Bags and heritage: we meet the Archduchess of Austria who dresses the royal family

His Royal and Imperial Highness Sophie HabsburgArchduchess of Austria, divides her time between her luxury home in Rome and Sant’Angelo d’Alfie, a small town on the outskirts of Naples where she lives next to her mozzarella production company.

It’s a daydream. Married for 33 years to her (true) prince, Prince Mariano Hugohead of House Windisch-Greatz, when not tending his lands and horticulture, designs luxury handbags coveted by queens and countesses. On this day, it connects from Sant Angelo. When you see her in a tweed blazer and cream silk blouse, her hair done without apparent effort, you wish you were in her place, or at least best friends with her. She starts our meeting with her elegant accent of hers: “Well, maybe we’ll finish up tomorrow morning,” she jokes as I explain the agenda of the interview.

Born in Paris in 1959 by Archduke Ferdinand Karl Marx of Austria and Countess Helene of Törring-Jettenbach, comes from the historic and important family of Habsburg. Her grandfather was the brother of King Charles I, the last emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his great-aunt Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was married to Prince George, Duke of Kent. “I don’t think we really think about it, unless there’s some serious problem, but of course you have to have great respect for what we’ve been given,” says Sophie of her estate. “You know from an early age that you won’t go Harry’s way [il principe]», he ironizes.

After three years of school in France and six in Germany, she was sent to England to study at St Mary’s Ascot. Considered one of the best public schools in the country, St Mary’s has a strict and religious code of conduct for its young students: ‘I had a fantastic nun, she was very good. She once she caught me doing something very mean, I don’t remember what. She called to me, grabbed me and looked at me with an expression very stern and said, “Sophie, I’m going to tell you one thing and I hope you’ll remember it for the rest of your life. You have the name, the manners, the looks and the money”. It is a phrase that I think has marked me a lot. I have been given a lot, so it is right that I give back».

The British school system created some difficulties for her at first, but eventually Sophie got used to that lifestyle and now looks back with affection: «When you come from a mixed school, where you already have a boyfriend and you wear make-up and everything else, then you end up with girls who haven’t seen a man… for 10 years. You’re surrounded by nuns who scold you for days… In short, it was a bit of a shock, but in summary I liked it and I’ve kept fantastic friendships from that time. It’s a beautiful thing,” she says.

A purse, a queen, and birds

Two colorful parrots close the all-gold clutch worn by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands on her Caribbean tour. A pochette that is already a candidate as the funniest royal bag of 2023

Another key figure in the life of Habsburg was the Grandmother: «He looked very noble. She would come to lunch or dinner at our home in Austria, dressed in cream silk and with slightly flared trousers. Even at 90, she wore beautiful silk shirts, little earrings and a shawl, all cream colored. She had style. I think she was a great source of inspiration for me » explains Sophie. It’s clear that old-school glamor is the trait that has always been with the family.

At 18, Sophie moved to Paris to study interiors and architecture at the esteemed École Camondo, but dropped out early to go and work with interior designer David Hicks: «I thought I would learn a lot more by being active and earning money, which at that age was the main goal: to make money and get out of home. So I immediately accepted the job offer even though my father was angry with me. “You have to finish school. Today we need the piece of paper!», He said. And I answered him: «Don’t worry, we will take care of it».

And he took care of it. In addition to the work she did with Hicks, Sophie was hired by a modeling agency: «At that age, money is never enough, so she does everything. I didn’t say anything to my parents and I got some good contracts. There was a lot of stuff on the television and a Schweppes commercial. Money here, money there, good times!” Sophie recalls. But it wasn’t until she met one of the world’s most famous designers with her partner at a dinner party that her fashion career really took off. Ladies and gentlemen: Valentine.

All the Valentino fashion shows

“They were both very sweet. I think Giancarlo [Giammetti] came up to me and said, “Oh honey, you’re beautiful, we need you!” I was very shy then and didn’t really know how to react. Then they contacted me and said: “Let’s have a nice photo shoot, let’s go to Hungary and Austria”. I accepted immediately, I was overjoyed. So we went on that 10 day trip together, which was an amazing experience. We created a relationship that has never stopped», says Sophie. Always passionate about fashion, she has become a muse for the designer, whom she praises as a “genius”, praising his “mastery”: “From the moment you start working on the inside of the dress, you are already beautiful”, she says with enthusiasm.

