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Princess Diana ’s legacy and fashion continues to inspire today. New York brand Rowing Blazers has paid tribute to the late Princess of Wales with their latest collection. The brand’s Autumn/Winter 2020 collection features collaborations with several British designers who were closely associated with Princes William and Harry ’s mother. Among the items is the Princess’ iconic “I’m A Luxury” jumper. Designers Gyles Brandreth and George Hostler first created the soft pink and white knit with the phrase “I’m A Luxury” blocked out across the front in the early ‘80s. “George Hostler and I got together in the early 1980s. One of our favourite early jumpers was ‘I’m a luxury’ and that seemed like a natural one to revive now because it was one we loved and one Diana loved,” Gyles tells HOLA! USA. “After first meeting Diana, I was struck by her sense of fun and great sense of humor - something we forget because of the tragic end of her life. She told me she liked our jumpers because they made her smile.”
Gyles added, “The ‘I’m a Luxury Few Can Afford’ jumper is an iconic style. After meeting with Jack Carlson from Rowing Blazers and seeing his appreciation for the timeless and nostalgic fashion look that many often associate with the Princess Di era, I knew this was the right partnership to bring back the jumper.” The crewneck sweater is available for $295 for both men and women.
Diana’s black sheep sweater has also been revived in the vintage-inspired brand’s new collection. The late Princess famously wore the red knit jumper by Warm & Wonderful to watch her then-fiancé Prince Charles play polo in 1980. Up until now, the design had not been produced since 1994. The sweater, designed with the same pattern worn by Diana, is available for $295 for both men and women.
Rowing Blazers’ creative director Jack Carlson noted that there is a renewed interest in Diana’s style. “Both of these sweater designs have been copied or referenced by others over the years (sometimes without crediting or acknowledging the original designers). But collaborating with the original designers is exactly what makes this so special to me,” Jack said of the collaborations in a statement. “I think there’s a lot of nostalgia in the air right now, and a great renewed interest in Diana’s style in particular.”
He continued, “When I was little, in the early ’90s, my family lived in Hampstead in north London, and my mother had one of the original Warm & Wonderful sheep sweaters. It looks as great now as it did then. And I’ve collected vintage Gyles & George jumpers online for years – but an authentic ‘I’m A Luxury’ sweater is nearly impossible to find. The timing couldn’t be better for Rowing Blazers to bring these iconic designs out of the archives with the brands and designers who originally created them.”