Quick Facts
Also Known As: Diana Dalziel
Died At Age: 83
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.
Editors Journalists
Died on: August 22, 1989
place of death: Manhattan, New York, United States
City: Paris
discoveries/inventions: Sixties
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 the 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 advices. 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 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.
Facts About Diana Vreeland
Diana Vreeland was known for her unique sense of style and often wore bold, statement-making outfits that reflected her creative and avant-garde approach to fashion.
She was a fearless advocate for individuality and encouraged people to embrace their own personal style, rather than conforming to trends or societal norms.
Diana Vreeland had a distinctive way with words and was famous for her witty and often eccentric quotes, which continue to inspire and amuse fashion enthusiasts to this day.
She was a trailblazer in the fashion industry, breaking barriers and challenging conventions with her innovative ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.
Diana Vreeland’s legacy lives on through her work as an influential editor and curator, shaping the world of fashion and leaving a lasting impact on the industry.
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