Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel

 

This website has been archived and preserved as part of the Art department's Fashion + Internet courses lead by Sonia Prate and Donald Dima. Ms. Prate currently teaches fabric and fashion design. Mr. Dima comes to the university from a successful career in technology, focused on high level software development where he excelled leading a team focused on DevOps consulting - a discipline involving the merger of coding, testing and launching applications using software tools to improve productivity and reduce errors while decreasing the development time. The team of Prate and Dima have proven that art and science can be a compelling combination when the right approach is taken. Students are advised to sign up early for the course due to a limited class size.

This was the official website for the 2012 film, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel which documents the personal and professional history of the famous editor, known as the “Empress of Fashion.” She served as the matriarch of the New York fashion scene from the thirties up until her death in the mid-eighties. The film includes interviews with writer Bob Colacello, director Joel Schumacher, Reinaldo Herrera (husband of Carolina), and son Tim Vreeland, who discuss Vreeland’s fascination with pornography, drugs, plastic surgery, and everything unconventional. “She understood the genius of vulgarity,” explains Schumacher. Development and technical assistance were provided by TNG/Earthling's CEO Bob Sakayama. The Web Archive Project provided grant funding for this restoration after recognizing this website as an historic document.

Content is from the site's 2012 archived pages.

 



Diana Vreeland - The Eye Has To Travel Official Trailer #1 (2012) Fashion Documentary HD

 


 

Ralph Deluca, Art Advisor: As a fervent admirer of Diana Vreeland and a devoted collector of film memorabilia, I had the distinct pleasure of immersing myself in "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel," a documentary that masterfully encapsulates the indelible mark Mrs. Vreeland left on the world of fashion. This film is not merely a documentary; it is a vibrant, meticulously crafted homage to a woman whose influence in shaping the contours of 20th-century fashion is both profound and unparalleled.

The film adeptly portrays Diana Vreeland as a transformative artist and designer, whose tenure at Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute revolutionized not just fashion journalism, but the very fabric of fashion itself. Through her innovative vision and unapologetic embrace of the avant-garde, Vreeland pioneered trends that remain timeless and her editorial genius continually resonates within the corridors of contemporary style.

What makes "The Eye Has to Travel" a must-see is its ability to convey Vreeland's essence—her flamboyance, her wit, and her extraordinary ability to see beauty where others could not. This documentary delves deep into her personal and professional life, presenting a narrative that is both inspiring and enlightening. The inclusion of rare archival footage, interviews with luminaries who were close to her, and her own words, paint a portrait of a woman whose life was as rich and textured as the pages of the magazines she helmed.

For someone who cherishes fashion and the stories behind iconic figures, this film is a treasure trove of inspiration. It's a testament to Vreeland's belief that fashion is not just about clothes but about life itself. And for a collector of movie posters and film memorabilia like myself, the quest to find a poster of this documentary has become a personal mission. Such a poster would not only be a coveted piece in my collection but a symbol of the lasting impact of a true visionary. I have yet to locate one at auctions or through fellow collectors, but my search continues with fervor. Those who sell posters tend to discover them in attics or basements of estates and do not know the value of such art.

I wholeheartedly encourage everyone, especially those intrigued by the rich culture of the fashion industry, to experience this film. "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel" is more than just a documentary; it is an inspiring journey through the life of a woman whose legacy will forever influence the realms of fashion, beauty, and art. Her story, as presented in this film, is a powerful reminder of how passion, creativity, and an unyielding belief in one's vision can leave an indelible mark on the world.

 


 

ABOUT DIANA VREELAND

DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL is an intimate portrait and a vibrant celebration of one of the most influential women of the 20th century, an enduring icon whose influence changed the face of fashion, beauty, art, publishing and culture itself forever.

Along the way, the story of Vreeland illustrates the evolution of women into roles of power and prominence throughout the 20th century, and travels through some of the century’s greatest historical and cultural eras, including Paris’ Belle Epoque, New York in the roaring twenties, and London in the swinging sixties. It also spans such historical events as the great wars, the flights of Lindbergh, the romance of Wallis and Windsor, the Kennedy inauguration, and the freewheeling spirit of the 1960′s youthquake, and the advent of countless fashion revolutions from the bikini to the blue jean.

Diana Vreeland (1903-1989) was the 20th Century’s greatest arbiter of style, an exotic and vibrant character who, during her fifty-year reign as the “Empress of Fashion,” dazzled the world with her unique vision of style high and low. She launched Twiggy, advised Jackie O, and coined some of fashion’s most eloquent proverbs such as “the bikini is the biggest thing since the atom bomb.” She lived a vibrant and remarkable life, and as the star performer in her own drama, Diana began writing the script for it at an early age.

