The Princess Grace Effect
Throughout her life, Princess Grace was continually inspired by artists, and supported them through her philanthropic work (The Princess Grace Foundation-USA continues this effort on her behalf through their grant program that funds emerging artists in film, theater and dance). Here, the actors, musicians, and other artists who continue to be inspired by her timeless regal elegance.
Taylor Swift
In an interview with InStyle, the singer cited Princess Grace (née Grace Kelly) as one of her style icons. Taylor has often been photographed wearing Princess Grace’s trademark silk scarves, pearls, and strapless gowns. She even wore a dress inspired by pressed flower art to the 2021 Grammy Awards—a tribute to Princess Grace, who created her own pressed flower collages.
Zendaya
The Euphoria actress accepted an Emmy award in 2022 wearing a glamorous black strapless gown designed by Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach, told Vogue that the dress was inspired by the gowns Princess Grace wore in the 1950’s.
Cate Blanchett
With her poise and elegance, Cate Blanchett seems to channel Princess Grace every time she steps on the red carpet. This was evident at the 2014 Golden Globe awards, where Cate wore her blonde hair in a regal, gently curled faux bob. Her hairstylist, Robert Vetica, told Popsugar.com that Princess Grace’s hair was the inspiration for the look.
Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Olsen’s hairstylist Adir Abergel also took a cue from Princess Grace’s famous locks when styling Elizabeth’s hair for the 2021 Emmy Awards. To match the shape of the simple white dress that Elizabeth’s sisters, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, designed for her, Abergel told TheCut.com that he pulled pictures of Princess Grace for inspiration.
Elle Fanning
While known for accenting her outfits with pearls, Princess Grace sometimes switched it up and wore a 1955 Cartier Grain de Café necklace. She donned the gold bean necklace on several important occasions, including a 1961 visit to the White House to meet President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Elle Fanning arrived at the 2023 Met Gala wearing a similar necklace, and when asked by Town & Country about it on the red carpet she said, it’s "the one that Grace Kelly wore in the royal portrait.” The actress then clarified it may not be Princess Grace’s exact necklace, but it's from the same time period.
Miranda Kerr
When Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier in 1956, she wore a demure long sleeve dress with a high neckline, cinched waist, and silk taffeta skirt hand embroidered with pearls and featuring a dramatic three-foot train. It immediately became iconic. The dress that Kate Middleton wore to marry Prince William in 2011 echoed Princess Grace’s wedding gown, and more recently, model Miranda Kerr revealed that her wedding dress (which she wore in 2017 at her wedding to Evan Spiegel) was inspired by Princess Grace too. As reported on Today.com, when asked about the dress, Miranda told Vogue Magazine, “in this period of my life, my style is more pulled back. My greatest sources of inspiration have always been Grace [Kelly], Audrey Hepburn, and my grandmother…”
Tommy Hilfiger
The American designer, who has an Andy Warhol silkscreen of Princess Grace hanging in his home, and wrote the foreword to Grace Kelly, a Life in Pictures, has said he had Princess Grace in mind when he branched out into designing women’s clothes. As featured on Vanityfair.com, he said “I began to really study icons of style. Grace stood out. Style is enduring and forever. It’s something you cannot buy. There is a chic-ness to conservative style done in an elegant way.”
Celebrities are making Princess Grace’s style feel as fresh and modern today as it did back in the 1950s. While never focused on being a fashion icon—Princess Grace much preferred to be remembered for her kindness and generosity—her classic style lives on, proving that it is truly timeless.
