MyCrown Collection opens first boutique at Le Méridien

Monaco-born lifestyle brand MyCrown Collection has opened its first boutique in the Principality, bringing together local design, fashion and interiors within Le Méridien Beach Plaza.

Created by Monaco entrepreneur Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis, the brand is recognised for its crown emblem and its range of distinctive accessories, including its signature handbags. Until now, MyCrown Collection has largely been presented through events, collaborations and online sales; the new boutique gives the label its first permanent retail presence in Monaco.

The store also showcases a wider selection of fashion and lifestyle pieces, including furniture and furnishings by Ekle Monte-Carlo and clothing from several designers.

Its position inside Le Méridien Beach Plaza is a strategic one. Located close to the hotel’s reception and check-in area, the boutique is designed to catch the attention of arriving guests, offering them the opportunity to take home something created in — and closely associated with — Monaco.

From handbags and pillows to the exclusive sunglasses range in collaboration with Princess Charlene and her Foundation, MyCrown Collection now brings everything together under its first boutique. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti

A crown with a personal meaning

MyCrown Collection began during the first Covid lockdown, when Vaharis Tsouvelekakis started transforming her family’s old shirts, skirts, scarves and dresses into cushions, table linen and other decorative pieces.

The idea developed into a business focused on handcrafted accessories for homes and yachts, often produced using repurposed fabrics. According to the brand, the crown represents the value attached to cherished objects, people and shared memories rather than royalty alone.

The collection has since expanded considerably. Alongside its original homewares, it now includes handbags, sunglasses, jewellery, swimwear, scarves, tableware and other fashion and lifestyle accessories.

The new boutique reflects that evolution, presenting MyCrown Collection as the centrepiece of a broader Monaco-focused retail concept.

MyCrown Collection boutique is located in Le Meridien Beach Plaza. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti

Sunglasses supporting the Princess Charlene Foundation

Among the pieces available are sunglasses from the Monaco by FAOS x MyCrown Collection collaboration, developed with the participation and support of Princess Charlene.

The collection features a crown-shaped detail and incorporates premium Zeiss lenses and internal anti-reflective coatings. A selection of the sunglasses was donated to the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, while proceeds from the initiative support the Foundation’s work.

The collaboration closely connects MyCrown Collection’s defining symbol with Monaco and one of the Principality’s best-known charitable organisations.

A familiar figure in Monaco retail

While MyCrown Collection represents her own creative venture, Vaharis Tsouvelekakis is already a familiar figure within Monaco’s retail and business community through Brooks Brothers Monaco.

She has also played an active role in the Principality’s Greek community and has served as president of the Hellenic Community of Monaco.

The boutique at Le Méridien Beach Plaza now provides a prominent platform for her independently created brand, placing it directly before an international clientele looking for designs with a genuine connection to the Principality.

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Main photo credit: Cassandra Tanti

Blue Wake Awards 2026: Celebrating the pioneers of sustainable yachting

As the superyacht industry is preparing to gather for the Monaco Yacht Show, organisers have announced the winners of the 2026 Blue Wake Awards, honouring the companies driving measurable progress toward sustainability in the luxury sector.

Launched last year in partnership with the Water Revolution Foundation, the Blue Wake Programme uses strict, proven standards to stop greenwashing and ensure total transparency. This year’s initiative brought together 60 verified participants—including equipment makers, shipyards, and management firms—that met strict environmental rules. These companies were judged across five key areas: cutting emissions, using circular materials, smart eco-design, protecting marine life, and yacht services.

From this group, an expert panel chose five category winners, plus a special yacht prize and a special mention, setting a clear, measurable standard for green innovation in the superyacht industry.

The 2026 category winners

Bespoke Projects claimed the luxury services and products prize for GreenCast recycled-monomer cast acrylic, by breaking old plastic down to its base chemical building blocks to create new, high-grade sheets, the material offers a truly circular alternative for yacht interior furniture, joinery, and finishes without sacrificing luxury clarity. In the nautical supply sector, Termodinamica earned recognition for its direct-expansion marine HVAC inverter heat pump system. Amico & Co. took the title for builder and refit shipyard, highlighted by its Genoa facility’s one-megawatt solar installation, full-dock shore power, energy-efficient sheds, onsite wastewater treatment, and a 25-category waste recovery system.

Tykun secured the tenders and water toys award for its aluminium TYKUN X and TYKUN XII models, backed by comprehensive cradle-to-grave life cycle assessments—comprehensive evaluations that measure the total environmental impact of a product from its absolute beginning to its final disposal.

Finally, Marina Ibiza was honoured in the yacht service, brokerage, and charter category for its extensive work restoring local Posidonia seagrass meadows.

Special accolades and innovative propulsion

In addition to the core categories, the jury awarded the Blue Wake Special Prize for a Yacht to Simena, a 62-metre sailing yacht built by Ares Yacht. The vessel features a parallel-hybrid propulsion system equipped with 220-kilowatt electric motors, allowing for battery-supported silent operation and energy regeneration under sail.

A special mention was also extended to VPLP Design, the sole design firm participating in the programme this year. Their Wind Voyage project utilises OceanWings rigid wings, with operational sea data demonstrating a fuel saving of 1.3 tonnes per day per sail—translating to a 25 to 50 percent reduction in overall fuel consumption.

Moving beyond intentions

Reflecting on the evolution of the initiative, Informa Prestige CEO Toby Moore emphasised the necessity of verifiable metrics in modern luxury maritime sectors.

“As the yachting industry continues to advance its environmental commitments, one question has grown more pressing: how to distinguish genuine progress from intention alone,” Moore said. “Blue Wake was created in response—a framework to help identify environmental solutions supported by evidence rather than claims alone. These winners represent the very best of what our industry can achieve when innovation meets accountability.”

The winners will be honoured during the Monaco Yacht Show with custom trophies created by French artist Cyril Bagnost at Atelier Bagnost in Normandy. Each sculpture is inspired by a yacht’s wake and a whale’s fin—symbolising conscious luxury, the ocean’s power, and the responsibility of our passage. 

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Photo credit: Yacht Club de Monaco