Grace Kelly: Don’t brand me

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Unlike Fergie, Sarah Jessica Parker and other celebrities determined to ‘brand’ their image and endorse galore, Grace Kelly abhorred the thought of bottling her signature look for the masses. In the new book, ‘Grace Kelly: A Life in Pictures,’ the elegant beauty is quoted as saying: ‘The publicity created around my brand image, made exemplary above others, sometimes annoyed me enormously. It’s tiresome to be always cited as an example.’

Clearly, the notion of cashing in on celebrity was not Kelly’s aim. (Okay, she was a princess and didn’t need to augment her bank account.) But still, she also -- perhaps unconsciously -- encouraged women to seek out their own style in her reluctance to be a sartorial role model.

This month, expect a spate of new books to commemorate the premature death of the icon on Sept. 13, 1982, including never-before-seen photos in ‘Remembering Grace,’ which is published by Life magazine and available on newsstands. The paper doll book isn’t new, but I included it just because it’s fun, darling.