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Vanity cases have been rising up the ranks as fashion’s most beautiful bag trend, but long before Gigi Hadid was stowing her personals in a polished Loro Piana number and Irina Shayk was clutching a sleek Hunting Season design, Princess Diana was carrying a pleasingly shaped boxy receptacle. In fact, she took her Tanner Krolle top-handle cosmetic case to Annabel’s, one of the most exclusive members’ clubs in London.
So, when Tabitha Simmons, the recently appointed creative director of the British heritage luggage label, joined Tanner Krolle, it was a no-brainer for her to reboot the model for modern-day Diana style fans. The result—a ’60s-inspired design with roots in a Tanner Krolle set originally designed for Aston Martin—is nothing short of perfection. Each chic update on the design classic is individually numbered to give a sense of ceremony to the royal favorite, while the added extras, such as a mirror for precise lippy application, bring the aptly named Annabel bag up-to-date for now.
“I reduced the proportions of the vanity case from Tanner Krolle’s archive and modernized it by adding a shoulder strap, so it can be carried as a shoulder bag and a top handle,” Simmons tells Vogue of the day-to-night functionality of the Annabel. “Also, it’s roomy enough to hold your phone and makeup without compromising on elegance”.
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It’s the skill behind the sweet carry-case, and its precious pink Alcantara lining, that gives the ode to Diana its innate sense of polish, rather than its iPhone-suitable size, for Simmons. “Every piece is shaped by highly skilled technicians using age-old skills that stand the test of time,” she states of the artisans continuing the legacy of the German saddlemaker Fredrich Krolle, who founded the company in 1856.
Indeed, the Princess of Wales’s admiration for “exceptional craftsmanship” extended beyond her handheld members’ club companion to the label’s suitcases, which she was most likely introduced to by Prince Charles. Princess Margaret had commissioned many practical-chic pieces from the brand, including gifts for her sister, Queen Elizabeth, and thus the refined luggage became a Windsor family favorite. (Incidentally, Tanner Krolle recently received a call-in from the costume department of The Crown).
This is perhaps just the beginning of Simmons’s unearthing of Tanner Krolle’s rich history, but what an elegant place to start.