WHAT THEY DID FOR LOVE

In those bygone romantic times many an American went abroad and married into the British aristocracy. In the late 19th century the financial needs of the estate sometimes outweighed the intensity of the love.  American heiresses managed to get introduced to the right people and many a lord was desperate for help to manage his enormous dwelling.  The most fortunate couples found true love in the bargain.

We are currently spellbound by the second season of Downton Abbey written by Julian Fellowes and staring the English castle Highclere.  Hard to decide what fascinates us more, the upstairs or the downstairs love affairs. Apparently, Fellowes was inspired by the book To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol Wallace.  Everything you might want to know about the American girls who were successful in landing a lord and the tiara that went with it. The present Countess of Carnarvon has written about Highclere’s own money-for-title-swap in 1895, in her book Lady Almina and The Real Downton Abbey ( see reading assignment). 

The story, so romantically compelling makes us yearn for some of this in our own lives. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner we can put our lessons to work.  Here are some charming gifts for one or the other of you.

For the real story on the art of writing love letters-as in putting pen to paper try, Other People’s Love Letters. 

And for a lovely place to put all those missives perhaps you might hint for this romantic keepsake box filled with two dozen paper roses symbolizing passion and eternal love from RedEnvelope.

An original way to send loving thoughts piece together this charming vintage Valentine puzzle with the one you love- from Gump’s San Francisco.

Wishing yo the most charming Valentine’s Day ever and don’t forget to check-out my website at www.deannalittellscharmschool.com

And don’t forget the Charm School reading assignment is in the next column.

With love,

Deanna

CONSUELO VANDERBILT

Consuelo Vanderbilt, daughter of the railroad millionaire, was one of the great beauties of her time and surely of a beauty hard to match since. This dazzling beauty & wealth supposedly earned her five marriage proposals. But her domineering mother engineered a meeting between Consuelo and the 9th Duke of Marlborough, chatelain of Blenheim Palace.

She had no interest in The Duke as she was secretly engaged to an American. When her mother  ordered her  to  marry Marlborough she made plans to elope & was locked in her room as her mother threatened to murder her suitor.  Alva Vanderbilt  feigned such ill health that the gullible daughter acquiesced. When the wedding took place Consuelo stood at the altar apparently weeping behind her veil.  The marriage may have been socially advantageous but sadly loveless.  Her  matchless beauty,wit and generosity should certainly have earned her a more charming fate.

CHARM SCHOOL READING ASSIGNMENT 

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey  by Fiona Carnarvon. Lord Carnarvon, proprietor of Highclere  castle, found himself in the same predicament as many a feckless English lord of the 1890′s, having squandered their family riches on girls, yachts, gambling and horses. Enter Lady Almina, daughter of Alfred de Rothschild, to save the day by marrying the financially desperate Lord.

The Buccaneers . Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel that was completed using her own synopsis, chronicles the fortunes of five rich New York girls who traveled to England in search of titled husbands. Try this for a novelized take on the subject.

The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles.  A charming novel about a pair of ambitious and wise cracking girls from the mid-west who aimed to set the town afire.  A fortuitous meeting, on New Years eve in 1937, will change the course of both their lives. Sparkling prose and cocktails galore-achingly stylish.

JEAN DUJARDIN

The prizewinning star at Cannes of the silent film, The Artist, Jean Dujardin plays a Hollywood film star of the late 20s. With the advent of sound, his star falls. He only has his face and body to rely on and he is a master of expressing every emotion without words.  His facial expressions epitomize charm.

MOST CHARMING FILM OF THE SEASON

The Artist, by Micheal Hazanavicius, had the audience of Cannes on their feet. Anthony Lane, in the New Yorker, writes, “The Artist’ is not just about black and white silent pictures. It is a black and white silent picture and it’s French.” A lush musical score drives the drama and you’re totally swept away by the charm of the film, apparently The Academy agrees.

CHARM ALERT

How about a charming heart lock bracelet for Valentine’s Day, with it’s own key that really works ?  Alternating links of 14k white and rose gold with a checkerboard heart lock. Leave a photo on his night stand…

MICHELLE WILLIAMS

Michelle Williams has stepped into stardom in her role as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. It’s as though she inhabits the very essence of Marilyn. Her bravura performance is charming, luminous and brilliant and quite a change from her pixie persona.

CHARM ALERT

My friends Jeffrey Banks & Doria de La Chapelle have written the most devine book called PREPPY-Cultivating Ivy Style, published by Rizzoli. My exciting news is that I custom-made a preppy bracelet for the book and I’m so happy to discover it’s a full page (102!).

THE CHARM OF THE FEAST

NY Magazine’s photos of holiday feasts in their Nov. 14th issue seemed inspired by 18th century Dutch masters. What could be more apropos this time of year than thinking about food? In France, there’s a famous saying that one is always either eating a wonderful meal or talking about the next one. I’ve decided to assemble a charming holiday gift list  revolving around food.

