From Country Girl to Princess Grace

Click the image and jump to another reviewOn Sunday I travelled with some friends to Bendigo to see the Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery. It’s been many years since I visited Bendigo last, and I was charmed by the many old buildings – it is such a quaint, though small, country city.

I enjoyed the exhibition very much, although the experience was somewhat marred by my very sore toes. I had elected to wear a new pair of berry red suede 40s style heels in honour of Grace – a big mistake! Preoccupied with this agony, I did not take any notes, so am left only with impressions. It is a shame then that photography was forbidden, even without a flash, and the catalogue was sold out. (The latter didn’t surprise me – it was the same thing when I visited the Valentino exhibition in Brisbane a couple of summers ago.)

One of the exhibition roomsGrace Kelly in High Society, wearing that goddess gown over her bathing suitThe 1950s gowns were absolutely divine, especially the costumes by Helen Rose (who also created two of Grace’s wedding ensembles) for High Society – the goddess gown Grace wore by the pool over her bathing suit in that film was incredibly elegant (right). It was most impressive too, to see how tiny her waist was! (Although if the sartorial education regarding feminine underpinnings many of us have received watching Mad Men is anything to go by, perhaps she was architecturally reinforced underneath?) I only wished the yellow and white floral gown she wore in Rear Window had been part of the exhibition – it’s one of my favourite movie costumes. Though I liked her 60s and 70s gowns less, many of them were flowing couture gowns and still wonderful to see. In the main, she favoured demure, high-necked gowns, and simple, streamlined garments that did not overwhelm her figure. She wanted to be noticed for herself, not her clothes.

Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra dance drunkenly in High SocietyI was really looking forward to the last room, in which many of her accessories were displayed, so I was a bit disappointed to see the kind of hats she favoured: 50s style turbans – not at all the kind of hat that inspires envy in me (I prefer 20s–40s). However, she had a fantastic collection of sunglasses – about 85, if I recall correctly, although they weren’t all on display. I didn’t know that she was shortsighted, and she was not at all precious of her image and shy of wearing glasses, as other actresses were. She thought it preferable to squinting.

Click image and jump to a review from the Toronto leg of the exhibition’s itineraryThere were also many archival photographs and video footage, including some of her own family home movies – which provided insight into her life, and who she was when she was not acting. I managed to sit on a floor cushion to watch these (and rest my pinched feet, thank goodness!). The general consensus of the women around me was that Grace did look genuinely happy about her engagement to Prince Rainier. It was lovely to see how natural and unaffected she was, however, considering her status.

Yes, Grace Kelly was lucky, beautiful and privileged – but how much more elegantly did she live up to her name than many of today’s spoiled society princesses?

~

Since I was unable to photograph the exhibition or purchase a catalogue, I’ve picked out a few photographs of her I think are particularly lovely. Click the images for links and more stories on her.

The exhibition runs until 17 June, but most weekend sessions are sold out. Be quick!

Grace au naturelClick for a link to more archival imagesOne of my favourites: Grace in Jamaica, 1955; ph Howell Connant. Click for a link to more archival images of Grace relaxing on the beach.Grace in Jamaica, 1955; ph Howell Connant.