Video: Russian émigré Lady Abdi - the style icon of Parisian fashion of the first third of the twentieth century
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
After the publication of the book "Beauty in Exile" by art critic Alexander Vasiliev, the names of many Russian models who were forced to leave their country and later gained popularity abroad were heard. Particularly interesting is fate Ii Ge (married - Lady Abdi), a native of Slavyansk. Having lived for many years in exile, she made a career as a film actress, tried herself in the theater, but her work in the fashion industry brought her real success. She was one of the most striking models of "Vogue", and Coco Chanel herself hunted for the designs of bags she developed. About the difficult, but bright path of Lady Abdi - in our review.
The real name of Lady Abdi is Iya Grigorievna Ge. She was born in 1903 (according to other sources, in 1897), her parents were actors, and her grandfather, Nikolai Nikolayevich Ge, was a recognized artist. The girl inherited her artistic talent from her relatives, from childhood she saw outstanding artists and writers in the house (in particular, Iya's father was friends with Leo Tolstoy and Ilya Repin). In her youth, she leaves Russia: first, her parents send her to study in Switzerland, later the war begins, and she can no longer return to her homeland. An attempt to come to St. Petersburg through Finland was not crowned with success: she meets a man who will soon become her first husband - Dutch businessman Gerrit Jongejans.
The relationship with her husband did not work out, Iya decided to leave him with her son and start an independent life. It was assumed that as soon as she found a job, she would immediately return for the child, but fate was not favorable to her in those years, stable earnings were not foreseen, as well as the opportunity to reunite with her child. She briefly worked as an accompanist in the cinema, but was fired, then she decided to become a fashion model. With her height, stately posture and innate beauty, it was not difficult.
She briefly worked at the Callot sisters' fashion house until she met the English baronet Robert Abdi there. Soon the couple got married, but the marriage turned out to be shaky: Robert was passionate about antiques and collecting, he paid little attention to his young wife. To resolve the contradiction, he sent her on a trip around the world. Iya returned to Paris, after 12 months, her husband was no longer there. The divorce was not painful for her: as a reward for unjustified hopes, she was left with a title that served as a pass to the high society of the French capital.
While still Abdi's wife, Oia met the famous Parisian fashion designer Paul Poiret. He became interested in the extraordinary appearance of the beauty. In the early 1920s, Abdi is looking for her own style, her pictures adorn the covers of "Vogue" magazine, she surprises the audience with bold outfits. One of the most original was constructed from balloons and completed with a sea shell-shaped hat. Abdi did not keep up with fashion, she was looking for her own image and dictating trends. Despite the craze for bangs, she wore a straight parting, in her wardrobe there was a whole collection of small hats without brims, dresses with an intriguing neckline, shawls embroidered with gold. On it, fashion designers like Molyneux and Meinbocher used to "walk" their outfits.
After finishing the divorce proceedings with Sir Abdi, Oia signs a contract with Chanel. It seemed that one could only dream of this, but the model quit exactly a year later, after seeing that in the collection of the house of Coco there were bags made according to Iya's sketches without her permission. She designed these bags for a fashion house run by Iya's mother and a companion. Of course, it was pointless to sue Coco Chanel, and Iya was forced to leave. By the time Chanel left Chanel, Iya Abdi was a well-known socialite, her salon was visited by Jean Cocteau and Princess Natalie Paley, Prince Felix Yusupov and Princess Ilyinsky …
After the 1930s, a new turn took place in the life of Eee Abdi. During the Second World War, she was accused of military espionage in favor of Italy, she was forced to move to England. There she falls under the mobilization and serves as a translator. After the war, he was involved in the repatriation of Soviet prisoners of war. To avoid further accusations, Abdi leaves for America, and from there - to Mexico, where he lives calmly and measuredly. She returned to Paris only in the 1970s. Despite her venerable age, she continued to wear her favorite red, blue and purple dresses. Abdi remained the standard of fashion until the end of her life, she passed away in 1992.
From our review "Russian fashion models of the 1920s" You will also learn about other beauties who fled the country after the October Revolution and got a job in fashion houses in Paris.
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