All those "real housewives" who are touted as "socialites" should really take notes from Mrs Kempner, and her circle of friends that included Anne Bass, Blaine Trump, Georgette Mosbacher, Nancy Bloomingdale and Pat Buckley. These war horses would have had these wanna be's for a late afternoon nosh! But Nan reigned supreme. Nan Kempner was a New York socialite famous for dominating society, events, shopping, charity work and fashion. Nan was originally from San Francisco and later married Thomas Kempner where they lived in London for a short time, before moving to New York. She was also famous for her charity work. She raised $75,000,000 for cancer research, and had also amassed the largest private collection of haute couture. Later she was also a contributing editor for French Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and a design consultant for Tiffany & Co. I can remember when I was a teenager flipping through the pages of Vanity Fair and Town and Country to see her in the society and parties sections. I wonder if now looking at all the fashion she wore got me interested in working at luxury goods stores? And the fashion that comes along with it. Diana Vreeland, a pass editor of Vogue once said "There are no chic women in America. The one exception is Nan Kempner." Her style is definitely missed.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art added a whole exhibit of Nan Kempner's extensive collection of over 3,000 pieces of haute couture . I wonder if they would ever consider loaning the Mistress a few pieces? Tootles.
