Grace Kelly was — and still is — many different things: an Oscar-winning actress, a princess, a mother, a Barbie doll, a pop song by Mika and, most recently, the subject of the controversial movie “Grace of Monaco,” starring Nicole Kidman in the title role, which opens the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
For most people, however, Kelly is a style icon. Stores today are littered with finds that could easily have come from the star’s own classic wardrobe — impressive, considering the more than three decades of fashion evolution since her death in 1982.
“It’s hard to boil down [her style] to a couple of words, which is why there are two books about it,” quips Kristina Haugland, associate curator of costume and textiles at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and author of “Grace Kelly Style” and “Grace Kelly: Icon of Style to Royal Bride.”
“It’s an understated, very tasteful, typically American look that was around already, but she popularized it, made it glamorous.”
For Kelly, this brand of American elegance was practically a birthright. She was born in 1929 to a Philadelphian self-made millionaire and his wife, a German former model and teacher.
While in acting school, the blond beauty worked as a model, which helped her finetune her fashion choices. “Once [Kelly] decided what was right for her, she maintained it for the rest of her life,” says Haughland. Even after marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, Haugland notes, “She kept the look she knew and was comfortable with.” And a clotheshorse she was not.
“She made no bones about the fact that she wore her clothes a lot longer than most people did,” says Haughland. “She once said she thought of her clothes as old friends.”
Kelly’s sartorial consistency may be the foundation of her enduring status as an icon, but confidence was her crowning glory: “She wore clothes; they didn’t wear her,” says Lisa Tremper Hanover, director and CEO of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pa.
Hanover recently organized “From Philadelphia to Monaco: Grace Kelly — Beyond the Icon,” a blockbuster exhibition that attracted an unprecedented 100,000 visitors during its three-month run, which ended in January. (The museum typically draws 150,000 visitors a year.)
But will the film opening at Cannes be met with the same level of interest and acclaim? Not if the royal heirs have their say. The portrayal of Kelly’s marriage to Prince Rainier as a troubled and unhappy one is the Grimaldi family’s biggest gripe against the film, described as a character study of Kelly as a woman torn between two identities. Kelly’s son, Prince Albert, has called it a “farce,” while Harvey Weinstein, the film’s US distributor, was reportedly so dissatisfied with French director Olivier Dahan’s version that he edited his own, which may be released stateside later this year.
Coincidently or not, the Cannes debut will honor the 59th anniversary of Kelly’s first meeting with Rainier. The two were introduced in spring 1955, when the actress, while attending the Cannes Film Festival, was invited to the Palace of Monaco for a photo shoot; they wed one year later.
“Albert is very sensitive about his mother’s legacy and crafting [her] identity. He really misses her,” Hanover explains. “But it’s the movies, for heaven sakes!”
So far, the film’s beautiful wardrobe has yet to spark a controversy.
The jet-set traveler
Whether cruising the Mediterranean coast from Monaco to Cannes or crossing an ocean for a foreign affair, the well-bred movie star never faltered in the global style department.
Tailored lightweight coat, $150 at topshop.com • Elizabeth and James sunglasses, $225 at shopbop.com • Silk scarf, $375 at emiliopucci.com
The princess bride
Kelly played her biggest role — that of Monaco’s Royal Highness — with aplomb. And just a pinch of pizazz. “In her public sphere there was more flair and drama,” says Lisa Tremper Hanover. “But she was never gaudy.”
Maison Martin Margiela dress, $478 at farfetch. com • Tom Binns crystal necklace, $740 at shopbop com • Drop earrings, $173 at ben-amun.com
The lady of the house
“She dressed very girlie — shirtwaist dresses and hats,” says Hanover. Also in that realm: pussy bow blouses, the ultimate in sophisticated femininity.
Clements Ribeiro bow blouse, $499 at farfetch.com
The all-American beauty
Before she was a princess, Grace Kelly was just the pretty girl next door from Philadelphia. Like others during the era, she worked her American charms in pastel hues, pearls and sweater sets.
Iris & Ink knit sweater, $175 exclusively at theoutnet.com • Pearl studs, $22, and necklace, $48, both at julietandcompany.com