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In a world where celebrities are famous for what they wear while they are going on coffee runs, it is not hard to get nostalgic for the days of film when actors were known for their acting. One film star who personified these golden days of cinema is Greta Garbo. Notoriously private, Greta Garbo shied away from publicity, never granting interviews or attending premieres. She was known for her body of work, her style on-screen, and her never-lost shroud of mystery.
She was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson in Stockholm, Sweden in 1905. She began acting as a teenager and then went on to study acting at the Royal Dramatic Theater Academy in Stockholm. After achieving success in Swedish films and changing her name to Greta Garbo, she headed to Hollywood.
Garbo was arguably the most famous of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer–produced starlets. She acted first in silent films, transitioning seamlessly when film began to include sound. During her 19-year film career, some of her most notable roles were in the movies The Temptress, Anna Christie, Grand Hotel, and Anna Karenina. She was nominated for four Academy Awards, and she won an honorary one in 1954 for “her unforgettable screen performances.”
Greta Garbo passed away in 1990 at the age of 84. She has been immortalized on a U.S. postage stamp, in the Guinness Book of World Records as “the most beautiful woman who ever lived,” and even in a Madonna song.
written by Lisa Hong
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2008 issue of ELIZA Magazine
In just a few short years, Monique Lhuillier emerged as one of the leaders in the bridal industry. Before Monique, there was basically one name the fashion elite turned to for their wedding dresses: Vera Wang. In today's wedding magazines, however, the name Monique Lhuillier comes up just as frequently as Vera Wang’s. Lhuillier is also making herself a known-by-name designer in the ready-to-wear realm. She counts fashionistas such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Debra Messing, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Brooke Shields, and Rachel Bilson as her fans.
Her rise to the upper echelon of the notoriously difficult world of fashion has been unconventional, but being out of the ordinary is nothing new for Monique. She was born in the Philippines, went to high school in Switzerland, and attended fashion design school in (gasp) Los Angeles. Most of today's known-by-name designers attended school in New York, but Lhuillier preferred to attend L.A.'s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. After graduation Monique realized the lack of high-end fashion companies in Los Angeles, but she kept her commitment to California. By keeping her headquarters in L.A., Monique has put the Golden State back on the map for couture fashion.
During her own difficult search to find a wedding dress, Lhuillier saw a need in the bridal industry and decided to fill it. With new husband Tom Bugbee as her business partner, Monique unveiled her introductory bridal collection in 1996. Not content with conquering just the bridal industry, in 2001 Monique showed her first ready-to-wear collection at Bryant Park in New York.
Her fashions are feminine and are unabashedly pretty. She uses silk, chiffon, and tulle, with various prints and trims, which highlight the beauty of a woman’s body. Her spring 2009 ready-to-wear collection was a perfect blend of her many talents: it included frothy-skirted evening gowns, voluminous blouses with fitted pencil skirts, and smart suits that you would only see on the most fashionable women in the workplace.
Monique was inducted into the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2003. She has received several design awards and much praise from many of the top fashion magazines in the world. Recently Lhuillier has expanded her brand to include handbags and the Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton collection of tableware.
Lhuillier is a family-oriented woman. Her husband handles the business side of their growing fashion empire, as he has since the company’s inception. Her fashionable and glamorous mother is also an influence on Monique’s designs.
Monique Lhuillier has continued to stray from the norm in her career, but she has made her successes look graceful and almost effortless, much like her beautiful designs.
written by Lisa Hong
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2008 issue of ELIZA Magazine
