Royal or not, borrowing from your mom’s closet feels like a universal rite of passage. Pauline Ducruet just proved it at the second edition of the Global Gift Gala in Monaco, held on October 9, 2026, at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, where she stepped out in a black gown that her mother, Princess Stéphanie, had worn to the 2003 Rose Ball.
More than two decades later, the dress once again took center stage at a special evening — this time for the daughter of the woman who debuted it. The gala brought together Stéphanie with her children Pauline, Camille and Louis Ducruet, as well as Marie Ducruet, along with Eva Longoria and Alexandra Malena Leclerc.
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© Getty ImagesBut beyond the red carpet and the charitable mission, Pauline’s look taps into a deeply rooted tradition among the women of the Grimaldi family: bringing pieces from their mothers’ wardrobes back to life.
Charlotte Casiraghi and Alexandra of Hanover have already done it with designs from Princess Caroline of Monaco, proving that style can be passed down not only through attitude, but also through clothes.
Pauline Ducruet: a crystal-embellished black dress makes a comeback 23 years later
For the gala, Pauline chose a long, sleeveless black dress with thin straps, its clean silhouette offset by sheer panels adorned with silver crystals. The sparkle traces a spiral that winds around the gown, breaking up the solid black and adding light without the need for a profusion of jewelry or over-the-top embellishment. A black shawl finished the look, keeping the mood understated and elegant — a nighttime look that perfectly fits Pauline’s personal style as a designer and founder of her own label, Alter Designs.
© Getty ImagesThe dress, identified as a creation by Jiki Monte-Carlo, wasn’t new to the family: her mother had worn it to the 2003 Rose Ball. Choosing it turned Pauline’s appearance into something more than just a red-carpet success. Instead of hunting for a brand-new piece, she revived a gown with family history and wore it to a gala where she shared the spotlight with Stéphanie.
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco and the 2003 Rose Ball
The gown came from the wardrobe of Princess Stéphanie, one of the most distinctive style personalities in the Grimaldi family. In 2003, she wore it to the Rose Ball, one of the highlights of Monaco’s social calendar, which gathers the princely family each year along with guests from the worlds of culture, society and fashion.
© Corbis via Getty ImagesThe piece still reflects a look very tied to early-2000s eveningwear: black as a base, sheer elements as a sensual detail, and crystals as light-catching decoration. Its long, sleeveless cut keeps the elegance simple, while the sparkling details draw the eye along the length of the dress.
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© Getty ImagesCharlotte Casiraghi brought back one of Caroline’s dresses for the Rose Ball
The love story between the Grimaldi women and archival gowns has another particularly memorable chapter with Charlotte Casiraghi. At the 2017 Rose Ball, Princess Caroline of Monaco’s daughter appeared in a haute couture dress from Chanel’s fall-winter 1996 collection, which her mother had worn in December 2000.
© Getty ImagesThe design, crafted in black velvet with lace details and sheer accents, combined a plunging neckline with a long, dramatic skirt. Charlotte styled it with soft waves, red lipstick, and delicate jewelry — a classic, Old Hollywood–inspired look that nodded to another era’s glamour without feeling like an exact replica of Caroline’s outfit. The piece was created by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, a house that is closely intertwined with the family’s fashion story.
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© AFP via Getty ImagesAlexandra of Hanover and Caroline’s 34-year-old dress
Alexandra of Hanover, Princess Caroline’s youngest daughter, has also turned to her mother’s closet. In January 2024, she attended the Chanel haute couture show in Paris in a black-and-white dress that Caroline had first worn in 1990 and repeated in 1993. The design, from the spring-summer 1990 haute couture collection, stands out thanks to its white collar, light-colored details on the pockets and sleeves, and the two rows of buttons running down the front.
© Getty ImagesWhile her mother had embraced a more theatrical look the first time she wore it, with a hat and gloves, Alexandra updated it for her own era with black tights, heels, and a quilted chain-strap bag. The choice was a clear tribute to the dress’s history and Caroline’s long relationship with the French house, but it also showed how an archival piece can slip into a contemporary wardrobe without losing its identity. By the time Alexandra wore it, 34 years had passed since Caroline’s first public appearance in the dress.
A style legacy that goes beyond clothes
The story of these three dresses speaks to more than just the rediscovery of vintage pieces. In a family whose public image is inseparable from fashion, clothes also act as shared memories and points of connection between generations. Pauline chose a dress of Stéphanie’s for a charity gala where they appeared together; Charlotte and Alexandra, for their part, found in Caroline’s wardrobe designs that remain relevant decades after their debut.
Added to this legacy is the enduring presence of Grace Kelly, whose elegance is still a touchstone for her granddaughters and the public image of the princely family. It’s not necessarily about recreating their mothers’ looks, but about claiming a piece of their story and carrying it into a new context. Sometimes, the most personal way to “debut” a dress is, in fact, to bring it back into circulation.
