With genius personal statements like: "Fuchsia is the navy blue of India"; "People who eat white bread has no hopes or ambition"; "Japanese are gifted with style"; "What do I think about the way most people dress? Most people are not something one thinks about!"; and an innate elegance and confidence, is not a mystery that Mrs. Vreeland is one of the people I aspire to become one day. Against all odds (her beauty was usually compared with her younger sister and traumatising comments from her mother were a must while growing up) this rare bird of paradise with bony complexion and savoire faire became the dictator of fashion during the late Fifties and Sixties. She morphed from socialite to columnist of Harper´s Bazaar (her `why don´t yous´ became a must read every month!) to editor in chief of American Vogue to finally curator of Fashion and Textiles at the MET. She had an eye for new talent, giving Richard Avedon his first big shot and Verushka the chance to be the face of a decade. Before la Wintour, they mock her in films such as Funny face, where a fashion magazine editor (a clear wink to Diana herself) went into a Pink comma, creating chaos to those around her. She was also stylist to the late first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, suggesting American fashion designers to come to her rescue, such as Oleg Cassini. But what I most loved about D.V is her constant romance with red and her hidden passion for maximalist and over the top interiors, a clear reflection of her flamboyant innerself!
