Mata Salamat’s Deep Friendship

After being elected Miss Lyon in 1929, then Miss France in Paris in 1930, beauty queen and a representatieve of France, Yvette Labrousse traveled to many countries around the world. She found herself particulary taken by Egypt and, in the late thirdies she moved to Egypt. There Yvette Labrousse met her future husband, the Sultan Aga Khan III, 48th Imam of the Nizari Shia Ismaili community, and they fell in love at first sight and married on 9 October 1944 in Switzerland. Then she took the name of Om Habibeh (Little Mother of the Beloved) and became Begum, fully Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan.

They settled in the Avenue Victoria villa ‘Yakymour‘ at Le Cannet, in the hills above Cannes. Her Higness La Bégum, who was nterested in the arts including classical music, opera and ballet, used to assemble the members of the Cannes film festival jury, and many national and international artists and movie stars. Some of them became friends for live. Like Kees van Dongen, Jean Cocteau, Sophia Loren, Maurice Chevalier, Gina Lollobrigida and Marlene Dietrich

Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan and painter Kees van Dongen. She wasn’t only Kees van Dongen’s muse, but with her husband’s encouragement, she also developed an active interest in painting and sculpture. Kees van Dongen made several portraits of Begum Om Habibeh and her husband.

Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan had a big heart for everybody. Also for people outside the Shia Ismaili community. She was dearly loved by her people because of her generosity to the poor, childern, women and the elderly, and, by her own husband as well. No matter what kind of religion, man or women, or even sexual oriantation, she was véry openminded and loyal. Yakymour and Nour el-Salam her home in Egypt, were both an open house.

Her Highness The Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan and  Jean Cocteau take part in la Bataille des Fleurs at la Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes on May 3, 1954. Her Highness The Begum Om Habibeh had a special relation with Jean Cocteau and his partner Jean Marais. They visit eachother often, and had a special and deep frienship.

Her Highness The Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan and  Jean Cocteau take part in la Bataille des Fleurs at la Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes on May 3, 1954.

Marlene Dietrich, Jean Cocteau and Her Highness The Begum Aga Khan III attend the dress rehearsal of Gilbert Bécaud’s ‘L’Opéra d’Aran’ at le Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris on October 26, 1962 (Click photo to enlarge).

Marlene Dietrich, Jean Cocteau and The Begum Aga Khan enjoying Gilbert Bécaud’s ‘L’Opéra d’Aran

Gilbert Becaud, the most Sung french artist in the world and has a sense of the verb and the incomparable melody. Essential figure of the variety at the turn of the 1960s, his titles ‘Age tendre et tête de bois’ and ‘Salut les copains’ are borrowed by the most iconic TV shows for youth and his most famous song, ‘Et maintenant ’, just published (1961).

Gilbert Bécaud (Click photo to enlarge)

Gilbert Bécaud then at the height of his fame, began at cross-purposes of evolution that was taking his artistic career, the crazy bet to compose an opera that might combine a lyrical drama talents of popular melodist. Before becoming ‘Mr. 100.000 volt’, Bécaud had received classical training at the conservatoire de Nice and began his career at many film scores, notably for Marcel Carné. This enigmatic work, whose booklet is signed Pierre Delanoë, Jacques Emmanuel and Louis Amade, brought together all artistic Paris and many friends, like Marlene Dietrich, Jean Cocteau and Her Highness The Begum Aga Khan III, during his performance at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in 1962.

Marlene Dietrich and Her Highness The Begum Aga Khan III at the dress rehearsal of Gilbert Bécaud’s ‘L’Opéra d’Aran’ at le Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris on October 26, 1962 (Click photo to enlarge).

Marlene Dietrich, Jean Cocteau and Her Highness The Begum Aga Khan III attend the dress rehearsal of Gilbert Bécaud’s ‘L’Opéra d’Aran’ at le Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris on October 26, 1962 (Click photo to enlarge).

Marlene Dietrich, Gilbert Bécaud, Jean Cocteau and Margarethe Wallmann attend the dress rehearsal of Gilbert Bécaud’s ‘L’Opéra d’Aran’ at le Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris on October 26, 1962 (Click photo to enlarge).

