Diana Vreeland was one of the most influential personalities in the world of fashion. She not only shaped the style and image of magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, but also the culture and art of her time. She was a visionary, a provocateur, a mentor and a legend.
Diana Vreeland was born in Paris on September 29, 1903. She grew up in a cosmopolitan and cultured environment that instilled in her a sense of beauty and style. She attended prestigious schools in Europe and America, where she became interested in literature, music, dance and art.
Diana Vreeland did not have a conventional appearance. She was tall, slim and had a prominent nose. She developed her own tastes and personality, which stood out from the common ideals of beauty.
At the age of 19, she married banker Thomas Reed Vreeland, with whom she had two sons. The couple moved to London, where Diana Vreeland introduced herself to society and made friends with prominent figures such as Coco Chanel, Wallis Simpson and Cecil Beaton. She also began to be passionate about fashion and experimented with different looks and accessories.
In 1937, the family returned to New York, where Diana Vreeland began her career as a fashion journalist. She was discovered by Carmel Snow, the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, and hired as a fashion consultant. She wrote a popular column titled “Why Don’t You?” in which she gave original and extravagant tips for life and style.
Diana Vreeland had a nose for trends and talent. She also discovered new models like Lauren Bacall. She traveled the world and was inspired by different cultures. She brought color, fantasy and flair to fashion photography and worked with famous photographers like Richard Avedon and Horst P. Horst.
In 1962, Diana Vreeland moved to Vogue, where she was named editor-in-chief. She made the magazine a mouthpiece for the social changes of the 1960s. She devoted herself to topics such as pop culture, feminism, the youth movement and diversity. Diana Vreeland will be remembered as the woman who showed fashion as an art form and means of expression rather than a consumer product.