Nadja Swarovski On Really Wild, Royal Inspirations & Why We Should ‘Shop Less, Shop Better’

Nadja Swarovski spent 26 years transforming her family’s crystal empire. Now, as chair and chief creative officer of Really Wild, she is on a mission to make British clothes with craftsmanship and meaning. Margaret Hussey meets her ahead of the brand’s AW26 show at Gleneagles.

Nadja Swarovski On Her Vision For Really Wild

‘We really see Catherine, Princess of Wales, as our ultimate role model,’ says Nadja Swarovski. ‘She truly does personify the elegance, femininity and timelessness we try to convey in our brand.’ That brand is Really Wild, where Swarovski is chair and chief creative officer.

The royal connections come thick and fast. Swarovski’s great-great-grandfather Daniel founded the Swarovski crystal company, which supplied and embellished crystals for Queen Victoria’s dresses. Today, Nadja Swarovski works closely with King Charles as a King’s Trust ambassador. And before she became the Princess of Wales, for a time the then Kate Middleton worked at Really Wild. (Her mother, Carole Middleton, is a friend of founder Natalie Lake.)

Swarovski and I talk just before the Really Wild AW26 fashion show at Gleneagles in Scotland, a fundraising event in collaboration with The King’s Trust. Swarovski says it was a huge honour to be chosen as the trust’s charity partner; like King Charles, she has a passion for sustainability, craftsmanship and improving the lives of others.

‘The King’s Trust thought we should be the fashion brand of choice simply because of our common denominator and shared values,’ says Swarovski. ‘The show was in Scotland because what we do is all about craftspeople and celebrating that cultural heritage. A lot of the mills we work with have done patterns and tweeds for the King, his mother and his family.’

Swarovski and her husband, Rupert Adams, bought a majority stake in Really Wild in 2024. Putting a spotlight back on British producers of tweed, linen and wool and making her mark on collections is her driving passion.

That is abundantly clear at Gleneagles, where her AW26 showcase is a triumph of style and modernity. There are beautiful capes, stunning dresses in plums and reds, exquisite tailoring and, excitingly, the brand’s first menswear launch. It is all showcased to an Outlander/Braveheart-inspired soundtrack, played by DJ Cuppy, an international ambassador for The King’s Trust (which celebrates its 50th birthday this year). The star-studded event, hosted by actor Ewan McGregor and with performances by Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland, raised £750,000 for the charity.

Swarovski was the first female executive on the Swarovski board and helped transform the brand, raising its profile globally and creatively. She left in 2021 after 26 years and sees many similarities between them and Really Wild. ‘At Swarovski, it’s the craft of cutting. People have been doing that for five generations. I used to go to all the machine tool fairs with my father. I learned so much; I understood the manufacturing process.

‘My husband and I were looking at companies that were sustainable and really craft-led. When Really Wild was brought to our attention, we thought it was such a great opportunity to celebrate that cultural heritage. The knowledge of weaving is passed from generation to generation, and the people there are proud of what they are doing.

‘As the world becomes more digital, there will be a yearning for things that are made by hand with craft that really has a connection to the past. I am for modernisation, but it’s really important to have that anchor.’

Swarovski firmly believes in the mantra ‘shop less, shop better’. ‘That’s what we are trying to do with Really Wild. You will have this piece forever; it’s something timeless, not trend-driven. It’s a good investment.’

At Swarovski, she worked with people like Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy, whose hats appeared in her Gleneagles show. ‘I remembered the stories my grandfather told me about working directly with Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, so I thought that was what I wanted to do. Swarovski’s heritage was in fashion, but most people didn’t know that. I thought: “Let’s bring it back to the heritage.”

‘Isabella Blow came into my life and I told her about my vision. She said: “I’ve got the right person for you. His name is Lee [Alexander] McQueen.” The minute we worked with McQueen, who demonstrated the beautiful use of crystal in fashion, other designers just wanted to copy him.’

Today, Swarovski wants to place countrywear for women centre stage. ‘These materials are so fantastic. These sheep have given their wool; these workers have converted that wool into threads and put them into a pattern. They should end up in a very celebratory way on somebody’s body.

‘So often, the women’s version of these types of clothes are like the men’s, but smaller. We are trying to make it a little more feminine: give it a waist, maybe add a little bit more cashmere to make it softer,’ she explains.

Swarovski is hugely aware of her position, and giving back is a value of the company. As well as The King’s Trust, Really Wild supports many causes including Women for Women International, the Pacific Whale Foundation and the Countryside Alliance. ‘How nice is it to take advantage of our positions and give back?’ says Swarovski. ‘We are so fortunate to be where we are and to have a positive impact.’