Style Icons Of A Different Era (Part 2)

                                         
                                                           AUDREY HEPBURN
                                   

                           Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born on May 4 1929 in Brussels to Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston and Baroness Ella Van Heemstra .Her father was a Nazi sympathizer and after his liaisons with the childrens' nanny,Audrey's mother woudn't tolerate this behavior so he decided to leave them.As a child Audrey was subjected to the poverty and malnutrition that were caused by the difficulties of  Second World War and later in life recalled:"I have memories. More than once I was at the station seeing trainloads of Jews being transported, seeing all these faces over the top of the wagon. I remember, very sharply, one little boy standing with his parents on the platform, very pale, very blond, wearing a coat that was much too big for him, and he stepped on to the train. I was a child observing a child.

                                                         RITA HAYWORTH

 Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17 1918 in Brooklyn,New York. Her  paternal grandfather Antonio Cansino was a famous classical dancer as was her father Eduardo Cansino Sr so Rita had no choice but to follow the family tradition.She later recalled:"From the time I was three and a half... as soon as I could stand on my own feet, I was given dance lessons."  "I didn't like it very much... but I didn't have the courage to tell my father, so I began taking the lessons. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, that was my girlhood" Rita was an excellent dancer and Fred Astaire once said that she was his favorite dance partner.She was the only one who could keep up with his dance routines.Rita was famous for her vibrant red locks but that image of her was fabrigated by the studio who wanted to promote their new girl Rita Hayworth and the image of Margarita Cansino with her low hairline-typical latina characteristic-black hair and tan skin wasn't going to help much.So Rita agreed to undergo a painful hairline electrolysis in order to ''correct''her hairline, dyed her black hair auburn and used a bleach solution to lighten her skin....Oh well..the things you do for success...

           

                                         

                                                                COCO CHANEL

               Gabrielle ''Coco''Bonheur Chanel was born August 19,1883 to an unwed mother Eugenie Devolle who was also a laundrywoman.Gabrielle was extremely aware of her humble background and when she had made a name for herself began to fabrigate stories about her early childhood saying all sorts of stories..sometimes even saying that various busts of people she had in her house were her ancestors.Chanel was a complicated character but that didn't stop her for creating an empire,setting new trends that were too extreme for her time and era but were too fashion forward that we still talk about them.Who doesn't know the Chanel tweed jacket,the turtleneck sweaters,the little black dress,the navy shirts...She once said :''Look for the woman in the dress.If there is no woman...there is no dress''.