Icons of Fashion ~ Grace Kelly ♡

“Grace brought into my life, as she brought into yours, a soft, warm light every time I saw her, and every time I saw her was a holiday of its own.” James Stewart on Grace Kelly

Although she made her mark as an Old Hollywood icon, Grace Kelly soon exchanged the alluring flash-bulb lights and glamour of the silver screen for the regal principality of Monaco, when she became its princess on the 18th April 1956.

Born on 12 November 1929, in sunny Philadelphia, Grace Patricia Kelly, was born into a wealthy, Irish Catholic family. In her youth she dreamed of a career as an actress. Fortunately her uncle George Kelly was a playwright and encouraged her acting career. In 1947, she enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and her first major role was the female lead in August Strindberg’s The Father. This production was crucial for Kelly as it led to her breakthrough performance in High Noon, which she starred in alongside the infamous Gary Cooper.

After her successful Hollywood debut, Grace became an icon of the silver-screen, appearing in many of Alfred Hitchcock’s beloved films, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder and To Catch A Thief, alongside beloved male co-stars such as Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, William Holden, and more.

Grace reached the peak of her career as an actress in 1955 when she was awarded her first Academy Award for George Seaton’s Country Girl (1954), which follows the journey of an alcoholic actor who is given a chance to resurrect his career.

Everything changed for Grace when she encountered the young Prince Rainier at the 8th Cannes Film Festival. They spent the day together on May 6th, 1955, walking around the gardens of the Palais Princier and it is believed that upon this initial meeting, Grace remarked that the Prince was “charming.” Afterwards, Grace and Rainier established a long correspondence which resulted in their engagement in January 1956 and her infamous wedding the following spring.

“After that, I had his [Hitchcock’s] confidence as far as wardrobe was concerned, and he gave me a very great deal of liberty in what I wore in his next two pictures,” Kelly said. Those two movies were Rear Window and To Catch A Thief.

One of the most memorable aspects of Grace Kelly was not only her kindness and caring soul but also, her impeccable style. Grace’s entrance in Hitchcock’s Rear Window, immortalised her image as an ethereal style icon. Clothed in an elegant pair of crystal white gloves and her “Paris” dress, which consists of a white tulle skirt, cinched in at the waist with a black bodice, her presence as Lisa Fremont echoed Dior’s New Look of 1955. As Jimmy Stewart’s character, L.B Jeffries expresses: “she’s too talented. She’s too beautiful. She’s too sophisticated…”

Grace understood how to hold and present herself in the garments she wore. They never overpowered or wore her and with a childhood of ballet training by her side, Grace was equipped with the posture and elegance which helped her whilst wearing designs by designers like Helen Rose and Christian Dior but also for her infamous film roles.

“The numerous dresses printed or embroidered with flowers evokes her own dried flower arrangements and taste for gardening. The appeal of flowers was a passion that the princess shared with Christian Dior” from Grace of Monaco: Princess in Dior

After Monsieur Dior’s passing in 1957 and following the departure of Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan became the fashion house’s artistic director and the ties between the Palace of Monaco and Dior became stronger. Bohan designed a plethora of beautiful garments for the princess up until her passing in 1982 and saw Grace as the ideal embodiment of femininity and elegance. Inside Florence Muller’s book,Grace of Monaco: Princess in Dior, you will find a treasure trove of personal photographs, sketches and snapshots of dresses that the princess wore.

Grace’s Hollywood style is characterised by elegant couture inspired ball gowns made from tulle, satin or chiffon and embellished with delicate floral embroidery, finished off with a statement piece of jewellery. Many of Grace’s on-screen looks are simple but evoke timeless elegance. Edith Head and Helen Rose often clothed Grace in a palette of pale blues, soft pinks and monochromatic colour schemes. Grace’s off-screen attire was paired back and she was often photographed in a high-waisted pair of trousers and elegant shirt.