For your favorite food lover, a Panier Cadeau from Dean & Deluca, containing a curated selection of comestibles from France.

For those who might prefer to read and discuss food, Penguin Books has released a charming series called, Great Food. It’s comprised of 20 adorable books including, Alexander Dumas’ From Absinthe to Zest; Agnes Jekyll’s A Little Dinner Before the Play; and Alice B. Toklas’ Murder in the Kitchen. Nate Waxman, of Kitchen Arts & Letters Bookstore, will be happy to wrap up a selection from the series for you.

” Every women deserves a daily dose of color and a daily dose of wonder”.

What could be more true or more charming?

Apparently manners have to be updated and the younger members of the Post clan jumped into the breach. The New York Times gave this book along with ” How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age” by Dale Carnegie and associates a scathing front page review. It’s not charming to think that we need to update manners.  According to Emily and Dale all we need to learn is to just do the right thing. That’s charming …                                        

When we think of vintage what comes to mind fastest is tweed. This past Sunday Bill Cunningham, in the style section of The Times, covered the first New York Tweed Run, a bicycle race in which the participants dressed in the style of 1930′s and 40′s England. The Tweed Run was founded in London in 2009 by enthusiasts of vintage clothing and cycling. How charming.

If that doesn’t take you back far enough, it seems that designers are now doing fairy tale books to really take us to ‘once upon a time’. The writer Camilla Morton has come up with a series of fantasy designer biographies. First up is ‘ Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty”with his stunning baroque  fantasy drawings it’s bound to be a magical success. Sooo charming...

It Books

Until next time don’t forget to have a look at my website www.deannalittellscharmschool.com.

Sincerely, 

Deanna

CHARM SCHOOL READING LIST                        

 Let’s continue to look back with these authors. Marisa Berenson,daughter of diplomat Robert L. Berenson and socialite Gogo Schiaparelli and model extraordinaire has written her story “Marisa Berenson: A Life in Pictures” a lush coffee table book published by Rizzoli.

Rosamond Bernier the doyenne of art lecturers has written her memoirs,” Rosamond Bernier-Some of My Lives-A Scrapbook Memoir” and what a life she had…  Married to writer, John Russell, friend of Picasso and Matisse from her Paris days at l’Oeil Magazine.  I’ll let her tell you about it…

 And if you must update -”Emily Post’s Etiquette-Manners for a New World”.

Photo by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic

Then, we have the 50th anniversary of the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s commemorated with a showing, in New York by the Brooklyn Bridge Conservancy on August 11, 2011. Here’s a look at the most charming invite to the ‘très exclusive entertainment ‘ of the original premiere that was held in Hollywood at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on October 17th, 1961. Christie’s auctioned  this invite, which was property of Marlon Brando, the estimate was $200-$300 and it sold at $2280. Wow, how charming.  And though I was not invited to this très exclusive event, there was a real Breakfast at Tiffany’s on the morning of August 24th to launch their Fall 2011 Leather Collection, recorded beautifully by the interior design blog, Habitually Chic. My favorite item is the Tiffany blue typewriter, what every desk needs. So charming !    

 FYI, the Tiffany blue is protected by a color trademark and was created by Gene Moore, the leading window dresser of the 20th century. He worked at Tiffany’s starting in 1955 and designed their memorable windows for nearly 40 years. He also created the famous Tiffany blue box that has made a lot of girls happy over the years.    So now that Irene  (not charming) has blown over I’m off to Paris. In the meantime, your end of the summer reading assignments are below.  

Line up now for the Breakfast At Tiffany’s: The Official 50th Anniversary Companion by Sarah Gristwood & a forward by Hubert de Givenchy-release date Sept. 6,2011. A Must for our collection, fans.

Next you’ll want to read all about Gene Moore who created the Tiffany image.  My Time At Tiffany’s by Gene Moore with Jay Hyams (Oct 1990).

And for those who want the original novella , Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote -1958 paperback by Random House.

And all those who did not read the previous assignment-here it is again-everything you wanted to know about the making of the movie-Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. by Sam Wasson.

Don’t forget to check-out my charming charms at www.deannalittellscharmschool.com.  

Mille tendresse,

Deanna

P.S.  Be sure to check back next month for some really exciting charm news.     

Whatever she did, Audrey Hepburn, was the true “Mistress of Charm”. Her blue-blood birth in Brussels,always showed in her lady-like behavior, whatever she did. She managed to survive the war with her mother and moved to London where she began to study ballet. After a brief theater career she was shortly discovered by Colette herself to star in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi. She received an Academy Award and instant stardom for her first Hollywood role in Roman Holiday (1953). Audrey reached the pinnacle of her career when she was selected to play Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Never has a role proved more forever-lasting for an actress.

MOVIE OF THE MONTH

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S  Adapted from the Truman Capote novella, and directed by Blake Edwards, the film, also starring George Peppard depicts a New York socialite who becomes interested in a young man who moves into her apartment building. The rest is history! (read all about it in my Editor’s post)