It all started during the Belle Époque: modernism, Art Nouveau, the Ballets Russes, and haute couture. Diana was fascinated with the glamorous and eccentric characters of this era who paraded through her parents’ living room in Paris. But her childhood was also marked by the loveless relationship she had with her mother, an American beauty. “I was always her ugly little monster,” Diana recalled. As World War I started, the family moved back to America. Diana, forced to speak English, developed a stutter and failed in school. Eventually she dropped out and found refuge in dance, a true passion.

If Diana felt insecure about her looks, she never wallowed in it. Instead, she created her own world in which style, originality, and allure were supreme. She invented a dazzling persona that embraced every moment of life as an adventure, whether she was witnessing the coronation of George V or riding horses with Buffalo Bill in Wyoming. At 19, she captured the heart of one of the most handsome and eligible bachelors, Reed Vreeland – “the most ravishing, devastating killer-diller,” as she put it later. Together they settled in London and started a life full of romantic trips around Europe in their Bugatti coupé: Paris, Budapest, Vienna, Rome. During these years, she cultivated her love of couture and became friends with all the couturiers in Paris.

Diana’s unexpected career in fashion began upon her return to New York in 1936 when Carmel Snow, the editor of Harper’s Bazaar, noticed her unique style and look at a party. Diana was hired as Bazaar’s fashion editor, and she immediately became renowned for her provocative “Why don’t you?” column that dared readers to open their imagination and live their dreams. She would write homilies such as, “Why don’t you rinse your blond child’s hair in dead Champagne to keep its gold,” or “have a white monkey-fur bedcover mounted on yellow velvet?” Through her column and photography spreads, Diana lent the magazine pages of her amazing flair for beauty, high and low. Photographer Richard Avedon, who affectionately called her his “crazy aunt,” exclaimed, “she was and remains the only genius fashion editor.”

After twenty-five years at Harper’s Bazaar, Diana resigned and took over as Vogue editor-in-chief. It was the swinging sixties, where – as Diana would say – “you could have a bump on your nose, it made no difference so long as you had a marvelous body and carriage.” Uniqueness was being celebrated and Vreeland’s transformation of Vogue was at the vanguard of this cultural revolution. The pages of Vogue exploded with fashion, art, music, film; this became its “golden years.” It was suddenly a young, new and exciting magazine, where models had personalities and fashion spoke to all women. Diana became a living legend, with her striking silhouette, her jet-black hair, and her peculiar voice, somewhere between high society and street slang. Her famous red living room, “a garden in hell,” became the headquarters for New York arts and society. Diana would look upon these years as her most glorious ones; she had finally found an era fit for her vivid and wild imagination.

Shortly after the death of her husband, Diana was abruptly fired from Vogue in 1971, turning the fashion world upside down. Rumors had it that she was so distraught that she took to bed for a year, but Diana was far from having her last dance. In 1972, at age seventy, she started working at the Met’s Costume Institute where she set new standards for exhibiting fashion worldwide, awakening an institution that had been forever sleepy. Like a film director, she created sets in which elaborate fantasies came to life. Her controversial approach – based on drama and theatre sometimes more than historical fact – was criticized by some historians, but they were silenced when her shows brought in huge crowds and put the Costume Institute on the map. Diana blended fact with fantasy throughout her career, even once exclaiming that Charles Lindberg had flown over her lawn in Brewster on his way to Paris. Upon being asked if her story was fact or fiction, she responded, “Faction!”
 
Diana Vreeland was the oracle of fashion for much of the 20th century, inviting us to join her on a voyage of perpetual reinvention and take part in the adventure of life. Through her trained and diligent eye, she opened the door of our minds and gave us the freedom to imagine. Her images and accomplishments are as fresh and relevant now as they were then, and her spirit is just a vibrant and relevant today. As Jackie Onassis once put it: “To say Diana Vreeland has dealt only with fashion trivializes what she has done. She has commented on the times in a wise and witty manner. She has lived a life.”

 



About The Film

How to convey the life story of a woman so much larger than life? As Lisa Immordino Vreeland moved through this daunting process, collecting materials and conducting research for an innovative book that would commemorate her already-immortalized grandmother-in-law, Diana Vreeland, she was struck with the answer. A film. Only a multi-dimensional platform would truly reveal the subtleties of Mrs. Vreeland’s persona and character.

