How Lady Kitty Spencer, niece of Princess Diana, became a modern fashion muse

It is nearly a decade since Lady Kitty Spencer and her sisters Eliza and Amelia caught the attention of the world at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. This trio of blonde beauties - the daughters of Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s younger brother - were on the cusp of adulthood when they took their seats in Westminster Abbey, glamorous in coordinated shades of blush pink and black.

In the ensuing years, Kitty, in particular, has carved out a unique role for herself in the fashion world becoming not just a front row fixture and regular on the party circuit, but a muse and spokesperson, too. The latest highlight of that journey came today, with the announcement that Princess Diana’s niece has been appointed Global Ambassador for Dolce and Gabbana.

It’s a role which feels like a natural next step for Kitty, who has become synonymous with the Italian fashion house in recent years. She first took to the catwalk for designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in February 2017, wearing an embroidered see-through dress and opulent crown for a show which saw the designers gather over 140 stars and socialites for a glittering multi-generational celebration.

Kitty could have been just another face amongst the dozens in that line-up, but instead it was just the beginning of a partnership which has seen her walk in several more shows, attend plenty of Dolce and Gabbana parties and choose the label for her appearances on the social circuit, most notably at another big royal wedding appearance in 2018 - the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

By then, Kitty had transformed from pretty young debutante (in 2010, she ‘came out’ at Le Bal Des Débutantes at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris) into an assured, modern aristocrat. Amongst stiff competition from the likes of Amal Clooney and Victoria Beckham, she was easily one of the best-dressed guests of the day in her emerald tailored dress and feather-adorned cocktail hat. It was an outing which once again brought her to global attention, and she’s since said that her Instagram following jumped from 17,000 to 500,000 almost overnight.

‘Domenico and Stefano celebrate life’s wonders: family, joy, beauty, colour and love. Working with them is always a new experience, a unique opportunity to rediscover Italian culture, art, savoir-faire and lifestyle,’ Lady Kitty says of her appointment as an ambassador for the label. ‘When I wear their pieces I feel their passion and I feel like the best version of myself’.

For Dolce and Gabbana, who frequently draw on their fascination with royalty and aristocracy in their collections, the feeling is mutual. ‘We are delighted to welcome Kitty into our big family,’ they said. ‘Her charisma and radiance struck us right away: seeing her wearing our creations, and interpreting them with her style, is always a great feeling for us’.

Before inking this latest deal with Dolce and Gabbana, Kitty had been courted by many other luxury labels. She’s an ambassador for the jewellery house Bulgari and has previously attended shows and events held by Cartier, Christian Dior and Jimmy Choo.

It’s undeniable that a huge amount of Lady Kitty’s allure comes from her link to one of the 20th century’s most famous women, and much has certainly been made of attempts to compare the two - anytime Kitty wears a red dress, there a picture of Diana in slightly similar red dress to accompany it. Although, there is an uncanny resemblance between the portraits taken of Kitty to announce her Dolce and Gabbana role and her late aunt's Vanity Fair sitting in 1997. It’s a subject which the label’s new ambassador, who was raised in South Africa, has been careful to be discreet about, rarely discussing her links to Diana, William and Harry.

One nod to Diana which Kitty does retain is her dedication to the homelessness charity, Centrepoint. It was one of six causes which the late Princess kept up following her separation from the Prince of Wales. Kitty has been an ambassador for the charity (of which the Duke of Cambridge is patron) since 2016 and once slept rough herself in a bid to raise awareness.

Kitty’s appreciation for fashion goes beyond the surface glamour. After studying psychology, politics and English literature at the University of Cape Town followed by art history and Italian in Florence, she earned a master’s degree in luxury brand management from the European Business School at Regent’s University in London.

“I suppose I always thought I would go into [fashion] from a more creative angle, maybe a collaboration or having a luxury brand of my own,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in 2019.

She has not dismissed the idea of turning designer, a prospect which may be even more of a possibility now that she is engaged to South African retail magnate Michael Lewis, chairman of the Foschini Group, which owns Whistles, Hobbs and Phase Eight in the UK as well as numerous chains in South Africa.

Her engagement has, of course, raised the question of what she might choose to wear when her wedding day comes. The Spencer family tiara - as worn by Diana and Kitty's mother Victoria on their wedding days - will surely be a must-have. Perhaps now a grand Dolce and Gabbana gown is on the cards, too?

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