Princess Diaries
Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece returned to Waikiki this past summer to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Marie-Chantal boutique in Hawai‘i. The luxury children’s wear boutique is located on the second floor in the DFS Galleria Waikiki, which this year marks its 50th anniversary, making it an even more momentous year for Princess Marie-Chantal, whose father Robert Miller co-founded Duty Free Shops. A mother of five, Her Royal Highness visits Hawai‘i once a year, usually in the summer, and enjoys staying at The Kahala Hotel and shopping in Waikiki. She was raised in Hong Kong, studied art and design in New York and lives in London, but has many childhood memories of Hawai‘i.
“We used to move around a lot, and when my father was building the business out here, my little sister (Alexandra von Furstenberg) went to Koko Head Elementary (in Hawaii Kai) for six months, and I remember spending two holidays here,” she shares, noting that she was in boarding school at the time. “I think the first time I came [to Hawai‘i] was when I was two. We stayed at The Kahala and I love to bring my kids back.
It has an incredibly nostalgic feel—the dolphins are still there, the beach is exactly the same, the lagoon is still there, it’s kind of fun.”
Princess Marie-Chantal, who married Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece in 1995, launched her first collection in 2001, creating clothing and accessories for girls and boys from newborn to age 12. Known for its contemporary-chic designs, Marie-Chantal has a growing following of customers including some of the world’s most famous and stylish mothers, such as Victoria Beckham, Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Hurley and Claudia Schiffer.
As for what’s new with her collection, the princess says it’s more about following the trends, giving her apparel more of an edge, rather than a baby look. “What we’re doing is changing the tone by just a degree,” she explains. “You’ll start to see it in the spring/summer of next year. It’s still a very classic, contemporary line, but we’re just making it a little bit more playful and fun.” 6
Marie-Chantal
DFS Galleria Waikiki
330 Royal Hawaiian Ave. [C:7 Waikiki Map]
(808) 931-2700
