Today would have been Princess Margaret’s 90th birthday, and I knew that I wanted to feature her fashion somehow. I’ve been doing a lot of research on her in the last months for an academic project, and another Margaret pops up quite lot- Margot Fonteyn. Yes, the ballet dancer. Princess Margaret was a dedicated supporter of the arts, and they would have crossed paths many, many times. And, both were of course fashion icons in their time. So, today we are going to be looking at Margaret and Margot: fashion icons of the twentieth century!
I think that it has to go without saying- these women are both are icons in their own right. Princess Margaret embodied a new kind of a royal, one who ran with a faster crowd, and sought out love where she could find it. And Margot Fonteyn was an enduring emblem of British ballet for decades. There is no proof that they were close friends or anything of that nature, but I wanted to look at them together because they met several times. Margaret was the President of the Royal Ballet where Margot was the prima ballerina assoluta, and the Princess regularly attended ballet performances at Covent Garden.
Margaret and Margot: Early Dior Fans
What initially made me look at both of these women together is their early support of Christian Dior. The French designer obviously took the world by storm, but having key clients like Margaret and Margot helped.
Margot Fonteyn first discovered Dior on a trip to Paris in 1948. She was in Paris to perform in Les Demoiselles de la Nuit, but also had time to visit a few couturiers. This included Dior’s relatively new house, with his New Look. Fonteyn had been a fashion model during the war, promoting British fashion and manufacturing- people were used to looking at her for fashion advice.
Princess Margaret first discovered Dior in spring of 1949, when she was touring the Continent for her 18th birthday. While in Paris, she also visited several different couture houses, and fell in love with Dior. Margaret adored fashion, and would be a go-to for women’s fashion for much of her life. She would support Dior in many of his English ventures. She was even a guest of honour at his charity fashion show at Blenheim Palace in 1954, most likely the last time she saw him in person.
Margot Fonteyn’s Daisy Suit
Dior’s “Daisy” suit was one of the first pieces that Margot purchased. The perfect illustration of Dior’s New Look, it was tailored to fit her like a glove. According to Margot, “[it] was the New Look line, with small waist, narrow shoulders, and hell-shaped skirt to the calf, in complete contrast to the unfeminine was and post-war styles of short, straight skirts and padded military shoulders.” (Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse, p.138.) And although it is in black, it is still one of the most exciting suits I’ve seen- exciting rarely being a word I use to describe suits. Margot knew fashion, and recognised Dior’s talent immediately.
Interesting Fact: Several different clients bought this suit, including British socialite Nancy Mitford!
And the coat above is the “Goeman” coat, which Margot also purchased while in Paris. It is quite similar to the Daisy suit in cut and silhouette! (You can see it at the Fashion Museum in Bath– Margot donated a great deal of her clothing to the Museum, and they have some historic pieces.)
Princess Margaret’s 21st Birthday Dress
Shockingly to me, there are people who aren’t huge fans of this dress. I think that it is absolutely gorgeous, though. Princess Margaret’s 21st birthday was an extravagant affair, complete with portraits by Cecil Beaton in the dress. I was lucky enough to see it at V&A in the Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition, and it is easy to see why so many people stopped to stare.
“It is asymmetric in its design with a single strap and diagonal drapery across the front. The nipped-in waist is emphasised with a narrow belt and the luxurious full skirt is formed of seven layers of cream silk tulle. The dress is ingeniously embroidered throughout with gold-coloured raffia and straw-covered sequins.” (Modern Royal Fashion: Seven Royal Women and Their Style, p.83)
This dress truly cemented Margaret as a fashion icon. Beaton certainly knew how to take a beautiful photograph, for both the subject and the garments. But Dior also created a gorgeous fairytale gown, perfect for the young, beautiful Margaret. And she would continue to wear Dior for several years; she continued to purchase and wear Dior for nearly all of her adult life, throughout several different creative directors.
♠
Margaret and Margot- two very different women, with quite a lot in common. Both fans of Dior, and couture clothing- both fashion icons in their own right!
Looking for more on Princess Margaret’s fashion? Head here! Or more on Margot Fonteyn? Read this post!
Do you think that Princess Margaret and Margot Fonteyn are fashion icons?
Cheers,
The Historian
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