A Visionary Blend of Luxury and Goodness: Claudia Poccia Unveils Grace de Monaco

Luxury and purpose harmoniously intertwine with Grace de Monaco, the world's first luxury-for-good Maison. We are joined by Claudia Poccia, an Entertainment Entrepreneur. CEO, Princess Grace Foundation and Grace de Monaco, 3x Tony-winning Broadway Producer, and Philanthropist to discover the intricacies of fragrance creation, insights into collaborations with The Princess Grace Foundation, the fusion of French Perfumery savoir-faire and American luxury, and the artistry behind each product's packaging, delving into the past, present, and future of Grace de Monaco.

Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind Grace de Monaco and its mission as the world's first luxury brand for good?

CLAUDIA: The inspiration behind Grace de Monaco is to create an exquisite, luxury Maison across Beauty, Accessories and Home – all evocative of Princess Grace’s timeless, elegant yet effortless style. Our mission is to preserve the humanitarian legacy of Princess Grace through this luxury- for-good business model with 100% of profits benefiting the Princess Grace Foundation to support emerging artists in Theatre, Dance and Film. The collections are very much inspired by her taste and what she would have created or chosen today while also being mindful and intentional around sustainability at every opportunity.

How does Grace de Monaco embody and celebrate the philanthropic and artistic legacy of Princess Grace?

CLAUDIA: Grace de Monaco has a purpose-driven mission which intertwines luxury with benevolence, carrying forward the legacy of Princess Grace and her impact within the arts & entertainment industry. With all profits going straight to the Princess Grace Foundation, Grace de Monaco provides a long term, sustainable revenue stream to ensure that the vital work started by Princess Grace continues far into the future.

How do French Perfumery savoir-faire and American luxury lifestyle intertwine in your fragrance offerings?

CLAUDIA: Princess Grace possessed a profound appreciation for the arts, craftsmanship, and quality. This innate, effortless mastery of exuding timeless style is meticulously encapsulated in every Grace de Monaco fragrance, crafted by perfumers who are true masters of their art. French savoir-faire and American luxury unite in our unwavering commitment to uncompromising quality and exceptional craftsmanship.

Having recently launched your third fragrance, Ombre Sereine, could you guide us through the diverse inspirations and olfactory facets in your fragrance range?

CLAUDIA: Scents are personal and tell a story. Grace de Monaco purposefully debuted with a signature Fragrance in 2021 because of its ability to evoke emotions while capturing the artisanal essence and aura of Princess Grace. As such, the first three Grace de Monaco scents are a trilogy that tell the story of Princess Grace’s journey from Hollywood icon to Princess of Monaco. With her love for florals and dried flower art, all Grace de Monaco scents have a floral core.

Our premiere fragrance, Promenade Sur La Rocher, is both bold and passionate and reflective of the modern French Riviera. The name, which translates to “Walk to the Rock,” is a reference to the Palace in Monaco where Princess Grace started her new life as a royal.

Conceived as an elegant white floral, it radiates with bergamot and rose centifolia. Evolving with a touch of exotic ylang ylang, the fragrance lingers with sensuality on skin with notes of amber, woods, musk, and vanilla.

Danse Étoilée is a fresh floral with top notes of sparkling citrus, rhubarb and cassis and a bouquet of bright flowers in all shades of yellow, white, pink, and green. Danse Étoilée is tender with lily of the valley, spicy geranium, fruity freesia, and magnificent roses. It embodies the spirit, energy, and vibrancy of the Cote D’Azur, where Princess Grace started the exciting next chapter in her life.

Finally, Ombre Sereine is the most intimate of the scents, a floral chypre that ignites with a passionate embrace. While the first two fragrances were celebrations of Princess Grace’s public moments, Ombre Sereine focuses on the personal: her relationship with Prince Rainier, her inner joy and excitement around her new roles as Princess, wife, philanthropist, and mother. With top notes of pink berry and mimosa, Ombre Sereine is captivating and sensual as layers of bergamot, orange blossom and lavender mingle with leather and musk. It is both exhilarating and provocative.

Can you tell us more about the perfumers you collaborate with and provide a glimpse into your creative process with them?

CLAUDIA: The creative process always begins with ensuring the highest level of craftsmanship and ends with a final product that is symbolic of Princess Grace’s timeless, elegant yet effortless style very much inspired by her taste and what she would have worn today. Veronique Gabai and dsm-Firmenich Master Perfumer Olivier Cresp crafted Grace de Monaco’s first two scents, Promenade Sur Le Roche and Danse Etoilee, and Xavier Blaizot, emerging perfumer and 7th generation nose, created our third scent, Ombre Sereine.

The packaging design of Grace de Monaco products is full

of hidden details that recall Princess Grace's passions.

Could you tell us more about them?

CLAUDIA: All our products are driven by an authentic connection to Princess Grace. Her affection for and connection to flowers became an integral part of the Grace de Monaco brand and a source of great inspiration to Jérôme Faillant-Dumas, who designed all of the brand packaging and silks in the collection. The visual impact that flowers provide was used across all products in bold and subtle ways, through printing, screening, embossing, and casting techniques. The prints on the silk collections are all inspired by Princess Grace’s pressed flower designs, weaving her artistry into the Maison in an incredibly special way.

The orchid, a favourite of Princess Grace, is another recurring motif across the product lineup. It is a direct reference to her son, Prince Albert II, whose birth was celebrated with gifts of thousands of orchids arriving at the palace. Each bottle of Promenade Sur Le Rocher Parfum is adorned with a custom ceramic orchid charm. This symbolic flower is also delicately sculpted into the ceramic vessel of each of our candles and porcelain diffuser.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the fragrance industry. Can you share more about the sustainable solutions you are adopting and your collaboration with DSM-Firmenich?

CLAUDIA: While our core mission is to give back to the artist community, we strive to be kind to the environment. It was important for us to source high-quality ingredients while minimizing the environmental impact on wild fauna and flora. Natural ingredients were prioritized, and synthetics were used sparingly. dsm-firmenich is at the epicentre of designing sustainable fragrances, and their innovative biotechnologies were utilized as a sustainable alternative to naturally occurring elements.

As a result, Grace de Monaco received the highest possible rating of sustainability according to the EcoScent Compass from dsm-firmenich. We are proud to partner with Firmenich and be on the leading edge of sustainability in fragrance.

What are the key aspirations and goals that Grace de Monaco aims to achieve in the coming years?

CLAUDIA: Our priority is always to honour Princess Grace’s legacy by helping fund emerging talent in the performing arts; we will always be driven by our purpose of doing good.
At Grace de Monaco, our future is full of exciting endeavours from growing our luxury portfolio to creating meaningful design collaborations, all in service to our mission.