|
Among all wardrobe essentials, cardigan sweater seems the least essential and the least exciting. It could be substituted by a soft jacket, a turtle neck sweater does not need it as a cover to look complete, and with just a little bit careless in the texture, the fit, a cardigan sweater can look dull, plain or even shabby. But on Audrey Hepburn's body, a cardigan sweater look soft, subtle, at times poetic. And she can tell a story with it. In the film The Children's Hour, the simple cardigan sweater thrown around Audrey Hepburn's shoulders carried so much emotions in a very delicate situation.                       
0 Comments
The eventIn early May, Grace Kelly went to Cannes France for the 8th Cannes Festival, the editor of Paris Match Pierre Galante, then husband of American actress Olivia de Havilland, suggested that Grace Kelly have a photo shoot in the Prince's Palace of Monaco(Palais princier, Monaco) then a meeting with Prince Rainier III. Grace Kelly was reluctant at the beginning, but she decided to say yes. On 6 May 1955, after some difficult start and the late arrival of Prince Rainier of Monaco, Grace Kelly finally met him, they took a walk around in the palace, then Grace Kelly left for her other engagement. For the meeting, Grace Kelly wore a square necked floral dress with long sleeves and drop waist. About 7 month later in January 1956, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco announced their engagement publicly, and three months after the engagement, on 19 April 1956, the couple were married in St. Nicolas Cathedral, Monaco. The floral dress Grace Kelly wore on 6 May 1955 thus became the most symbolic dress in connection with her future as Princess of Monaco.  Grace Kelly sitting beside a mirror, Palais princier, Monaco. Photo by Edward Quinn  Grace Kelly sitting beside a coffe table, Monaco. Photo by Edward Quinn  Grace Kelly, Palais princier, Monaco. Photo by Edward Quinn  Grace Kelly, Salle du Trône, Palais princier, Monaco. Photo by Edward Quinn               Grace Kelly and the Prince Rainier III in the gardens of Palais princier, Monaco. Photo by Edward Quinn  Grace Kelly and the Prince Rainier III in the gardens of Palais princier, Monaco. Photo by Edward Quinn.  Grace Kelly and the Prince Rainier III, Palais princier, Monaco. Photo by Edward Quinn. The dressIt is a taffeta dress of long sleeves with floral print, featuring square neckline and drop waist, it was designed by McCall Patterns for Grace Kelly, who appeared on the company's Spring patternbook of 1955.  Grace Kelly on the cover of McCall's 1955 spring patternbook   Professionally, the year 1941 was the year of landmark for Maria Callas, perhaps the greatest female opera singer in the history. Because in that year, Callas made her professional debut with with the Royal Opera of Athens in a modest role in Franz von Suppé's Boccaccio, and took on her first major role in Tosca later that year. But personally for Callas, the year 1954 was her year of transformation. The Greek woman born in 1923 who has struggled with both acne and overweight since her teenage years, lost 30 kilos and turned into a beautiful young woman, a white swan, on the stage, and in her own life. Since then, she could wear whatever she wanted, but Maria Callas loved black dresses, mostly column shape, almost always below the knee, perhaps she was still conscious of her full figure, perhaps she was ever aware of the divinity only a black dress can give a diva. But Maria Callas singing in a black dress, can be so breathtakingly beautiful, we can not help think she must truly be a gift from The Greek God.  Maria Callas, La Scala, Milan, 1954                             |