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a Princess, circa 1972

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when you've got it-
rarely do you lose it.
take Diane von Furstenberg. don't you already know her? she was a Princess, married her prince in 1969 wearing her own design- made for her by Dior- no less.
she was an overnight hit-just for her beauty &  her smarts in marrying well.
what more could a  girl want?-
well?

"I was 22 years old and had just gotten married to Prince Egon Von Furstenberg...I arrived in October, so it was New York at its best—that beautiful, blue crisp. Coming from Europe, I had expected the city would look modern, and actually, it didn’t.
 
I was a young princess, so I lived on Park Avenue and had some small children and blah blah blah. 

But we were a young couple, and fairly good looking with a nice title, so we were invited everywhere. We would see Andy Warhol, Halston, Diana Vreeland, Giorgio Sant’Angelo, and, of course, lots of Europeans." 

 DVF from NYM







it could have been the same old story-that could have been it-
But for DVF-
it was just the beginning.


"When Diane and Egon came here, they received an enormous amount of publicity; they were the 'it' couple - she was gorgeous, and they had titles- Paul Wilmot



& today- on it goes.
Now-an established since 2010- yearly DV Award, honoring inspiring women.
Now, 2011,  a home collection line. Expect- animal prints, geometrics, florals, butterflies & of course Success!
& of course there are bumps in the fairy tale-

but how did it all start?
The couple moved to New York & was ensconced in a Park Avenue apartment by the end of 1969. Prior to her move, Diane had apprenticed for Angelo Ferretti and found a genuine love for textiles and fashion. Once in New York -she decided to start designing simple dresses out of her apartment dining room-that was 1970.  By April of 1970 with encouragement from Bill Blass, Kenny Lane & Diana Vreeland , she had shown her first collection at the Gotham Hotel.


"Everybody expected her to do nothing, and then came the wrap dress and sold tons, so the wrap dress became the uniform of a certain type of woman in the early 70's: the spike heels, the wrap dress and the mink" Paul Wilmot


When these photographs of the von Furstenberg's smashing apartment were taken by Horst and published in Vogue 1972-her business was moving along; her marriage wasn't. Diane had it then- as far as interiors went-and she still does. Many subsequent photographs over the last three decades would reveal her taste  and design aesthetic- these by Horst in early 1972 are likely the first- and as I said-when you've got it-you always have it.

The photographs are beautiful & from all appearances- it was perfect.  At that point for Diane-it could not have been all what it seems from these images. Horst photographed the couple in their new up to the minute designed apartment- all Italian staffed & decorated with the assistance of interior designer Pierre Scapula.


All glamour aside, DVF's love for pattern and color can easily be seen in this Horst portrait. The  exotic mix of French Indiennes fabrics along with  pillows in a patchwork of the same fabric appear alongside her bold floral patterned dress.




the Princess posing for HORST in an alcove tented sitting area off the main living room



the Living Room

Resplendent  Luxury
Glamour
red vinyl walls are lacquered and filled with collected paintings
dark caramel velvet banquettes for seating
tortoise finished Parsons tables with pieces of silver, tortoise scattered about









Modern artists like Albers, Ernest Trova hang over a bold flamestitch covered sofa
Latour like lilacs stand by a French ormolu writing desk
Faberge designed bibelots dot a skirted table














the master bedroom
navy blue straw cloth walls, vicuna on the bed, hide covered director's chair
a Richard Anuszkiewicz   op art painting hangs over the bed










a mirrored alcove in the bedroom, Marilyn silk screen & a white leather "bag" chair 










 son Alexandre's room
a graphic apple wallpaper, brass bed, & a Richard Hird portrait of the couple






just recently Diane was interviewed in the Financial Times  & talked about her personal style:


"I wanted to be a certain kind of a woman. 
I became that kind of a woman." DVF
as I began-
when you've got it- You've got it.

(By 1975 the Princess was separated, it would be 1983 before the couple was divorced.)




all photographs of interiors from Vogue  January 15 1972 by HORST
DVF here
2THEWALLS on DVF's office c 1983 here

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Balenciaga and Spain, the Art of Cristobal Balenciaga

Cristobal Balenciaga: "His name became synonymous with perfection and elegance."
~ Baroness Pauline de Rothschild, 1973


On March 26, 2011, the de Young Museum in San Francisco opens Balenciaga and Spain, an exhibition curated by Hamish Bowles, European editor at large of Vogue, featuring 120 haute couture garments, hats, and headdresses designed by Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972). The exhibition illustrates Balenciaga's expansive creative vision, which incorporated references to Spanish art - with the iconic 1939 Infanta dress, a modernist interpretation of the dresses worn by the Infanta Margarita in Velazquez's celebrated portraits - bullfighting, dance, regional costume, and the pageantry of the royal court and religious ceremonies.

As legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland described him, "Balenciaga was the true son of a strong country filled with style, vibrant color, and a fine history,"who" remained forever a Spaniard....


You can feel the pulse of Spain beat in every garment in Balenciaga and Spain. A dress ruffle and polka-dot patterns inspired by the flamenco dancers; sumptuous embroidery and embellishments that glitters on a bolero jacket worn by a matador; clean and simple lines that extrapolate the minimalist rhythms and volumes of the vestments of Spanish nuns and priests; a velvet-trimmed evening gown aesthetically indebted to the farthingale robe of a Velazquez Infanta.

Cecil Beaton hailed him as " Fashion's Picasso." " In his work Balenciaga shows the refinement of France and the strengh of Spain. He uses fabric like a sculptor working in marble."









Cristobal Balenciaga. Detail of cocktail dress of fuchsia silk shantung and black lace with black silk satin ribbons, summer 1966. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Eleanor Christensen de Guigne Collection (Mrs. Christian de Guigne III), gift of Ronna and Eric Hoffman. Photo by Joe McDonald/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.



Cristobal Balenciaga. Detail of evening bolero jacket of burgundy silk velvet and jet and passementerie embroidery by Bataille, winter 1946. Collection of Hamish Bowles. Photo by Kenny  Komer


Cristobal Balenciaga.  House photograph of evening ensemble; dress of black silk crepe and "chou" wrap of black silk gazar, winter 1967.  Photo courtesy of Balenciaga Archives, Paris.



Cristobal Balenciaga. Detail of cocktail dress of rose peau de soie and black lace, winter 1948. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, gift of Mrs. C. H. Russell. Photo by Joe McDonald/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco




Cristobal Balenciaga. Evening ensemble of black silk gazar and wool, ca. 1951.  Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Gift of Elise Haas. Photo by Joe McDonald/Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco


Cristóbal Balenciaga, Cocktail hat of ivory silk satin, 1953. Originally published in Vogue, October 15, 1953. Photo: John Rawlings




Courtesy of de Young Museum, San Francisco
Balenciaga and Spain, March 26 - July 4, 2011


See also this post on the Huffington Post