Faber signs Fashioning the Crown by Justine Picardie

Faber has signed Fashioning the Crown by Justine Picardie, which tells the story of a tumultuous half-century of British history through the lens of royal fashion and image-making.

Associate publisher Laura Hassan acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, including Canada and audio, from Sarah Chalfant at The Wylie Agency. Faber will publish in spring 2026, the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth.

Informed by Picardie’s original research in the Royal Archives, as well as Picardie’s own interactions with Elizabeth II and her family, the book promises to reveal how, from the outbreak of the First World War to 1960, the soft power of clothing “played a crucial role in helping the royal family, and the nation, to navigate seismic changes and challenges”.

The publisher’s description goes on: “Picardie will also uncover the fascinating, little-known lives of the couturiers behind the clothes; figures [such as] Hardy Amies, Edward Molyneux and Norman Hartnell who hid their sexuality or their work in espionage, even as they dressed some of the most recognisable figures in the world.”

Justine Picardie is the author of six books, including Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture (Faber) and Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life (HarperCollins). She is a contributing editor to Harper’s Bazaar, having previously been the editor-in-chief. She was formerly an investigative journalist for the Sunday Times and columnist for the Telegraph, editor of the Observer Magazine and features director of Vogue.

Picardie commented: “I’m delighted that Faber will be publishing my new book, and look forward to sharing my exploration of the links between royal fashion, wartime espionage and the reinvention of the monarchy.”

Hassan added: “I loved this stylish, atmospheric proposal. In her sartorial story, Picardie will explore power and influence, invention and tradition. It promises to be a riveting, hidden history that will make us see the royals in a fresh light.”