Stories Of London

THE CHRONICLES OF
HER GRACE THE DUCHESS

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The Grand Duchess seen here in March 2025 draped in her winter furs

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Devils may well wear Prada, but forget Paris and Milan and hold on tight as the glamourous world  of Haute Couture is about to undergo a seismic change! It is now clear that the centre of fashion is well and truly entrenched in Fayetteville, North Carolina! Ever since Eugene Anastasia, The Grand Duchess of Cumberland County, took up residence there, the eyes of the world have moved south with her, and her new digs, Welmar Palace, quickly became a centre of culture and fashion.

The Grand Duchess holding court at Welmar Palace in March 2026

This was nothing new for Her Grace since she has always been known for her elegance, her charm and her generous character. She has won the hearts of people from all walks of life including even the most hardened critics. But what took place this past week has cemented her position as an icon of both culture and fashion for the age! Her Grace has now shed her furs for a lighter, freer look that the modern active woman demands and the result is breathtaking!

The Grand Duchess at the height of the winter of 2024 and dressed in all of her furs

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Le Salon de Madame Cassie

Madame Cassie of Fayetteville has been given the exclusive right to be Her Grace’s official Coiffure. With Her Grace’s patronage, a Royal Warrant has been awarded to Madame Cassie which now gives her the right to display a plaque showing the coat of arms of The Grand Duchy of Cumberland County and stating the phrase By Appointment to The Grand Duchess ……. on any of her products and establishments.

The Plaque with The Coat of Arms of The Grand Duchess

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Recently when Her Grace patronised the salon of Madame Cassie where she received an exciting new creation that was specifically designed for her. The startling new look quickly became known as The Plush Look or Le Nouveau Plush Style once it was quickly captured by photographers from around the world.

The Plush Look

Through the years, there have been a number of remarkable hairstyles that have become iconic and became associated with the person they were created for. And now Madame Cassie’s latest creation for Her Grace has joined this elite and remarkable group and I do not doubt that we shall soon experience a stampede of clients demanding The Plush Look!

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And what of this elite group and the creations produced for them? Who are they? In recent times three monumental styles appeared on the scene and sent women rushing to their hairdressers and arriving breathless in their haste to demand the latest style.

The first of these iconic styles was created in 1966 by the celebrity stylist, Leonard Lewis (Leonard of Mayfair), who took six hours to produce The Pixie Cut using the hair model, Twiggy (Leslie Hornby) who was sixteen-years old at the time. Photographs were taken of the creation by Barry Lategan and one was hung in the salon where it was seen by a fashion journalist and the rest is history! Twiggy became The face of 1966 and went on to enjoy a successful modeling career and the symbol of Swinging London, and later as an actress in film and stage productions.

Twiggy

The second iconic style is that worn by Jane Fonda in the film, Klute. The creation was the brainchild of Paul MacGregor and is referred to as a Choppy Shag Haircut. Be that as it may, the name does not do credit to its brilliance and it became an immensely popular design and defined the 1970s.

Jane Fonda

The style worn by the great actress Meryl Streep in the film, The Devil Wears Prada and its sequel has also become iconic. Although a wig, it is an amazing creation and was produced by the stylist, J. Roy Helland. The style captures the character of the part that Ms Streep plays and gives her a signature sharp and intimidating silhouette.

Meryl Streep

And now, Madame Cassie has designed and created a style to perfectly define the nature of Her Grace. The style has been lauded by those who follow fashion and has been especially embraced by the world press. Presently, it is impossible to not find a photograph of Her Grace in any newspaper around the world.

Her Grace

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Being an Icon is tiring work!

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We would like to thank Her Grace for giving us yet another iconic look to help brighten our world in these dismal times. And we also would like to thank and congratulate Madame Cassie for her magnificent achievement.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

I would like to thank Ms Linda Fineman who was the first to refer to Her Grace’s coiffure as being plush.  Many thanks for this apt description.

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