Vanderbilt Perfume

Gloria Laura Vanderbilt was born in 1924, in New York, the only child of railroad heir Reginald Vanderbilt, and his second wife, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt. Reginald was a descendent of shipping Baron Cornelius Vanderbilt, hugely wealthy and an alcoholic playboy and died before Gloria was two. Vanderbilt’s mother was very young herself, and was unprepared for raising a child. She adored the high life, living in Paris, Monte Carlo, Biarritz and London, dragging her young daughter around with her. They were accompanied by her mother’s twin sister Thelma, who was the mistress of the Prince of Wales, and Gloria’s nanny, Emma Keislich, whom she called Dodo.

Vanderbilt’s grandmother, Laura Kilpatrick Morgan disapproved of this lifestyle, and along with Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (Gloria’s aunt), plotted to have custody of little Gloria. A scandalous trial followed, during which Vanderbilt’s mother was publicly disgraced as an unfit mother, and custody was given to Gertrude. Gloria’s mother was forced to live on a vastly reduced portion of her daughter’s inheritance, and visits with her daughter were closely monitored for signs of corrupting the child with her raucous lifestyle. Thus, Gloria Vanderbilt was raised as a lady at her aunt’s mansion along with cousins her own age and went to the best schools.

In 1941, at the age of seventeen, Vanderbilt went to visit her mother in Hollywood. Here she dated rich and famous men, including billionaire Howard Hughes. To avoid having to move back to her aunt’s or stay with her mother, she decided to marry Pasquale De Cicco, a Hollywood agent. The marriage was, however unhappy and they divorced 1945.

Vanderbilt went on to marry Leopold Stokowski, a conductor and ladies man who had once been involved with Greta Garbo, and the couple had 2 sons. After 5 years of marriage, Vanderbilt entered therapy at which she was encouraged to find ways to express herself. She rented a studio where she began to paint and write poetry, and took acting lessons, even performing professionally making her television debut in Noel Coward’s “Tonight at 8.30”. She and Stokowski divorced after 10 years, and a custody battle for the boys ensued. Vanderbilt won, and went on to marry Sidney Lumet, a television director. This marriage lasted 7 years, and only months after their divorce, Vanderbilt married her fourth husband, Mississippi writer Wyatt Cooper. Cooper encouraged his wife in her art, and she studied at the Art Student’s League in New York even holding one woman shows of her oil paintings. The marriage lasted 14 years, until Cooper died in 1978 during heart surgery. The couple had 2 sons, Carter and Anderson, and in 1988, tragedy struck Vanderbilt once again. Carter committed suicide by jumping from the 14th floor of the family’s apartment, as his mother looked on, horrified and helpless. Vanderbilt always maintained that this tragedy was triggered by a psychotic episode induced by Carter’s asthma medication. Vanderbilt went on to write about this event in her book, “A Mother’s Story”, to critical acclaim. Many friends believe that the writing of this book helped Vanderbilt to heal, and move on.

Vanderbilt began her career as a designer in 1971, when the Hallmark Company saw her drawings in a gallery. These were used in a line of paper goods. Vanderbilt also produced a line of scarves based on her paintings, and was soon designing specifically for linens, glassware, china and flatware. During the 1970’s, she licensed the use of her name on a line of fashion glasses, and later in 1979 launched a line of designer jeans with her name embossed on the back pocket. On 1980 she earned $10 million, and her name was seen on other products, such as perfume, sheets, leather goods and accessories. Vanderbilt appeared in a series of adverts promoting her products, and her famous swan logo began to appear on perfume and dresses.

Vanderbilt has had a life full of heartbreak and adversity, but is famous for struggling on and continuing to smile. She considers herself a role model for others suffering grief and loss. Currently, Vanderbilt lives with her son Anderson in New York.

Vanderbilt Perfume

Vanderbilt perfume