Mays Modecollege
The lessons of Diana Vreeland
Today no bag or coat takes center stage, but a mensch. And what a mensch. Diana Vreeland, the grande dame of fashion and fashion magazines. That we, even now that she is no longer with us, may taste a hint of her elegance and originality.
1. Invent it
A lie to get out of something, or take an advantage for oneself, that’s one thing; but a lie to make life more interesting — well, that’s entirely different. Vreeland was known for coloring life a bit more beautifully, reality can be so boring sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with occasionally adding something and amplifying it. This also applies to fashion. Or as Vreeland said: ‘Fashion is the most intoxicating release from the banality of the world.’
2. Think of the details
Even if you wear closed shoes with socks in them, make sure there’s a perfectly pedicured foot underneath. Ensure you have the finest underwear, polish your shoes (unshined shoes are the end of civilization), including the soles, and iron your banknotes. And oh yes, never be the last to leave a party. In fact; make a grand entrance and then disappear as quickly as possible. The best time to leave a party is when the party is just beginning. There’s no drink that kills, except the drink that you didn’t want to take, as the saying goes, and there’s no hour that kills except the hour you stayed after you wanted to go home.
3. Be original
Wear your cardigan backwards, wear a red shoe on the left and a white shoe on the right, paint your wall red or dress your child in a Tyrolean outfit; be crazy. In your head, it can all be done. And make sure you have style. You gotta have style. It helps you get up in the morning. It’s a way of life. It helps you get up the stairs. Without it you’re a nobody. I’m not talking about a lot of clothes.
4. Be kind
And especially to other women. The first lesson a geisha is taught at the age of nine is to be nice to other women. Every girl in the world should have a geisha training.
5. Stay young
I have a terrible time remembering exactly when my birthday is. Age is totally boring.
When Diana Vreeland was fired as editor-in-chief of Vogue, she was 68. She was furious. What was I going to do? Retire??? She continued to work until her last breath for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
