This content is provided by Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens.
This year, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens celebrates the legendary life of Grace Kelly, a leading American actor and a style icon known for her understated glamour, who left Hollywood and became Princess Grace of Monaco, and her dedicated relationship with haute couturier Christian Dior in the special exhibition Grace of Monaco: Princess in Dior, on view through January 8, 2023.
Presented in North America for the first time, the exhibition offers insights into the life of an icon, whose image was created in response to Hollywood’s wish for glamour and the desire for elegance in her stately duties. Like Kelly, Hillwood founder Marjorie Merriweather Post was a tastemaker who carefully cultivated her image, choosing smart, elegant pieces, and treating her apparel as she did her collections, as a connoisseur. As Hillwood interprets 20th-century fashion through Post’s own collection of jewelry, accessories, and apparel, it is fitting to expand this narrative through showcasing Kelly’s place in the world of 20th-century haute couture.
Christmas trees on display
The elegance and opulence of Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, permeates the holiday décor that adorns the entire estate. As the exhibition celebrates Kelly’s renowned style and dedicated relationship with the House of Dior, so too do the Christmas trees, each inspired by a particular piece on view.
The mansion entry hall bursts into colorful bloom, with a tree inspired by two of Kelly’s iconic dresses: an ivory silk georgette dress, embroidered with multicolored pearls and sequins in a floral design, which she wore to events in 1971 and 1973; and a red silk crepe cocktail dress from 1966 that features a bow detail on the shoulder. The tree abounds with dark pink and red flowers along with diamond and red bows, as seen in the garments, combining the two into one fabulous tree. Red ball ornaments enhance the over-the-top tree, adding a bit of holiday cheer.
Vibrant pinks and glittering diamonds decorate the French drawing room, with a tree that takes its cue from a polka dot tulle evening dress Kelly wore to the Mycca Gala in 1970 and the Cannes Film Festival in 1972. The two-tone gown comes to life through light and dark pink orbs and diamond ornaments, and is topped with a large pink bow, drawn from the waist of the piece itself.
Grace Kelly appreciated an interesting and intricate neckline, as evidenced by the brown chiffon pleated dress with the attached pearl necklace and crystal pendants that inspires the large tree in the dining room. Gold brightens the space through both matte and shiny round ornaments, complemented by dangling crystals to mimic the decorative collar of the dress.
An elegant tree, inspired by the sky blue evening dress and tunic outfit from 1970, enhances the pavilion. Fabulous fringe, as seen on the outfit, dominates the tree, with silver and blue complementing the room built for after-dinner entertainment. Vintage glass balls add shape and movement to the tree.
In the visitor center, guest designer Quintece Hill-Mattauszek created a tree titled “Moments in Time,” to serve as a celebration of Hillwood founder Marjorie Merriweather Post. Appearing like a giant collector’s item, featuring gold, pink, and turquoise, it appears as a tree within a tree, with a metal frame featuring important moments from Post’s life, like a storybook.
