Prince Charles has quipped that he dresses “like a stopped clock”.
Prince Charles
The 71-year-old heir to the British throne has opened up about his fashion sense and sustainability and how he likes to repair his clothes to keep his carbon footprint down.
When praised for his style during an interview with British Vogue's editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, the climate change activist joked: “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. I mind about detail and colour combinations. 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.”
The Prince of Wales - who is married to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - believes there is a huge market for small businesses to open up repair and maintenance services.
He said: “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 - who has sons Prince William, 38, and Prince Harry, 36, with late ex-wife Princess Diana - has recently co-founded the Modern Artisan with students, which is set to launch a sustainable fashion collection.
And he spoke of the importance of investing in the younger generation in the fashion sector and working to make “throwaway clothing” a thing of the past for the sake of the planet.
He admitted: “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 … 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 throwaway everything, frankly.”
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