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Journalism of Courage
This is a timely moment to take a fresh look at the silken blonde hair,the pearls laid on peachy skin,the decent,ladylike clothes and the serene beauty that was Grace Kelly. The film star of the 1950s became Princess Gracealthough she had that title in her movie roles and in the American minds eye long before Prince Rainier of Monaco met her at the Cannes film festival in 1955 and made her his bride.
Even though Grace Kelly: Style Icon, at Londons Victoria amp; Albert Museum,shows Princess Grace growing older and wider,with only Diors haute couture skills allowing her to keep a level of gracious glamourit is the Hollywood version that visitors adore.
In her new role,Princess Grace moved swiftly away from costume and toward Paris haute couture,donning the fussier grandeur of a Balenciaga-embroidered jacket. She also experimented with designers such as Hubert de Givenchy and the young Yves Saint Laurent,wearing the bold,colour-block 1965 YSL Mondrian dress but decorating it with a diamond-encrusted poodle brooch from Cartier. A photograph shows her taking her children to school in a Saint Laurent shirtwaist dress that she made as classic and proper as her much-used Hermès Kelly bag. The fashion hero of the exhibition is Marc Bohan of Christian Dior,whose dresses,in their flutter of loose chiffon in sunset colours or with romantic rose patterns,were cut so skillfully that they smoothed over any imperfections and allowed Monacos first lady to keep her fashionable status.
