Rosamond Bernier- Requiescat In Pace

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One of the most delightful memoirs I've read in months is the Rosamond Bernier's book Some of My Lives-
DO read it.
It's magical.
I gave the book for Christmas years ago-and I received my copy from Charlotte Moss-with the inscription-"enough Inspiration here for several lifetimes."
Bernier does inspire.

Rosamond Bernier died November 10th at the age of 100. Her storied life was an inspiration for so many-proof noted with tributes all over social media.

Bernier in 1996, photographed in front of her 1948 Dior dress, chosen as the 'Poster Girl' for the Dior exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute. (I am wearing Chanel!)- caption from her site Rosamond Bernier here

So fashionable — So lovely– So intelligent, proof  positive of that phrase "style & substance."

The beautiful Rosamond Bernier met everyone that was anyone and shared bits only she could know about the BIGGEST artists, designers and style makers of an era never to be seen again. She's chaptered the book into dishy memories-as she calls it "A Scrapbook Memoir"-with Picasso, Miro, Matisse-Chanel, Lelong -they're all there. She travels to Paris after the second World War with artist Eric to cover fashion (this chapter is excerpted at the Paris Review here  along with some of Eric's drawings from their trip)

  a 1943 Vogue drawing by Eric of a Hattie Carnegie evening blouse

I have this Eric drawing in my collection-(from the pages of Vogue 1943)

 This is one of the Eric drawings I've collected from the pages of  Vogue 1943.

Eric's Taxco Summer Dresses made me think of  Rosamond Bernier's chapter on landing her job with Vogue in 1945. Though she hadn't met Eric- Eric Carl Erickson, Bernier could easily have posed for the drawing. While in New York, she met Edna Chase, Iva Patcevitch, Alexander Liberman and his wife Tatiana, 'the Conde Nast high command.'  Bernier recalls- 'I was wearing a Mexican skirt and white blouse. Tatiana growled at me in French, "You ought to wear a black blouse with that skirt.' It didn't seem to phase Chase- who as Bernier explained 'that she had been on a beach in Acapulco for five years & knew absolutely nothing about fashion,' replied 'tartly,' "My child, I know a fashion editor when I see one."

Berniers crisscrosses in Some of My Lives from Mexico-to Paris-to-New York wearing couture and collecting memories. She recalls her long friendship with Leonard Bernstein,  the founding of her influential art magazine L'OEIL and her marriage to love of her life- John Dickinson, all of it's there. She tells us stories & we feel as if we're eavesdropping-but she's keeping confidences too- exuding an elegant presence-cool- collected. The lady.
I didn't want it to end.


There are just the most wonderful photographs, lectures, Everything at her website It's a dream- visit here. 

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late for a very important date

the loss of my computer for more than  a week created havoc.

mostly-
I missed getting you to the Coronation of Elizabeth II.

I think it's true what they say about-better late than never-in this case,
1953.

Vogue's 1953 April issue prepared the young Queen's subjects for turning out in appropriate fashion for the ceremony. The cover background featured Oliver Messel's coronation scarf.  Messel's scarf  for the label Cresta was embellished with gold leaf  fit for a queen-but perfect for any commoner lining the streets of Westminster.

Messel's creative talents were also applied to textiles for Sekers Silks-commissioned for the Queen's 1953 Coronation. In the April Vogue Messel's fabrics were featured in one of his whimsical vignettes-Singes dressed as court tailors- designed & made especially by him for the issue.

 A dress from John Cavanagh's Coronation Collection made in one of Messel's silks-

photograph by Seeberger

Now then, for the big day
You'll need this-

at Westminster, Norman Hartnell was the designer of choice for all the Ladies.

Governed by protocol -robes for peers and peeresses, in the latest style drawn by ERIC-

ERIC envisions Hartnell , white satin embroidered with gold and pearls, worn by a marchioness with a kirtle, a train of crimson velvet and a cape of miniver pure.(Middle English meniver, from Old French menu vair, small vair-white belly fur with no grey fur)

ERIC's sketches of the Abbey-for Ladies seated in prominent positions Go Long. 

first sketch, at l., Victor Stiebel's pale grey romaine with pearl collar and at r., Worth- all white brocade with a matching jacket embellished with pastel mink.

For the other Ladies-short is fine, Hardy Amies & Peter Russell worn with lace mantillas (which I love)

& the young Queen? daunting for a 27 year old wanting to look her best-Elizabeth approved every aspect of the gown, & after 8 revisions,
Voila!,
 resplendent in Hartnell.

 tudor rose, thistle, leek, shamrock, protea, maple leaf, wattle flower, fern & the Lotus flower of India-all deeply embroidered on the gown-symbols of Elizabeth's empire.

the Coronation in detail here
read every detail about the dress here
a story in the Guardian about creating Messel's Coronation scarf here
Oliver Messel, edited by his nephew, Thomas Messel at Rizzoli here