Wallis and Edward!

I’ve already shared my love of Julia Child, but in terms of my personal list of fascinations, Wallis and Edward rank right along side the classic French chef.  As many of you already know, Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward the VIII, abdicated the English throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorced American socialite.  But it’s not only the story of their legendary romance that appeals to me, but the personal sense of style that permeated every aspect of their life.  The fashions they favored, the places they chose to live and the furnishings they surrounded themselves with were exceptional in every way.

Their story continues to garner interest!  In 1988, Britain fashion editor and historian, Suzy Menkes compiled The Windsor Style, a coffee table style book, that features over 200 photos of the exiled couples’ homes in France and the United States, as well as the Duchess’ opulent clothing and jewels.  More recently, in November of 2011, jewels from Wallis’ personal collection were sold at auction by Sotheby’s in London.  The collection was bought for over 12.5 million dollars and the auction catalogs gave us another glimpse into their stylish and rarified life! (Duchess of Windsor Jewelry Auction, November 2011.)

Today, we can look forward to the February 3rd movie premier of W./E.!  The film intertwines the epic romance with the contemporary story of a lonely young woman living in New York City in 1998 obsessed with Wallis and Edward’s affair!  Co-written and directed by Madonna, the costumes and jewels alone are enough to wow!