Monday, November 28, 2011

Inspirational Icon Monday: Grace Kelly

Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco is considered to be one of the most stunning women of all time. Not just by me but by all that have laid eyes on her soft but strong visage. She may have been blond and blue-eyed, but she wasn't just another all-American fresh faced beauty. Her poise and charm transcended her into an elite class of loveliness that was beyond physical attractiveness. James Stewart, her co-star in Hitchcock's 1954 film Rear Window, said, "You know, I just love Grace Kelly. Not because she was a princess, not because she was an actress, not because she was my friend, but because she was just about the nicest lady I ever met. Grace brought into my life as she brought into yours, a soft, warm light every time I saw her, and every time I saw her was a holiday of its own." She made the day brighter for those she came in contact with, and to me, that is true class.

Against her parent's wishes despite having two uncles involved in the performing arts, Kelly embarked upon a stage career at age 20. Her broadway debut came after attendance at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York in 1950 with a role in August Strindberg's The Father. After spending over a year performing on stage and in live television tapings, she was given a role opposite Gary Cooper in High Noon (1952.) Her Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Mogambo (1953), however, is what gave her movie star status. She went on to become Alfred Hitchcock's muse and star of three of his most critically acclaimed films, and the winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of a married woman torn between her drunk and suicidal actor husband and her husband's charming director who becomes her lover in The Country Girl (1955.) Although Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco and retired from acting at age 26, fans and colleagues continued to recognize both her beauty, her eye for fashion and of course her undeniable talent.



















There are modern takes on the red lace dress Grace Kelly wore in Dial M for Murder for less than $100 at stores Topshop, American Apparel and Urban Outfitters. They would make a perfect holiday dress, so I can't wait for a sale so I can snag up one of these numbers!

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