RIP Anna Piaggi: Queen of Eclecticism

© David Downton, 2000

This morning in Milan, fashion icon, writer and front row fixture passed away at the age of 81.  The fashion world gained another angel and the physical world has lost it's Queen of Eclecticism. 

Not very often are we as a society blessed with an individual that TRULY defies trends and dresses in a truly authentic way. A genuine reflection of their inner self which defies all "rules" and traditional taste. 

Anna Piaggi has been a fashion fixture since the 1970's. She started working for an Italian publishing company (Mondadori) and then onto Vogue Italia. She was known there for her D.P's - doppie pagine, Her Double Page Spreads in Italian VOGUE where she was given creative free reign and released her inner stylist and creative fierceness. She has been a stylist, muse, editor, writer, collector, style icon and front row regular.

She was a friend and muse to Karl Lagerfeld since the 1970's and Manolo Blahnik. He has been quoted as saying she is "modern beyond belief." and created many of the shoes she wore.  

She was also the muse of British milliner Stephen Jones and she had a life long love for unique hats and head pieces.

She was a fashion and accessories collector and constantly mixed Vintage and contemporary, textures and prints.  She loved a fabulous hat and will be remembered for her iconic blue hair that she had up until her death today. She was honored with an exhibition in called "Fashion-ology" at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (2006)

It featured: 265 pairs of shoes, 29 fans, 932 hats, 2,865 dresses, 24 aprons and 31 feather boas.

FUN FACT: She used a RED 1969 Olivetti typewriter daily.

Her style was the definition of eclectic. She mixed prints and  piled on the accessories: Hats, Gloves, Decorative Cains, Purses, Fans, Jewels and Scarves. She mixed old with new, the avant guard with the conservative, and pushed the fashion envelope right off the table. Although some could call her aesthetic silly or costume, I think it is unique, bold and fabulous!   

Anna's life was a vivid textured illustration and lesson to all of us that style knows no bounds except the ones we impose on ourselves. 

Anna and the original supermodels. All wearing Gianni Versace. 1990's

One of MY Living Style Icons Dita Von Teese Sum's it up via her Twitter.