Fashion designer worn by royals has £70,000 of couture clothes stolen by armed robbers in Belgravia 

A fashion designer loved by the royals is appealing for help tracking down £70,000 of couture clothes stolen from her car by armed and masked men in Belgravia.

Claire Mischevani – whose creations have been worn by Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall and Lady Gabriella Windsor – lost 62 pieces during the robbery on February 16.

Mischevani’s bespoke designs are generally priced from £1,395, while dresses in her collection range from £645 to £895.

Police do not believe the fashion designer was targeted on purpose and think the robbers did not know what they were stealing.

She and an assistant were loading up a Range Rover in Chester Row, Belgravia, at around 8pm and had gone back into a property to collect more items when a trio of robbers struck.

They were all dressed in black and wearing balaclavas and smashed one of the car’s windows to get to the goods inside.

Ms Mischevani heard a car alarm going off and rushed back outside to be confronted by the men who threatened her with the item, undefined by police, used to smash the car’s windows.

In fear of their safety the victims ran into the house, locked the door and immediately called police.

Watching from a top-floor window, they saw the suspects smash more car windows before stealing a navy suitcase, black overnight bag and 15 garment bags of various sizes.

In total, 62 pieces were taken, including dresses and coats. They had been used in a fashion shoot.

The total value of the property stolen was around £70,000.

Many of the items are believed to be from Mischevani’s bespoke collection, which are handcrafted for the individual, many of which cost from £1,395.

The garment bags feature the words ‘Claire Mischevani Bridal Couture’, and inside each item of clothing is a label reading ‘Claire Mischevani Couture’ with ‘Handmade in England’ and ‘Creating heirlooms of the future’ on the reverse side.

Afterwards the suspects drove off towards Eaton Terrace in a black Volkswagen Golf.

Ms Mischevani said: ‘The whole incident was beyond terrifying for both myself and my assistant.

‘To come face to face with armed masked men stealing my belongings is something I never thought would happen and something I would never wish on anyone.

‘The events have had a profound and devastating impact on me. In a city where I have always felt safe I was overcome with fear and have since found it difficult to sleep as I relive the whole experience again.

‘These selfish individuals and their ruthless actions have caused a huge impact on my business but we are working tirelessly to ensure that we come out of this terrible situation stronger than ever.’

Detective Constable Charlotte Palul, from the Central West Robbery Squad of the Met Police, said: ‘The victim has been left not only traumatised following such a terrifying ordeal, but understandably completely devastated at the loss of a number of one-off creations which are the result of many months of work.

‘I think it’s highly likely the suspects had no idea what they were stealing, mistaking the items for something else.

‘So it’s possible that when they discovered what was inside those suit covers they have discarded them, not realising their monetary or, more importantly, sentimental value. It is of course also possible they have tried to sell them.

‘Do you recognise these dresses? Have you seen them for sale somewhere or been offered the opportunity to purchase a dress by this designer? I would urge anyone with information which could assist the investigation to get in touch and help us reunite the victim with her work.’

A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the investigation and has been bailed until May.

On her company’s website, Ms Mischevani lists Chester Row as her London showroom, while her head office is in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

She is well known to the royals and celebrities, with her clothes worn at a number of high profile events.

She dressed ten guests for the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, including Zara Tindall.

Zara wore a blue pleated coat dress with bow detailing for the ceremony in 2018.

Ms Mischevani’s designs were also worn by Lady Gabriella Windsor, TV presenter Natalie Pinkham, Marchioness Clare Milford-Haven and Isabella Branson, Sir Richard Branson’s daughter-in-law, at the wedding.

In fact, Ms Mischevani is a favourite of Zara, 41 – she also wore her to the Cheltenham races last year.

Princess Beatrice is also a fan, having worn the British designer repeatedly.

And Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, chose a bespoke 1950s-style midi-dress by Ms Mischevani at last summer’s Jubilee celebrations.

On her company’s website, Ms Mischevani tells customers: ‘Exciting times ahead! Following last week’s incident, we are working overtime to launch our new collection on the 1st March.’