Duchess Sophie of Edinburgh demonstrated her diplomatic flair through fashion on her recent royal visit to Japan. On the second day of her five-day trip, she visited the Nezu Museum in Minato City, Tokyo, wearing a striking £660 ‘Wales’ dress by Max Mara. The dress, characterized by its floaty ankle-length skirt and tie waist, resonated with the cultural significance of her surroundings, particularly as she adhered to the local dress code by going barefoot.
The Nezu Museum, founded to preserve and exhibit pre-modern Japanese and East Asian art, holds an impressive collection of approximately 7,600 works, including seven Japanese National Treasures. The Duchess’s sartorial sensibility signaled some serious awareness of her surroundings, marrying sartorial specificity with the glamorous flair we expect from royal style.
To complement her dress, Duchess Sophie layered her look with the ‘Indiana Double-Breasted Blazer in Optic White’ from Altuzarra. The blazer had beautiful double-breasted buttons that really gave structure to her look. Even worn unfastened, it maintained her aesthetic appearance informal but refined.
During her visit, Duchess Sophie opted to accessorize with Asprey London’s ‘Woodland Single Oak Leaf Bracelet. She finished her look off with gold drop earrings to bring even more understated elegance to the ensemble. Her sartorial decisions further emphasized her unique fashion sense, and even more importantly, her awareness of cultural differences.
Earlier this month, Duchess Sophie hosted a reception for the vice-regal conference at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in Alberta, Canada. To commission this special appearance, it seems she selected the ‘Siena’ dress from Beulah and took the deep green ‘Moneypenny’ bag from Sophie Habsburg. To finish off her look, she accessorized with Giulia Barela’s ‘Poetica Hoop Small Earrings.
On the third day of her Japan visit, Meghan dazzled in an incredible ‘dreamscape’ design by Suzannah London. The dress, with its vibrant print depicting an idyllic Tuscan landscape, was an ideal complement to her stylistic panache that complemented her busy agenda.
It’s for this reason that Duchess Sophie‘s ability to blend aesthetic with public displays of cultural appreciation has recently won her acclaim.
“The Duchess of Edinburgh continues to master the art of diplomatic dressing with effortless grace,” – Angela Kyte
Duchess Sophie’s trip brought her to Danjo Garan, an area of sacred mountain worship in Wakayama Prefecture. Today, this site acts as the headquarters for the Shingon sect of Buddhism. It’s what she chooses to wear on the journey that really reveals her passion for fashion. They praise her profound esteem for the traditions and culture of the places she travels.
