The Anna Wintour Costume Center

Once upon a time, in 1948...

 The Party of the Year, was maybe not quite yet the party of the year. Eleanor Lambert, invited society "matrons" - I do not know who in their right mind would like being called a matron - but anyhoo,  she invited matrons to buy a ticket for 50 bucks and said matrons were able to choose a gown from the Costume Institute to wear to a midnight dinner (I like that part : ) in December and Ms. Lambert dubbed it  'the party of the year'.  

And in 1971 the theme at the newly renovated Costume Institute was 'Fashion Plate'.  It celebrated the Costume Institute's own holdings - represented by  200 years of fashion and accompanying fashion plates.

Robe de style by Jeanne Lanvin.  Fashion plate by Benito for Vogue.  1924

And in 1973 with a waft of perfume and a demand for the young Harold Koda to make a mannequin for the exhibit 'Eighteenth-Century Woman' to appear ready for the guillotine, Mrs. Vreeland became the Special Consultant to the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had her debut with  the 1973 exhibit 'The World of Cristobal Balenciaga'.

Diana Vreeland The World of Balenciaga Met Museum

Out went the matrons and in came the patrons.

Marisa Berenson at the Met Gala.

Halston and Bianca Jagger.  Met gala.  1981

Paloma Picasso and Rafeel Lopez-Sanchez.  1981.

Diana Vreeland and Yves Saint Laurent at the Met gala.

Diana Vreeland and Bill Blass at the Costume Institute

And since 1995 Anna Wintour has raised nearly $125 million dollars for the Costume Institute.

She has truly changed the party of the year into THE Party of the Year and while raising an astounding amount of money to support one of my favorite places in the world.  The CI is now also the home of the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection with its incredible collection of Charles James.

It was just announced that when the Costume Institute reopens in May after a $40 million dollar renovation, it will be renamed the Anna Wintour Costume Center.

love, kisses and vintage, Juliana

120 Years of Vogue: Anna Wintour's First Cover

A look back at Vogue and the archive of RARE vintage...

Anna Wintour's first cover as Editor in chief of Vogue

was a very American mix of haute couture and the street.  It was high and low before anyone thought Mon Dieu! you can wear an uber glamorous, heavily embellished, old world jacket with that staple of weekend casual and comfort: the jean.  And look how happy the model Michaela Bercu looks!

The Lacroix jacket on the cover of Vogue is one of the holiest of all of the Holy Grails I am on a constant quest for RARE vintage.  This is the closest I have gotten so far... and so far so good.  Stay tuned... 

Please note this piece has sold.

Runway to Win

Last night I attended Anna Wintour's fundraiser for Barack Obama, Runway to Win.  Scarlett Johansson co-hosted and let me tell you, Scarlett is beautiful!  A total dish!  I was not the only girl there to fall in love with her.  But enough about my girl crush on Scarlett.  

Twenty-three American designers (Marc Jabobs, Jason Wu,  Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Eddie Borgo...)  created limited edition totes, t shirts, pins and a red, white and blue nail polish set to support the re election of Barack Obama.  The items are available here.

Here are some pics.  And Tommy Ton was there too.  Looking very glam in a chinchilla cape!  It's not every boy who can carry off a chinchilla cape!

FIT Lunch Honoring Valentino

Valentino received the Fashion Institute of Technology's Artistry in Fashion award today at Lincoln Center.  I was lucky enough to be seated at the table next to Valentino where there was much air kissing going on.  Daphne Guiness was there in towering sparkly shoes, Anna Wintour gave a lovely speech about Valentino and Simon Doonan gave a very funny speech about Valentino's Université of Fabulosité.  

Giancarlo Giammetti and I arrived at the same time.  The perenially lovely Bill Cunningham was about to take a photo of me in my vintage Valentino Couture when he saw Giancarlo Giammetti and I insisted he photograph Giancarlo (after all, he can take my picture anytime:)  

Anna W and Valentino:

Chiu-Ti Jansen wearing Valentino Couture and a Valentino panther belt from RARE vintage at the lunch:

Daphne Guinness beautiful in black and white:

And everyone rises for the King of Couture, Valentino:

Here a kiss, there a kiss, everywhere a kiss kiss.  Diane Von Furstenberg and Valentino:

Diane Von F and the always beautiful Marisa Berenson:

Looks like somebody's dogs were barking:)

BFF's:

I wish I could whip my hair into a similar confection.  Love it.  She looks beautiful.

Simon Doonan said, " With Valentino you get the whole package: talent, genius and a ferocious commitment to craft."