Friday quotes - Diana Vreeland

"You gotta have style.  It helps you get up in the morning.  It's a way of life.  Without it you're nobody.  And I'm not talking about a lot of clothes"

Diana Vreeland

(1903 -1989)

Diana Vreeland was the most influential magazine editor of the last century. Working as fashion editor at Harper's Bazaar and Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, she was described as "The century's most formidable arbiter of elegance."  Her passion, wit and style genius energised and inspired the fashion world for five decades.

Here are some of her quotes.  I think she's marvellous.  If you don't know much about her, the books on her are a joy to read.

Photography by Bill King

"The only real elegance is in the mind;

If you've got that, the rest really comes from it"

"Elegance is innate.  It has nothing to do with being well dressed.  Elegance is refusal"

"The two greatest mannequins of the century were Gertrude Stein and Edith Sitwell - unquestionably.  You just couldn't take a bad picture of those two old girls"

"As you know, the French like the French very much"

"The best thing about London is Paris"

"Balenciaga did the most delicious clothes.  Clothes aren't delicious anymore"

"In Balenciaga you were the only woman in the room - no other woman existed"

"I loathe narcissism, but I approve of vanity"

"From the time I got married at eighteen until the time I went to work in 1937, twelve years - I read.  Reed [Vreeland] and I would read things together out loud, which was marvellous.  That was the charm of it - when you've heard the word it means so much more than if you've only seen it"

Photography by Priscilla Rattazzi

"I think your imagination is your reality"

"I'm terrible on facts.  But I always have an idea.  If you have an idea, you're well ahead"

"Never worry about the facts.

Just present an image to the public"

"Without emotion there is no beauty"

"The idea of beauty was changing.  If you had a bump on your nose, it made no difference so long as you had a marvellous body and a good carriage.  You held your head high and were a beauty... You knew how to water-ski, and how to take a jet plane in the morning, arrive anywhere and be anyone when you got off"

Photography by Arnold Newman

"Never fear being vulgar, just boring"

Photography by Arnold Newman

"All my life I've pursued the perfect red.  I can never get painters to mix it for me.  It's exactly as if I'd said, 'I want Rococo with a spot of Gothic in it and a bit of Buddhist temple'" 

"I'm a great believer in vulgarity - if it's got vitality.  A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika.  We all need a splash of bad taste - it's hearty it's healthy, it's physical.  I think we could use more of it.  NO taste is what I'm against"

Talking about her Park Avenue, NY sitting room designed by Billy Baldwin

"I wanted it to look like a garden.

A garden in hell"

"Too much good taste can be boring"

"Poor, darling fellow - he died of food.  He was killed by the dinner table"

"I adore pink!  It's the navy blue of India"

Photography by Andy Warhol

"Nothing gives the luxury of pearls.  Keep them in mind"

"What do I think about the way most people dress?

Most people are not something one thinks about"

"Fashion must be the intoxicating release from the banality of the world"

"Is there anything beyond fashion?"

Diana Vreeland

(1903 -1989)

Have a fantastic Friday xxx

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