a digital ID, providing the story behind the product, its materials, the artisans who designed and made it, as well as care and repair recommendations to enable customers to treasure these pieces for years to come.  

The designers were granted exclusive access to five years’ worth of data on long-term preferences of the group’s 4.3million customers, to create a timeless collection they knew would resonate in the luxury customer’s wardrobe.

The collection design, carried out during the 500th anniversary year of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, took inspiration from the convergence of art and science in da Vinci’s work. 

The result is a sophisticated collection that marries formal lines and simple construction.

Yoox Net-A-Porter for The Prince’s Foundation label launches across the retailer’s online stores from today. 

Jacqueline Farrell, Education Director at The Prince’s Foundation at Dumfries House, said:  ‘The Modern Artisan project is a unique collaboration that champions sustainability and prepares trainees with the skills and confidence needed to gain employment in the fashion and textile industry, or start their own business. 

‘Managing the project on behalf of The Prince’s Foundation at Dumfries House and overseeing our skilled tutors teach the trainees artisanal skills and traditional methods of production to a new generation of makers has, for me, been a dream come true. 

‘I am very much looking forward to seeing what the artisans do next and am confident that each and every one of them will use the skills they have developed throughout The Modern Artisan project to make a positive impact on the fashion and textile industry and help preserve these invaluable heritage craft skills.’

Federico Marchetti, Chairman and CEO of Yoox Net-A-Porter group, added:   ‘I’ve long been inspired by uniting seemingly opposing worlds. 

‘The Modern Artisan project harnesses Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to transform the ancient profession of craftsmanship into a contemporary career.

‘We have equipped the next generation of artisans with the digital tools of the trade to navigate an ever-evolving landscape. 

‘Designed in Italy and crafted in the UK, this truly sustainable luxury collection illustrates the vast possibilities of cross-border collaborations to tackle environmental challenges and train creative talents in these uncertain times and beyond.’