Prince Charles Plays Coy About His Sense Of Style In Rare Interview With British Vogue

Prince Charles is opening up about his sense of style.

In a rare interview with British Vogue, the Prince Of Wales played coy about being dubbed a fashion icon.

“I thought I was like a stopped clock – I’m right twice every 24 hours. But… I’m very glad you think it has style,” he says. “I’m lucky because I can find marvellous people who are brilliant makers of the things that I appreciate, and because of that, I try to keep them going for longer.”

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“We have to clean up our act. But it can be done. There are wonderful things going on, but we need to scale up.” In the December issue, HRH The Prince of Wales talks to Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful about The Modern Artisan, a training programme, co-founded by The Prince’s Foundation, whose students are about to launch a sustainable fashion collection with Yoox Net-a-Porter @YNAP. See the new royal portraits by @Nick_Knight for #BritishVogue in the new issue, on newsstands and available for digital download Friday 6 November. And read the interview at the link in bio. The Prince of Wales wears a linen jacket made for him 30 years ago by @AndersonAndSheppard. Photographed in the gardens at Highgrove, his Gloucestershire home, by @Nick_Knight and sittings editor @KPhelan123.

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Speaking with editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, the royal addressed the importance of sustainable fashion. Charles’ daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, has also spoken out about the cause.

“I happen to be one of those people who’d get shoes – or any item of clothing – repaired if I can, rather than just throw it away. And that’s why I think, from an economic point of view, there are huge opportunities for people to set up small businesses involved with repair, maintenance and reuse,” Charles, 71, explained.

Adding, “When I was a child, we used to take our shoes down to the cobbler in Scotland and would watch with fascination as he ripped the soles off and then put new soles on.”

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In a lively Zoom call earlier this year between HRH The Prince of Wales and Editor-In-Chief @Edward_Enninful, the Prince unveiled the sustainable fashion project he’s been working on, how he perceives his own style and why, after 50 years, he’s still a firm advocate of sustainability. “I’m one of those people who hates throwing anything away,” the Prince tells Edward Enninful. “I’d rather have [clothes] repaired and maintained, even patched if necessary.” Watch the full film at the link in bio.

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Charles also addressed his foundation, The Modern Artisan Project, and its training program giving students the chance to launch a fashion collection with commercially viable sustainability at its core.

“The British fashion textile sector is of enormous importance. But the trouble is, it requires constant investment in young people and in the development of real skills,” he says. “And a lot of the students we train here are snapped up by local firms – the ones that are left in the textile sector. But it seems to me there are huge opportunities, particularly now, within the whole sustainable fashion sector, to counter this extraordinary trend of throw-away clothing – or throw away everything, frankly.”

Charles’ issue of British Vogue hits newsstands on Nov. 6.