Ever wondered what the first lady of fashion’s wardrobe looks like? Of course you have. Here, the story behind nine of Jeanne Beker’s most prized accessories and accoutrements.
1. CHRISTOPHER KANE LEATHER JACKET
“It’s a Christopher Kane jacket, and it’s just magnificent because [the embroidered flowers] were inspired by a Mexican motif. This is a classic yet makes such a wild and wonderful statement.”
2. VINTAGE MINK STOLE
“This is very nostalgic to me because this is my mom’s mink stole from the ’70s that my dad bought her. This is beautifully designed, and it’s got my mom’s initials — ‘B. Beker’ — embroidered on the inside.”
3. CHRISTIAN DIOR LEATHER BAG
“This bag arrived on the morning of my 60th birthday from the generous and talented people at the house of Dior. It’s fabulous, it’s chic and it looks great with both jeans and suits. I just absolutely love it.
4. ABEL MUÑOZ HEELS
“When I was at FQ Magazine, my associate art director was Abel Muñoz. Abel wanted to become a shoe designer, so he asked if I would write him a reference letter to [help him] get into this shoe design school in Milan. He got accepted and now designs some fantastic shoes. He did these quite recently — I just think they’re kinky and fun!”
5. ANDY WARHOL POP ART BAG BY PHILIP TREACY
“This is a fabulous bag that was given to me by Philip Treacy, the amazing Irish milliner. I just thought it was so whimsical, and the pièce de résistance is this little lipstick case inside that’s covered in fabric with the Andy Warhol candles.”
6. VINTAGE ELSA PERETTI BRACELET
“This Elsa Peretti bracelet from Tiffany's was given to me at a time when I really needed to feel empowered. I was just sort of finding myself again. I always thought of it as a Wonder Woman accessory.”
7. SILVER RING FROM PARIS
“An ex-boyfriend whom I was pretty wild about accompanied me to Paris, and while there I saw this ring. I showed it to him and he immediately bought it for me. It’s a great ring, it really makes a statement, it’s beautiful.”
8. AUNT ROSE’S BALLERINA PIN
“My beautiful Aunt Rose, who used to live in Brooklyn, gave me this when I was five. I just thought it was the most beautiful, grown-up, exotic little thing.”
9. CLASSIC BLACK & WHITE CHANEL DRESS
“In October of ’89 I was about seven months pregnant and had gone to Paris to cover couture. We got to meet Karl Lagerfeld. His assistant asked, “Would you like to borrow something from Chanel for this interview?” and took me into a room filled with samples. I saw this dress and it looked wide enough to accommodate my burgeoning belly. So I tried it on and, sure enough, it fit perfectly!”