The Art of Dressing Up
Amy Fine Collins: The International Best Dressed List
The International Best Dressed List was started, in 1940, by Eleanor Lambert. She was an American fashion publicist who was often referred to as the “Godmother of Fashion.” Her IBDL is more than a record of stylish women and men. It is also a documentation of the times in which we live. Lambert spearheaded the list until 2002. A year later, she died at the age of 100. “She (Eleanor) was always looking for the next and the new, but at the same time had a great respect for tradition,” Amy Fine Collins, Vanity Fair special correspondent and IBDL hall-of-famer, told Provokr.
Collins’ recently released book, The International Best Dressed List: The Official Story (Rizzoli), takes an in-depth look at its history. “The List has evolved into something larger and more powerful than Eleanor even imagined…her voters grew from a small pool of fashion insiders to a group of 2000-3000 and the IBDL became recognized as the permanent record of style excellence,” said Collins.
The voluminous book chronicles each era, beginning with the 1940’s when women voted to the List were better known for their marriages than for personal achievements. The 50’s introduced younger glamour with the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Britain’s Princess Margaret. The 1960’s chapter, “Beautiful People and Elegant Rebels”, put entertainer Diahann Carroll on the list, along with Barbra Streisand, Cary Grant and British supermodel, Twiggy. The 60’s era also showcased style icon Jacqueline Kennedy, during and after the Camelot years. During the 70’s, the recession, the hostage and energy crises impacted voters and individuals from television and pop culture made the List. This was followed by the prosperous 80’s, the 90’s “geek” and “grunge” cultures and the 2000’s when it reflected the effects of the internet, social media and fusion of the entertainment and fashion industries.
The criteria for making the best dressed list is not about the amount of money spent on clothes. “We’ve all seen how over-consumption can lead to fashion victimhood. It’s about an attitude, the ease with which you wear your clothes, being comfortable in your own skin as well as with what you wear. It is about self-definition and self-expression,” explained Collins. No wonder Lebron James made the list in 2018. His look and style have confidence and “panache.” At game two of the NBA finals, LeBron arrived wearing Thom Browne, “LeBron, with his basketball player’s frame, shows that it’s all about the dash and daring-and yes, stature. He’s highly visible and in a position to influence fashion and culture,” said Collins.
Prior to her death, Lambert officially bequeathed the List to Collins and three others; Graydon Carter former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and current editor of Air Mail, Reinaldo Herrera, businessman and husband of Carolina Herrera and former Vanity Fair Deputy Editor Aimee Bell.
Collins said she and committee members have been “buttered up” by individuals who aspire to be on the List. She revealed “no cash bribes have ever been offered to me, though that happened in Eleanor’s day. She was offered kickbacks, too.” The List has been known to stir up controversy, too. In 2017, Breitbart, the conservative news outlet voiced its disdain for the List when First Lady Melania Trump was snubbed. Collins shared “It is always a surprise to see how much people care about the List…and the passion with which people argue about the IBDL results. The First Lady never received enough votes in our Poll to qualify for inclusion.”
Collins’ book chronicles six decades of fashion. It shows us that style and fashion are measured to parallel changes in our society and culture. To conclude this decade, the 2019 List was revealed on Air Mail news. It includes entrepreneurs, actors, athletes and, of course, the who’s who in fashion.
