Happy Birthday Fleur!

Fleur Cowles in 2003 at her apartment in London, wearing vintage Balenciaga.

Happy Birthday Fleur Cowles! 

Cowles would have been 104 today. She was born on January 20, 1908 in New Jersey and died June 5, 2009 in London. Cowles was a true original. She was described in a 2010 Town & Country article as being "petite, perfectly coiffed, and flamboyantly chic". She was never seen without her signature amber-tinted, oversized horn rimmed glasses and was know for dressing in bold prints and huge, antique statement jewelry.

But Cowles was best known for founding Flair magazine in 1950 in New York. Even though the magazine only lasted a year, it was a landmark publication that left an indelible mark on publishing history and is still considered by many to be one of the most innovative magazines in the history of publishing.

First issue of Flair Magazine.

Flair introduced a new form of magazine. It covered fashion, travel, art, decor, and literature - something that had never been done before.

Seven page feature in Flair by Salvador Dali that includes multiple die-cut images of his surreal imagery.

Flair's contributors included artists such as Salvador Dali, Rene Gruau, Lucien Freud, Edgar Degas, Jean Cocteau, and Saul Steinberg. It featured articles written by acclaimed writers such as W.H. Auden and Tennessee Williams. Flair also included contributions by such famous personalities as Winston Churchill and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Saul Steinberg pull-out for Flair Magazine.

Flair was a pioneer in it's day not only for it's content but also for it's innovative design such as see through die-cut covers and pop-up pictures. This was to be the magazine's downfall. While it sold well on the newsstand, it was too expensive to produce.

Fleur Cowles in the 1950s.

In 1955 Cowles moved to London with her fourth husband, British timber tycoon Tom Montague Meyer. She became a doyenne of English Society. She was known for her dinner parties and counted among her friends everyone from Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, and Salvador Dali to the Queen Mother and Winston Churchill.

Painting by Fleur Cowles from the 1960s.

Cowles went on to become a painter, author, and philanthropist among other things.

In 1975 Limoges Denby created a china pattern using Cowles paintings. The pattern was called 'Jardin de Fleurs' and featured her beautifully rendered flowers and insects. 

Cowles was truly an inspiring woman!