Cut to: three years later. The documentary “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel” premieres at the Venice International Film Festival and the highly-selective Telluride Film Festival in 2011, painting an intimate portrait of a woman we all thought we knew. The film’s most compelling moments are not the high-drama of her career or the celebration of her imagination and singular looks, but rather those that reveal her personal history, vulnerabilities, steely determination and divine triumph.

With deference, Immordino Vreeland unflinchingly charts Mrs. Vreeland’s challenging childhood, fraught with parental strain, insecurities and academic failures, her self-preservation and ultimately her break through — reinventing herself as the dazzling, adventurous woman who would win the heart of ravishing bachelor Reed Vreeland. Wending its way through the Belle Époque in Paris, NYC’s Roaring ‘20s and London’s Swinging ‘60s, the film sparkles with game-changing moments in the history of fashion while still embracing weighty themes such as the evolution of women into roles of power and prominence.

Mrs. Vreeland’s own voice — that fabled mix of polished sophistication and street jargon — tells much of the story, coupled with insights and anecdotes from colleagues and friends like Andy Warhol, Diane Sawyer, Manolo Blahnik and Veruschka. First-time director Immordino Vreeland enlisted the talents of Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt and Frédéric Tcheng, the critically-acclaimed editors of  “Valentino: The Last Emperor.” Together they crafted hundreds of hours of archival footage, interviews, photography, graphics, animation and other visual and musical devices into a seamless collage that is already being touted as a living work of art.

 



 

 

SYNOPSIS

During Diana Vreeland’s fifty year reign as the “Empress of Fashion,” she launched Twiggy, advised Jackie Onassis, and established countless trends that have withstood the test of time. She was the fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar where she worked for twenty-five years before becoming editor-in-chief of Vogue, followed by a remarkable stint at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, where she helped popularize its historical collections. DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL is an intimate portrait and a vibrant celebration of one of the most influential women of the twentieth century, an enduring icon who has had a strong influence on the course of fashion, beauty, publishing and culture.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

I fell in love with Diana Vreeland as a young college student, mesmerized by her pages in Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. I later fell in love with her grandson and became a member of the Vreeland family. Although I never got to meet Mrs. Vreeland, I became fully immersed in her world. I have been given the confidence and trust of her family and friends, as well as access to Diana Vreeland’s archives, and the archives of Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and The Costume Institute.

When I was conducting research for a book I wrote on Mrs. Vreeland, I realized that her real strengths and subtleties needed to be conveyed in a three-dimensional platform in which she could come alive. Film is the most obvious and effective medium to communicate Mrs. Vreeland’s unique and visual journey, so I decided to make a documentary about her fabled life.

DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL is more than just an intimate portrait of the legendary fashion icon. It captures Vreeland’s life visually through a multitude of media including film, photography, animation, graphics, text, sound, and music. Vreeland’s own voice and persona — strong, eloquent and often much exaggerated — guides us through her life, adventures, accomplishments, and passions.

Diana Vreeland was much more than just “the empress of fashion.” She used her magazines and costume shows as a platform to convey her imaginative perspective on life. Her philosophy was much deeper than what she put forward in her pages at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. Her perseverance and determination showed us that we could dare to think in a different way. She has reminded us that it is important to imagine how life can be different. She lived for new experiences and new ideas, and was able to transmit that to us. She used her passion for the world as an instrument to let us expand and enrich our minds, as I set out to do with this film.

 



 

PRESS

http://www.dianavreeland-film.com:80/category/press/

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

“3.5 out of 4 stars… wonderfully illuminating.”
- Steven Rea

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THE EPOCH TIMES

“This stylish, inspiring and thoroughly entertaining documentary captures the pizzazz, passion, and personality of the trailblazing fashion editor Diana Vreeland.”
- C.W. Ellis

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DENVER POST

“3 out of 4 stars… Diana Vreeland’s fashionable life documented in ‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel’.”
- Suzanne S. Brown

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NEWSDAY

“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel: 4 Stars!”
- Joseph V. Amodio

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SAN DIEGO READER

“Interview: Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland on ‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel.”
- Scott Marks

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METRO SOURCE

“9 out of 10… A glorious tribute and a must-see film.”
- Jonathan Roche

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THE WASHINGTON POST

“Critic’s Pick! 3 out of 4 stars… She Never Went Out of Fashion.”
- Stephanie Merry

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CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

“3 out of 4 stars… a highly entertaining and colorful portrait of a unique woman — the likes of which we may never see again.”
- Mary Houlihan

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THE BOSTON GLOBE

“3 out of 4 stars… Focus is right in ‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel’.”
- Wesley Morris

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SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

“4 out of 5… Captivating. Insightful.”
- Carolyne Zinko

 

DianaVreeland-Film.com