The Women of Monaco Lunch has once again brought together a group of like-minded local women to support and celebrate each other and raise money for a good cause, this time the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
The continuous theme of Women of Monaco Lunches is “Women supporting Women”. On Tuesday 13th June, the sixth edition the lunch, organised by Sandrine Knoell of Five Stars Events, was backed by Akris, a Swiss-based fashion house with a boutique in Monaco, and Barclays Private Bank.
Guests gathered at the Hôtel Hermitage around tables bearing the name of collections from the Akris fashion house, and were treated to a special fashion show celebrating 100 years of the brand.
For this anniversary collection, creative director Albert Kriemler drew inspiration from archive pieces dated between 1978 and 1992. Fashion house representatives talked about how Akris, founded in St. Gallen Switzerland – the fabric capital of the world – by Alice Kriemler-Schoch, has always been a champion of women’s rights.
The fashion show transitioned from classic double-faced coats and oversized 80s jackets to rainbow-coloured pleated dresses and a selection from the lace collection that originates from Kriemler’s designs of the 1980s.
“While searching for new laces, we realised the original laces had a strength that we could not find in any of today’s replacements,” said Kriemler. “That which is just right cannot be surpassed; it took six months for the initial lace maker in Calais to reproduce it.”
The auction of a beautiful Akris Heart print handbag contributed significantly to the €6,000 raised during the lunch for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
Meanwhile, Valérie Genin, Head of Investments at Barclays Private Bank in Monaco, spoke about women in finance at Barclays and how the company has been at the forefront of championing women’s careers and engaging men in the conversation. She highlighted that Barclays was the first bank in the UK to hire a female bank manager in the 1950s, and it was the first bank to sign up to the UN’s HeForShe campaign in 2015, which aims to accelerate progress towards gender equality.
Valérie Genin also highlighted the changes that are happening in female-driven private finance.
“Within our private banking business, we are seeing a very visible trend of women not only being part of decision making, but also leading investment decisions on behalf of families and organisations. This has been accentuated more recently. So, not only are women now the largest beneficiaries of the inter-generational wealth transfer, they are increasingly becoming private banking clients in their own rights through their own hard work and successes,” said Genin.
Guests were also treated to a selection of fragrances by Italian luxury perfumer Xerjoff, whose fragrances are characterised by a rare blend of Italian style, tradition and innovation. The Women of Monaco Lunch now falls under the banner of the Women of Monaco Club, created by Sandrine Knoell and launched in March 2023. This elite international social club aims to bring together extraordinary women from different backgrounds who share the same ideas.
“Since 8th March, we have had 25 members join who are all special women,” said Sandrine Knoell. “We meet a potential member before accepting her to see if she matches the values that we have of ‘Women supporting Women’ and also their integrity. The members benefit from a range of different experiences and invitations, for example, we had a concert for the Printemps des Arts in the Hauser and Wirth gallery, we participated in the 160th anniversary of the Consulate of Monaco in Florence with an amazing Gala at the Palazzio Vecchio, and a gemstones talk at Boghossian in the Hôtel de Paris. Upcoming events include the Gala of the Princess Grace Academy, Monaco Art Wek and artmonte-carlo.”
Those who are interested in joining the Women of Monaco Club can contact Five Stars Events.
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Photos source: 5 Stars Events.