Before Marie Antoinette lost her head, she lost the trappings of her indulgent ways. En route to the guillotine, she wore only the poorest of ensembles: white chemise, underskirt and dress with a makeshift linen bonnet; her beribboned, flouncy frocks, towering powdered coiffure and dazzling diamonds long gone. Yet the allure of the gussied-up glamour puss has survived the centuries, and designers have long found inspiration in her flamboyance. With “Marie Antoinette” about to open in the U.S., what better time to indulge in a little “let them wear frills”?
Designers:
Alexander McQueen
Viktor & Rolf
Valentino
Zac Posen
Olivier Theyskens for Rochas
Karl Lagerfeld:
As designer for Chanel
Portraitist:
John Currin
Hairstylists:
Odile Gilbert
Orlando Pita
Shoes:
Christian Louboutin
Drinks:
Rainbow Pousse Café
Champagne Fraise
Nightlife:
The Gallery at the Carlyle Hotel
Bungalow 8
Cipriani Upstairs
Tropicana at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
Restaurants:
Gilt
Buddakan
Per Se
TV:
“Masterpiece Theatre”
“Desperate Housewives”
“The Simple Life”
Movies:
“Moulin Rouge!”
“The Devil Wears Prada”
“Roman Holiday”
“Children of Paradise”
Books:
“The Decameron,” Giovanni Boccaccio
“Confessions of a Shopaholic,” Sophie Kinsella
“How to Be Idle,” Tom Hodgkinson
“Splendeurs et Misères des Courtisanes,” Honoré de Balzac
Songs:
“Glamorous Life,” Eden’s Crush
“Material Girl,” Madonna
“I’m a Marionette,” Abba
“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” Marilyn Monroe
Idols:
Doris Duke
Marchesa Luisa Casati
Madonna
Royal Heartthrob:
Andrea Casiraghi
Editor:
Anna Wintour
Latter-Day Maries:
Paris Hilton
Victoria Beckham
Gwen Stefani
Jennifer Lopez
Lil’ Kim
Kimora Lee Simmons
Jessica Simpson
Nicole Kidman
Scarlett Johansson
Marjorie Raein
Helen Schifter
Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos
Naomi Campbell
Elton John
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Sister Act:
Victoria and Vanessa Traina
New Narcissistic Reads:
“Queen of Fashion,” Caroline Weber
“A Scented Palace,” Elisabeth de Feydeau
“The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette,” Carolly Erickson
“Marie Antoinette,” Sofia Coppola