An opera which then toured around the world for more than 30 years. Directed by Laurent Balandras and Olivier Julien in agreement with Gilbert Bécaud succession,

Gilbert Bécaud ‘L’Opéra d’Aran (Click photo to enlarge).

Now availble, offers a restored version of the Opera with for the first time in the outcome documents of unpublished tapes from the personal archives of the artist.

by Jean Amr

Barbra at Coco

Barbra Streisand and others, Marlene Dietrich, Elsa Martinelli at Chanel fashion show 1966 (Photo by Bill Eppridge).

Barbra Streisand stands out at a Chanel fashion show by not wearing a suit by Coco Chanel. What the other women, like Marlene Dietrich, where thinking of her outfit…

 

New ‘Stars in Dior’ by Rizzoli

What makes a person style icon. I suppose it’s been in  reaction to the ubiquitous Alexa Chung and her new title as British Fashion Council’s Young Style Ambassador and of types such as Olivia Palermo, model, rich girl socialite and ex-reality TV show member of ‘The City’ or even Katy Perry who terming both ‘style’ and ‘icon’ is laughable in the extreme despite her recent unwise front row Chanel appearance.

It used to be that women (and men!) named style icons were lauded for their talent be it acting, voice, writing ability or other and their natural (self) style which became a moniker and a signpost of their image. Pre-stylists foisting image and designers throwing free clothes upon them, stars such as Grace Kelly, Gina Lollobrigida, Marlene Deitrich, Marilyn Monroe and Katharine Hepburn chose their image and carefully kept to its confines, using it to reinforce their stardom and their kudos. Style was an adjunct to their abilities and how they conducted themselves, not the sole reason for their existence or their many column inches.

Today, it seems that many self modelled style icons seek validation and reify themselves by being no more than clothing puppets, raising their stakes in global fashion media, neither aligning themselves to one design house or other, chopping and changing their loyalties to whomever will dress them willingly and often freely. No sooner has someone glimpsed fame than the hungry media from gossip mags to glossies and the marketing needs of designer brands to high street, leap on the chance of a new find with whom to bind themselves. We can see this in the case of the gorgeous Lana Del Rey who had barely released her first album and already featured in multitudes of fashion editorials and even had a Mulberry bag named after her (why??). It may not be Hermes, but still…

True style icons, in a time they bought their clothes by themselves. Left picture: Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan III (left) with her stepdaughter-in-law actress Rita Hayworth (middle), and picture right: Marlene Dietrich (middle)

Style by association is now revered instead of reviled. Many who have little style (Diana Vickers anyone?) and who may be little more than vacuous clothes horses are paid to feature front row at catwalk shows further denigrating the notion of self style, elegance and class and also of loyalty to a design House. Which is why the strongest brands today are niche brands such as Balenciaga, Celine and Haider Ackerman who, strong in their own personality, choose carefully and who don’t need the same front row footloose brand harlots to parade their wares, unyielding to those celebrities who see themselves as commodities and sell themselves to the highest or most frequent bidders.

Similarly, labels such as Dior still have weight when it comes to who wears their wares. Over the years, Dior have groomed only the best and have a long history of the most beautiful and sought after women in the world wearing the label. Her Highness the Begum Om Habibeh Aga Khan III, aka Yvette Labrousse, former Miss France, who knew exactly what fits her. Women like Marlene Dietrich, Sophia Loren, Kim Novak, Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor have all starred in the greatest films shot by the finest directors and were dressed to match their role, by Dior Haute Couture.

To celebrate this fact Dior’s latest release (published by Rizzoli, New York), ‘Stars in Dior’ features such screen goddesses at the height of their fame as well as modern stars such as Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Kirsten Dunst, Penelope Cruz and Monica Bellucci. Times may have changed but Dior honours its past by choosing wisely.

Christian Dior started out as a costume designer even before his couture house was founded in 1946 so it’s no surprise that Dior’s filmography is impressive featuring in more than 90 films.

A book paying homage to the glamour of cinema and its relationship with the leading couture house Dior. The selection of previously unpublished beautiful behind-the-scenes photographes shows many of cinema’s greatest stars, clothed by Dior and captured by some of the biggest names in fashion photography.

Check out some true style icons in ‘Stars in Dior’, released in Europe in May and in the USA in September. Imagery featured taken from this book and supplied by Dior.