There is probably no name more associated with the world of fashion than that of the noted columnist and editor of “Harper’s Bazaar” and “Vogue Magazine”, Diana Vreeland. She was the major authentic force defining style and fashion for more than fifty years. Born Diana Dalziel in Paris, France on July 29, 1906, she was the eldest daughter of a British father, Frederick Young Dalziel, and an American mother, Emily Key Hoffman. She had one sister, Alexandra. Her mother was a socialite with a bloodline that boasted descent from both the brother of George Washington and composer, Francis Scott Key.
The family immigrated to The United States at the outbreak of World War One, settling at East 77th Street in the heart of New York City. In 1924, Diana married banker, Thomas Reed Vreeland, and the couple moved to Albany, New York. There they raised two sons and lived quietly until 1929. They then moved to London where Diana operated a luxurious lingerie business, whose clients included the likes of Wallis Simpson (not Barney’s friend, the Duke’s wife!) In 1926, she met and became friends with Coco Chanel. She also played tennis with Gertrude Lawrence and could claim friendship with Evelyn Waugh, Christian Bernard and composer, Cole Porter, just to name a few. The Vreelands returned to New York permanently in 1937.
Diana Vreeland revolutionized the manner in which fashion was reported to the public during her years with Harper’s Bazaar. She once said, “never worry about the facts, just project an image to the public.” When asked once by a journalist if a far-fetched story she had told was the truth or fiction, she replied, “It’s faction.”
Diana Vreeland was, without a doubt, the twentieth century’s single most important voice in the world of women’s fashion. She died on August 22, 1989, but her legacy of simplicity and elegance lives on in the hearts of all women today.