Grace Kelly : Style Icon at the V&A London

BizDress writes from London this week where as luck would have it the Victoria & Albert museum (V&A) is exhibiting one of the western worlds (and secretly one of our own) favourite style icons of the 20th century: Grace Kelly.

Grace Kelly was quoted as having said, “I think it is important to see the person first and the clothes afterwards.”

For Grace this persona was a unique combination of casual, aristocratic coolness which both inspired and took inspiration from some of the world’s leading designers.

Perhaps it is because of our admiration for Grace’s persona and her casual, aristocratic coolness that we left the exhibit feeling dissatisfied.

The V&A exhibit was a condensed showing of 30 or so dresses, spanning from her cinema wear to special events, and then to Princess Grace. It grouped together dresses designed by Edith Head, Marc Bohan for Dior, et al, providing a kind of chronology of Grace’s life. Unfortunately, the dresses were presented upright on faceless mannequins, frozen behind glass cases in their respective groups. They seemed beautiful ghosts of Grace’s past, cut off from any living context.

Thankfully there were two screenings of film montages. These were interesting excerpts of footage from several of Grace’s films. There were also videos from momentous events in her personal life however these were primarily focused on her relationship with Prince Rainier of Monaco.
But then that was it. We left the show feeling very hungry wanting to see more. In particular we would have liked to see more images of Grace the person. Grace was known as much for her relaxed, “American” style as she was for her more opulent glamour.

Grace the person understood the equilibrium of style, preferring clean, simple silhouettes with accents on specific details: her hair, a hat, a brooch... Her off-screen looks were uncluttered, basic yet as chic as chic can get, because everything she wore had a reason- right down to her super- glam glasses. While fashion changed over time she clearly understood how to adapt fashion to Grace.

In fact her off-screen persona was as much a reason as any to define her as a style icon. It’s fairly easy to be elegant when you’re stepping out in Balenciaga, or Dior. Doing it in pedal pushers, cuffed shirt sleeves and espadrilles....is a whole other ball of wax.

That’s the image of Grace on the cover of the brochure the V&A printed for the event; and that’s the Grace that I find most iconically stylish. That Grace, unfortunately, is not in the show.

Other fabulous falls from grace

Speaking of falling from high places, a close friend of mine was vacationing in Monsieur Tourre’s home country one summer. She was in Paris in fact and was determined as ever to peruse the shops along France's famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées in style. Before even stepping onto the pavement she spent hours coiffing her hair and selecting her outfit, finally emerging a vision of French fashion in her cutest jeans, little ruffle top and platform heals. Knowing my friend, I imagine she thought herself the cream walking around and occasionally flipping her hair in every cute Parisian man’s face and batting her eyelashes (a skill she has honed for years).
Of course the Champs are known for their wide board walks and shops – but one in particular – the Louis Vuitton store is a showcase and a must see. The LV store is known for its fabulous fit out and a rather angular set of stairs (similar to the LV shop on Castlereagh St here in Sydney). Putting on her best airs and graces my friend made a grand entrance stepping with utter confidence down the long and rather royal flight of stairs as if she were accepting an Oscar. In her opposite direction at the bottom of the stairs was a salesman, equally haughty, arms were filled with LV merchandise. Taking in all of the delights around her my friend lost her footing and just as the salesman was approaching she TRIPPED on her platforms and went flying feet first down the whole staircase. In a vain attempt to save herself she grabbed the salesman, the Louis and anything else in her reach dragging them all down with her! EVERYONE in the store saw, and if they didn’t see the fall they certainly heard her scream and saw her and the attendant and all of the Louis on the floor at the base of the stairs, hair crumpled, shoes falling off. Needless to say she was MORTIFIED. BUT true to her style, she brushed herself off, apologized to the salesman and briskly exited the store....Now there is a lady who knows how to make a grand exit!!!!

What is the Devil really wearing?

As I watched Fabulous Fabrice Tourre and his Goldman colleagues squirming in front of a gallery of Senators, media and mad as hell investors who had lost it all, I wondered how do you decide what to wear at these sorts of occasions? Surely not a bespoke cashmere and silk Brioni suit, Turnbull and Asser shirt paired with a Stefano Ricci tie? I’m also guessing he kept the John Lobbs in the closet in case he put his foot in it. While you can’t tell from the images exactly who and what they are wearing, it is clear they were told to keep it simple and low key. The guidelines would have been: white shirt, red (or dark blue) tie, dark suit – but nothing that looks too flashy and definitely NO braces, stripped shirts, French cuffs or flashy cufflinks. I did note that Monsieur Tourre wore a red white and blue stripped tie – but I wondered whether that was more a signal of his protest than patriotism (the stars and stripes being the reference to the American flag). Ladies, what do you wear when you are about to enter the fray?