Diana Vreeland: Bon Mots: Words of Wisdom From the Empress of Fashion

Diana Vreeland was never short on proclamations of fashion and style as well as living life in a most fashionable and particular way. The only person who has ever come close to her when it comes to quotable quotes was the late Karl Lagerfeld. The biggest difference is that she was all about the fantastical, brilliant, and magical possibilities of being fabulous, whereas Mr. Lagerfeld had a tendency to be a bit more biting and harsher—although he did have an excellent sense of humor. Mrs. Vreeland was most assuredly the dreamer of the two.

Diana Vreeland: Bon Mots is a compilation taken from the many segments of her life starting from a young age. There is no doubt that everyone who will have the pleasure of reading this book can depend on having at least one smile brought to their face if not a full hearty chuckle provided by the words and wisdom of the late, great Mrs. Vreeland. It is interesting to keep in mind that at the very start of her career she was a writer . . . well sort of. Her Why Don’t You column has survived the test of time with her whimsical if not wildly imaginative advice on day-to-day living.

Alexander Vreeland wrote “Bon Mots is French for ‘well-chosen words’ –phrases to live by. Though my grandmother was an editor, she also possessed the declarative power to launch new styles, new trends and new designers, thereby becoming the oracle of fashion.”

Anyone who loves fashion and has had an affection or attraction to “the empress of fashion” will undoubtedly fall in love with this book and come back to it time after time to remind themselves of just how incredible this woman was in real life. The book possesses other special qualities that came about under the tutelage of Sam Shahid and his most talented colleagues, who were inspired by none other than the legendary Alexey Brodovitch, who certainly played a major supporting role in the life and vision of Mrs. Vreeland.

This one is a keeper!