Table of Content
- A Fashion Icon Know for her Jewels
- Autographed Photograph of Duke and Duchess of Windsor
- Book of the Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor, Sotheby's, April 1987
- How to find a winter coat to fit your style
- Vintage Style Outfits
- Buy Featured Book
- Schiaparelli recreate Wallis Simpson's famously provocative lobster dress in new Haute Couture collection
In 1938, she created a necklace made of clear plastic festooned with plastic insects in pinks, greens, yellows and blues. Theirs was a love story that, on the surface, looks undeniably romantic, and it was. It was a marriage that ended in a one-of-a-kind upset and inevitable exile for the couple involved. One of my favorite "Wallis" looks of all time has to be the Schiaparelli Lobster Dress created in collaboration with Salvador Dali circa 1935. Yesterday’s show therefore also marked a triumphant return for Schiaparelli - a brand that has struggled to find its identity, let alone hang on to a designer, since fashion magnate Diego Della Valle set about restoring it in 2007. The collection was the first since the brand was welcomed back into the world of haute couture by the French ministry of industry and the French Couture Federation.
The Duchess knew that her reputation was in tatters and as she had predicted during the Abdication Crisis, she had become the most hated woman in the world. She knew that she would have to change the public perception of her and so assembled a team of iconic creatives to help launch a very different Wallis Warfield Simpson to the public. She arranged a photoshoot to feature in Vogue magazine before the wedding in June. Cecil Beaton had been engaged to take the official wedding portraits of the Windsors but agreed to photograph the soon-to-be Duchess for the pre-wedding feature. Beaton must have imagined Wallis to appear as she had done so previously in his work; perfectly coiffed, wearing a beautiful modern gown in a lavish setting. Nearly 34 years after her death, the Duchess of Windsor continues to be celebrated for her sartorial style.
A Fashion Icon Know for her Jewels
After a stint in what is now Beijing, Simpson married the American-Brit Ernest Simpson, with whom she moved to London for a fresh start. Once there, the couple was solely focused on climbing the social ladder and moved in the elite circles of British society, eventually meeting Prince Edward. The prince, who went by David among his close friends, became enamored with Wallis, despite having several other mistresses at the time. He refused to complete his duty to his country as king without Wallis as his wife, who was now twice-divorced and unsuitable in the royal family's eyes to be queen.
Whether you’re looking for an older or newer duchess of windsor, there are earlier versions available from the 19th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. Hugo Vickers and Lalique each produced at least one beautiful duchess of windsor that is worth considering. Made for Bergdorf Goodman in 1991, this necklace of fine faux pearls and cubic zirconia is a replica of the Duchess of Windsor pearl necklace that was bought by Calvin Klein. Vintage Bergdorf Goodman Duchess of Windsor faux graduated 16 millimeter pearl necklace. Fabulous quality faux handmade Japanese pearls set with cubic zircons in sterling silver.
Autographed Photograph of Duke and Duchess of Windsor
The house created an haute couture version of the perfect little black dress beloved by the duchess. Even as an ingenue in her native Baltimore, she had known about the power of simplicity with a dash of glamour. The couple married in France in 1937 with few friends and no members of the royal family in attendance. The pair spent the rest of their lives living on the mainland of Europe, traveling and entertaining at their home base in France. A rise to the top was curtailed by an abdication and all the vitriol that that decision brought with it, and one has to wonder if it was what they thought it would be. After her uncle refused to pay for a coming-out party, she moved south and met a navy pilot to whom she was married to for a decade .
Indeed, just this week British Vogue featured a catalogue of her most iconic looks. Wallis has become synonymous with haute couture and fashion houses such as Givenchy and Mainbocher still proudly cite her as a former client. What is perhaps not widely known is that the Duchess of Windsor was as much a part of the design process as the couturiers she favoured. Indeed, she disliked Chanel because Coco declined to change her creations to suit the Duchess’ ideas. Wallis learned early that fashion was an important calling card and she refused to compromise when it came to her style.
Book of the Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor, Sotheby's, April 1987
A much sought after catalogue of the sale of the famous collection of jewels of the Duchess of Windsor. Harry Winston, Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, seem to have been particular fav... A highly collectible pair of authentic Cartier Tiger stripe earrings from the 1990's featuring the iconic Tiger stripe motif set with enamel in 18k yellow gold.
From 1934, Dalí had started incorporating lobsters into his work, including New York Dream-Man Finds Lobster in Place of Phone shown in the magazine American Weekly in 1935, and the mixed-media Lobster Telephone . The lobster is placed low on the dress, between the legs of the wearer, with the tail of the lobster fanning upward toward the wearer's Mons Veneris, and its claws towards her calves. The lobster dress made its debut as part of Schiaparelli's Summer/Fall 1937 collection. Elsa Schiaparelli created this unusual lobster dress with the help of Surrealist artist Salvador Dali in 1937, demonstrating the interconnected nature of the fashion and art worlds in the early 20th century.
How to find a winter coat to fit your style
The Duke passed in the 1970s and was buried in England, with the Duchess following in 1986. She was laid beside him at his request at the royal burial ground in Frogmore. The Duke, dapperly dressed in all white, and the Duchess are photographed on holiday on the coast of the Mediterranean. The Duke was known for his eccentric personality and his constant devotion to Simpson despite his many mistresses before meeting her. The couple, both known for their suave sense of fashion, had a complicated relationship that was very much push-and-pull.
As in every home she has lived in, the duchess has made this Louis XVI mansion a highly personal creation. Large but crowded with collections, it manages to be chic and cozy, a word usually hard to come by in an atmosphere of such overwhelming elegance. To truly do justice the Duchesses incredible style I have put together a photo collection that shows why I named the Duchess of Windsor a true Fashion Icon.
