Peculiar Icon: Daphne Guinness, The Theatrical Enigma

Sophisticated socialite. Designer muse. Mother of three. Noteworthy collector of haute couture. Model. Modern heiress of an aristocrat Irish Protestant family. Journalist. Stylist extraordinaire. Philanthropist. On-and-off-again girlfriend of a married French philosopher. Undisputed style icon. Daphne Suzannah Diana Joan Guinness was born into a life of luxury. Now, at age 41 (or is it 42? “I don’t really care,” said Guinness), the tiny, trendsetting fashionista known for her love of towering stilettos and showstopping accessories is at the top of her game with the recent launch of her eponymous perfume, Daphne, and a quickly expanding troop of style admirers who, in total, may outnumber the amount of black garments in her multiple closets.

Keep reading to learn more about Daphne Guinness’ engaging ensembles 
and innovative style…

Daphne Guinness was born in 1967 to brewery heir Jonathan Guinness and French model Suzanne Lisney. She spent her childhood living in both England and Ireland, with plenty of vacations to Spain. As a youth, her natural blonde hair lightened to its current shade of white as she bathed in the ample sunshine of a small Catalan fishing village. While on summer holiday, Guinness was graced with the casual company of Salvador Dali, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, among many other revolutionary artists who frequented 
that same seaside village.

Guinness’ exposure to innovative artists of the 1970s is partially responsible for her inclination toward the avant-garde, and her undeniably chic taste. When asked how she developed such a distinct personal style, Guinness replied, “I grew up in an artists’ colony near Barcelona with Salvador Dali and the Surrealists, so my dress sense is very colored by my youth. Everybody knew that Dali was the most crazy – you’d go to his house and he would have lobsters in his pool.” Dali, and other boundary-breaking artists who mingled with Guinness during her formative years taught her that being “crazy” was, well, pretty cool, especially in terms of individual appearance. She learned that unabashed self-expression was pertinent to her individual happiness, which she cultivated by developing a truly original style aesthetic.

And that’s also how she “builds up” her style. A little of this, a little of that – an Alexander McQueen dress here, a pair of “unwalkable,” gravity-defying Nina Ricci heels there, a flair of fabulousness with a dichotomous hair style, a sense of seriousness with a solemn, armour-inspired arm of jewelry. Daphne Guinness is the epitome of a successful, fashionable socialite, someone who is acutely aware of their personal preferences, executed exceptionally well via impeccable ensembles and a certain 
je ne sai quoi.


source: http://blog.modcloth.com

One of my favourite Fashion Icons of all time. I love how she always looks quite theatrical and is almost always in different interpretations of black and white.