Style Icon: Daphne Guinness
Yesterday morning I received a call from my grandmother, telling me that there was a sale in one of Edinburgh’s auction rooms. It turns out there was a gavel-off of the wardrobe of an American society woman, which included vintage couture, as well as designs from the seventies and eighties from Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and Escada. At once, my thoughts swooped to a vampish Daphne Guinness trotting in and rescuing the lot and whispering that ‘it should stay together’. Alas, Daphne didn’t actually go to the sale, but, nevertheless, she is so iconic that any compilation about style and fashion wouldn’t be complete without her.
The Honourable Daphne Guinness is an Irish aristocrat- part of the Guinness dynasty, which produces some of the world’s favourite beer- and fabled collector of haute couture. Her grandiosity and lavishness is unrivalled, matched only by her grace and composure in a charming and approachable way: she is, in short, everything an impeccable, slightly eccentric lady should be. Taking off from my anecdote above, Guinness bought the late Isabella Blow’s entire collection of Alexander McQueen, saying that she believed the clothes should remain in their previous state of composure. Guinness’ dedication to fashion is sincere and longstanding, and her creativity as an artist is brought forward in her immaculate, flawless style of dress.
“I think I look so normal” she muses, and, in an instant, it is clear she believes it. This comfort and assurance that she has within herself is at once refreshing, liberating and heart-warming: Guinness is someone of extreme privilege, and always has been, and the fact that she is without pretention or conceitedness makes her all the more striking and, indeed, iconic. We love you, Daphne!