Moved to Spain in the 80s, Sophie made a name for herself as an «extraordinary girl», even if she humbly minimizes her celebrity: «It may be that in Europe and Spain I have become a kind of public figure. When they opened Vogue Spain, they asked me to do the first cover, which was an honour,” he says modestly.

Soon, however, Sophie found herself writing on the magazines she covered: “I was very against it because I didn’t like dealing with the press,” she recalls. A topless photo of her had ended up in the local tabloids. “But the owner [di Hola!] he was very kind. She suggested that I interview very important people, leaving me free to choose who as long as I took a picture with them for the cover. I thought about it for a while, but then I accepted, saying to myself: “It’s actually fun and if I prepare well I can meet interesting people”. In fact, I really liked it!”

One such person, whom Sophie affectionately calls a “lab rabbit,” was none other than Richard Gere. «In those days in Spain it was not easy to get videotapes», Sophie recalls, «the only film of her I had seen was American Gigolo, the last one he had filmed I hadn’t been able to get hold of. So, I met him without knowing much about him and having only seen Gigolo, my brain thought: ‘What a pathetic guy’». ‘When he arrived late,’ Sophie continues, ‘I treated him rudely and didn’t even know it was him. She got off on the wrong foot and then halfway through the interview the tape recorder jammed… All of a sudden, I was like, “Hey, he’s actually a really cool guy and a lot more charming than I thought!”. In the end “the whole thing was a lot of fun and we became good friends”. The two then collaborated on many charity projects and often spend time together.

Sophie married Prince Mariano Hugo in 1990. Naturally Valentino was the perfect choice for her white silk dress adorned with bows: «He wrote to me and said: “Do you want me to make your dress?”. She was thrilling. In those years, in Spain, it was Ungaro who dressed me for all my events, but I knew that Valentino was still my heart. In those days we did everything by fax: drawings, measurements, everything!». The whole process lasted about three months and on her wedding day she matched the decadent dress with the Vladimir Fringe tiara, which originally belonged to her great-grandmother, the Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia.

18 years and three children later, Sophie’s fabulous life of fashion and luxury has taken a new turn when he started drawing his own bags: «I made three bags because I couldn’t find a fun and interesting piece for me. Then all my friends kept asking who it was and where I got it. “Oh I had it made, I’ll make one for you!” On the thirtieth day, a friend told me: «But why are you doing this? Stop giving away and make it a business!”

Two years later, tragedy struck the Habsburg family: «In 2010 I lost my son in a car accident. All my friends have been very sweet and helped me not lose heart. They told me: “You have to go to the Paris fair, you have to start a real business, you have to do this, you have to do that!”. They have been of great help to me and today I am incredibly grateful for that », she reflects.

Fashion, interior design, history – all aspects of Sophie’s impressive and extensive career have inspired her creations: «I think that architecture and decoration are very important to let the eye understand the proportions. I’m in love with colors and the mix of materials and do a lot of antique research. One of the last belts I made was inspired by a 17th century Ethiopian one,” she explains.

It’s a winning recipe. Sophie counts the Countess of Wessex among her most loyal clients, Lady Gabriella Windsor and the Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. Indeed, the Countess is a great admirer of hers and her wardrobe is full of bags designed by the Archduchess: «She has a lot of style», says Sophie.

Everything is designed and built in Rome: «I have a wonderful new shop near my house. With a large space for the atelier, the office, the warehouse and the shop itself, it is a completely internal activity». Sophie’s daughter Princess Larissa-Maria has also joined the team, and is helping out with social media and marketing. “I’d be lying if I said it was easy,” says Sophie about working with the family, with the frankness that distinguishes her once again, “but we respect each other a lot.”

So how to acquire a new style according to the Archduchess of Austria? «First, think a lot about the color you need, then the size and choose something that gives a new look to your wardrobe. Get a bag that stands out so much that you can rearrange your old wardrobe in a fun way », she replies. Thinking of her glittering clientele of royalty from every corner of the world, maybe it’s worth listening to her.