Gloria Vanderbilt: A Life of Art, Fashion, and Influence
Gloria Vanderbilt was a multifaceted talent, celebrated as an actress, writer, artist, and, most notably, a fashion designer. She became a symbol of American popular culture in the 20th century, known for her distinctive style and tumultuous personal life.
Gloria Vanderbilt first gained public attention in the 1930s as a young girl caught in a highly publicized custody battle over her multimillion-dollar trust fund. As she matured, Vanderbilt became a prominent figure in various creative industries, including theater, film, and fashion. Her designer jeans became iconic in the 1970s, cementing her status as a fashion trailblazer. Vanderbilt also authored several books, including the memoir “It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir,” and was a respected visual artist. She was the mother of renowned journalist Anderson Cooper.
Born into the affluent Vanderbilt family on February 20, 1924, in New York City, Gloria Laura Vanderbilt was the daughter of Reginald Vanderbilt, a descendant of the wealthy railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. Her mother, Gloria Morgan, was more interested in social life than parenting. Following her father’s death from liver disease, Vanderbilt was left with a significant trust fund. Her early years were spent abroad with her mother and under the care of her maternal grandmother, Laura, and a beloved nurse, Emma “Dodo” Sullivan.
At just ten years old, Vanderbilt became the focus of a sensational court case as her paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, sought custody of her. The trial, followed closely by the media, ended with Whitney being granted custody, while Vanderbilt’s mother retained visitation rights. Tragically, Vanderbilt was separated from her cherished nurse, Dodo, as part of the court’s decision.
As a teenager, Vanderbilt stepped into the spotlight as a socialite with a unique fashion sense, making her debut in Harper’s Bazaar in 1939. She moved to Hollywood, where she mingled with high-profile personalities and dated older men like Errol Flynn and Howard Hughes. At 17, she married Hollywood agent Pat DiCicco, a marriage that ended in divorce due to his abusive behavior. She then married famed conductor Leopold Stokowski, with whom she had two sons, Stanley and Christopher.
Vanderbilt explored acting, studying under Sanford Meisner and appearing in a Broadway production of William Saroyan’s “The Time of Your Life” in 1955. She also published a poetry collection, “Love Poems,” that same year. Her personal life continued to be colorful, including a brief relationship with Frank Sinatra before marrying film director Sidney Lumet in 1956. Despite her acting pursuits, Vanderbilt was more renowned for her social circle, which included friends like Truman Capote. After divorcing Lumet, she married writer Wyatt Cooper in 1963, with whom she had two more sons, Carter and Anderson.
The 1970s saw Vanderbilt revolutionize the fashion industry with her designer jeans, which featured her signature and a swan logo. These jeans became a fashion staple, and Vanderbilt expanded her brand into other clothing and fragrances. However, she faced personal tragedy when her husband, Wyatt Cooper, passed away during heart surgery in 1978. Vanderbilt later wrote about her experiences, including the suicide of her son Carter in 1988, in her memoir “A Mother’s Story.”
Despite financial difficulties in the 1990s, which led to the loss of much of her fortune, Vanderbilt continued her creative endeavors. She wrote more books, including “It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir” in 2004, and explored fiction with the erotic novella “Obsession” in 2009. Her visual art, particularly her work with collage and surreal multidimensional boxes, gained recognition and was showcased in exhibitions at the New York Design Center.
Vanderbilt had a close relationship with her son, Anderson Cooper. The pair collaborated on the HBO documentary “Nothing Left Unsaid,” released in 2016, which chronicled their lives and bond. They also co-authored the memoir “The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Loss, and Love.”
Gloria Vanderbilt passed away on June 17, 2019, in her New York City home. At 95, she was remembered by her son Cooper as a vibrant and modern woman who lived life on her own terms. Her legacy as a fashion icon, author, and artist endures, along with the indelible mark she left on American culture.
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