Diana Vreeland, born as Diana Dalziel, was a prominent American socialite, fashionista, columnist, and editor. With her exceptional language skills and keen perception of global fashion, she captivated readers with her ability to create catchy terms and phrases that painted a vivid picture of fashion and fantasy. Vreeland’s journey in the fashion industry began when she was discovered by editor Carmel Snow, who recognized her talent and gave her the opportunity to flourish. Growing up in a wealthy socialite family and marrying a wealthy banker further enhanced Vreeland’s poise and exposure in the field. Her column ‘Why Don’t You?’ made her a fashion guru among American housewives in the 60s, and she later became the editor-in-chief of Vogue and a consultant with the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vreeland’s influence was instrumental in revitalizing the American fashion industry during a period of stagnation.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Diana Dalziel
- Died At Age: 83
- Died on: August 22, 1989
- Place of Death: Manhattan, New York, United States
- City: Paris
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Thomas Reed Vreeland (m. 1924–1966)
- Father: Frederick Young Dalziel
- Mother: Emily Key Hoffman
- Siblings: Alexandra Dalziel
- Children: Frederick Vreeland, Thomas Reed Vreeland Jr.
- Discoveries/Inventions: Sixties
- Quotes By Diana Vreeland
Childhood & Early Life
Diana Vreeland was born in Paris, France, to Frederick Young Dalziel and Emily Key Hoffman. Her mother was an American socialite. The family moved to America when World War I broke out and settled in New York City.
Vreeland joined a dancing school and became a student of Michel Fokine. She performed in Anna Pavlova’s Gavotte at Carnegie Hall. Her family was so famous in the American social circle that she once featured on Vogue as a socialite.
After getting married in 1924, she moved to London and danced with the ‘Tiller Girls’ there. She became an active part of the topnotch social circuit in London and opened her own lingerie boutique near Berkeley Square.
Career
After moving back to New York with her family, Vreeland’s publishing career started with ‘Harper’s Bazaar’ as a columnist in 1936. She was offered the job by Carmel Snow, the then editor, who liked the way Vreeland dressed.
She started her column in the magazine titled ‘Why Don’t You?’ in which she gave out quirky and sometimes really valuable fashion advice. She was famous for taking fashion seriously and openly disagreed with the American approach to fashion.
Throughout her time in the ‘Harper’s Bazaar’, Vreeland closely worked with fashion photographers like Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Richard Avedon, and Alexey Brodovitch. For her brilliance in the matters of fashion and writing, she was soon made the editor of the magazine.
By the 1960s, Vreeland’s position as an expert in fashion was well established in the American fashion circuit and she became the official fashion advisor of the first lady of that time – Jacqueline Kennedy. She advised her all through the campaign.
Owing to the fact that she was not paid enough at the ‘Harper’s Bazaar’ and was also not considered for an impending promotion, Vreeland joined Vogue magazine in 1962 and was soon made the editor-in-chief.
She enjoyed her social and professional status at Vogue and wrote beautifully descriptive fashion columns expressing the budding fashion scene of the 60s. She was a lover of originality, defying everything that was conventional and frozen in time.
In 1971, she was fired by Vogue and became a consultant to the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She is credited for organizing around 12 exhibitions during her career at the museum.
Major Works
Vreeland’s role as the columnist in ‘Harper’s Bazaar’ is amongst one of her greatest works. ‘Why Don’t You?’ was a column that outlandishly changed the way American housewives used to dress and think. It ran for almost 26 years.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1924, Vreeland married a handsome Yale graduate banker, Thomas Reed Vreeland, who took her to Europe, which changed the way she used to feel and perceive things. They had two children: Tim and Frecky.
She died of a heart attack at age 85 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York in 1989. The Diana Vreeland Estate was constructed to continue Vreeland’s legacy; it is maintained by her grandson and Frecky’s son.
Trivia
A documentary film called ‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel’ was released in 2012. The film is based on her life, how she became a pioneer in the fashion industry, and how her time spent with her husband in Europe made her into a fashionista.
The outrageous character of the fashion editor in the movie, ‘Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?, is said to be based on Vreeland’s life.
She was one of fifteen American women presented to King George V and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace in 1933.