New York is currently experiencing one of its most important weeks of the year, and among the faces in the front row is one royal who knows the industry quite well.
Princess Olympia of Greece, daughter of Crown Prince Pavlos and granddaughter of the last King of Greece, Constantine II, attended several of the spring/summer 2027 shows, but over the weekend she went a step further. On 12 September, she walked the runway for Conner Ives in a backless lilac dress.
Olympia actively participates in fashion weeks, and New York has now been the stage for a new facet of her career.
© WWD via Getty ImagesFront row to runway
The 30-year-old princess has long been a fixture on the international fashion circuit. Paris, Milan, London, Copenhagen, and New York are regular stops on her schedule, and her presence at the forefront of fashion shows has become a recognisable image within the industry .
Olympia was back in New York this year's fashion week edition, held from 10 to 15 September. On the first day of Fashion Week, she attended the Kallmeyer show at the Ukrainian Institute, accompanied by Lauren Santo Domingo, founder of Moda Operandi, a platform for which the princess is an ambassador, and shared the front row with content creator Charlotte Groeneveld.
Two days later, Conner Ives, a New York-born designer professionally based in London, was presenting his collection for the first time on the official NYFW schedule. And among the models in his show was Olympia.
A daring catwalk dress
© WWD via Getty ImagesThe princess walked the runway in one of the designs from Conner Ives' spring/ summer 2027 collection, a lilac-coloured dress.
Olympia shared images of her preparation process and behind-the-scenes moments with her followers, revealing a side of her closer to that of a professional model. Her cousin Talita von Fürstenberg and socialite Ivy Getty were among those who congratulated her, while Poppy Delevingne summed up her enthusiasm with a particularly effusive message.
The New York designer, trained at Central Saint Martins and known for his work with vintage garments and deadstock materials, has built his identity between London and New York. His arrival on the New York catwalk is, in fact, a kind of homecoming: this was his first presentation on the city's official calendar after years of showing his collections in London.
© WWD via Getty ImagesPrincess Olympia's expert style
Olympia's image in New York doesn't begin or end with the fashion show. During these days, she has also been featured in several street style looks.
At Kallmeyer, she opted for a more sophisticated and contemporary aesthetic, in keeping with the brand's character, while her presence at various events throughout the week confirms one of the most interesting features of her wardrobe: the ability to easily transition from a highly polished look to a bolder one.
From brand ambassador to fashion muse
In 2020, she was chosen as the face of Louis Vuitton's Capucines bag, one of the French fashion house's most recognisable pieces. She has also collaborated with Olympia Le-Tan, for whom she designed a collection of handbags inspired by the brand's signature book-shaped clutches.
Fashion is also part of her own family's recent history. Her father, Pavlos of Greece, and her brother Constantine Alexios appear in the book The Dior Sessions, photographed by Nikolai von Bismarck, and the Glücksburgs' ties to Dior have been frequent in recent years.
© Getty ImagesRole in the fashion industry
Olympia of Greece has been a fixture in the front rows of major fashion shows for years, but this week in New York she has shown that her relationship with fashion can be much broader. From Kallmeyer to Conner Ives, and including the appointments and events surrounding Fashion Week, the princess has turned these days into a microcosm of her own style.
The princess dared to leave the place usually reserved for royals to occupy the centre of the catwalk for a few minutes.
