February 23rd, 2019
In Memorium
Marella Agnelli: The Last Swan
They say things come in threes and I was thinking about this adage after we lost Lee and Karl. Marella Agnelli, the elegant and refined Italian socialite who Truman Capote referred to as the “Last Swan”, was one of my favorite style muses. Below are images from a lovely T magazine story written by Ms. Agnelli’s niece in 2014.
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Suzanne necklace
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Iris boots
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X Suzanne Koller leather backless slipper shoes
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X Suzanne Koller Gertrude cotton-blend parka
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X Suzanne Koller Codeo striped cotton shirt
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Katja wool maxi dress
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X Suzanne Koller leather backless slipper shoe
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X Suzanne Koller drawstring leather pouch
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Ethan oversized wool sweater
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Suzanna oversized felt tote bag
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Always fascinating to read about someone that lived large
Was Swan something Capote coined? Who were they all? And are there none today? Duh he said last.
From Vanity Fair: “Truman Capote was the darling of an inner circle he called his swans—Babe Paley, Slim Keith, Lee Radziwill, C. Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness, Marella Agnelli. He was their baby wizard, their bitchy sister, their father confessor. They told him who had slept between the Porthault sheets and where all the bodies were buried.”
By coincidence, I just started reading “The Swans of Fifth Avenue”. I had heard of all these women before, except for Marella Agnelli. I also didn’t know of their relationship with Capote. I just love that elegant era.
Having sworn off the “news” your post told me of her death. I was just looking at photos of her yesterday, sitting here in my home in Houston. I have Italian heritage and have always though she was simply divine, in every single way. Yes, the world has lost an amazingly accomplished threesome these last few days. May they rest in eternal peace. For me, I think they will be remembered forever.
That T magazine story was a wonderful derailment of my afternoon.
‘The Power of Style,’ by Annette Tapert and Diana Edkins, is a fun read on the subject of stylish women. Subtitled, ‘The Women Who Defined the Art of Living Well,’ it includes a chapter on The Swans. Although this author names four women as Swans – Paley, Guinness, Keith, and Guest – Radziwell and Agnelli were also in Capote’s inner circle and cast a similarly huge shadow on style and fashion. What seemed to set all these women apart from other wealthy women with nice wardrobes? Well-stated by the authors: “. . . they maintained a standard of social excellence in a way that emphasized dignity and discipline and downplayed money and power.” I think this absolutely nails it!