Horst, Inspirations From The Past



Coco Chanel, Horst

I've long admired the work of the late fashion photographer, Horst, and was recently perusing the book by the same name "Horst" by Valentine Lawford - (Knopf) - and found these iconic images, which I shot with my digital and have posted here-





Baroness de Rothschild, Horst

They're taking on a slightly weird, Warholish look here, since they're pictures of pictures of pictures...but I was also inspired by the chic WordPress blog called Slim Paley...and I once was able to catch a cherished glimpse of Horst himself, lunching alone in a window table of the Isle of Capri restaurant, on Third Avenue, in Manhattan.  I wonder if that place is still there? Anyone?



Maisons-Lafitte, Horst

Look at this amazing garden, near Paris, that he caught with his camera!  I love the peacock perched on top of the classical bust on pedestal.






Baroness and Baron de Rothschild, Horst

Look at the luxurious fur throw on the sofa, above.  I once had a client, who had a fur throw on the back of her library sofa, in Winston-Salem.  That's as chic as it gets!  Pauline de Rothschild was a fashion designer, and a muse of the society decorator, Billy Baldwin.  You can learn more about her in his books- of which there are several.




Babe Paley, Horst

Look at this fabulous portrait of Babe Paley- taken by Horst at her Kiluna Farm, in Manhasset, Long Island.  This one picture is worth a thousand words!




Princess Chavchavadze, Horst

This one, above, is almost too good to be true.  I'll excerpt the text for you to give you an idea of how brilliant Mr. Lawford's writing is- "Princess Elizabeth Chavchavadze, in the drawing room of the Palazzo Polignac overlooking the Grand Canale in Venice, 1947.  Horst: The sofa the princess is sitting on was designed by and belonged to Wagner.  She was a hostess in the days when Venice was still a favorite holiday resort of the fashionable, which it wasn't later.  She was born Elizabeth Ridgeway and was married first to the Count de Breteuil and then to Prince George Chavchavadze, a member of an ancient Georgian family and a talented professional pianist.  The couch was so deep that she couldn't get out of it." !!! Wow !!! I'm speechless.