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Gloria Vanderbilt

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Original synthesis to sit alongside the encyclopedia article below. Not part of Wikipedia; verify facts on Wikipedia when precision matters.

Gloria Vanderbilt was a celebrated American socialite, fashion designer, visual artist, author, and actress, and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family. She gained widespread public recognition from a highly publicized childhood custody trial, built a diverse creative and commercial career, and was the mother of CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper.

Key moments

  • February 20, 1924Born in New York City, United States
  • 1930sSubject of a high-profile 'trial of the century' child custody battle
  • 1970sLaunched her eponymous women's designer denim fashion line
  • June 17, 2019Died in New York City at age 95

Cultural Significance

As a descendant of one of America's wealthiest industrial families, Vanderbilt was a fixture of upper-class social life for nearly a century. Her life story mirrored the shifting social norms of 20th-century America, from the rigid hierarchies of mid-century high society to the growing accessibility of luxury fashion for mainstream consumers.

Multi-disciplinary Creative Legacy

Beyond her social fame, Vanderbilt achieved success across multiple fields: she appeared in film and television, published several memoirs and works of nonfiction, created fine art displayed in galleries, and founded a fashion brand that democratized designer denim, making high-style apparel available to a wider audience.

Public Persona and Family Bond

Her long, public personal life including multiple marriages and high-profile relationships kept her in the spotlight, but her relationship with her son Anderson Cooper later became a widely admired narrative, showcasing their close, warm bond as both family and collaborators.

Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During the 1930s, she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, and her paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, each sought custody of her and control over her trust fund. Called the "trial of the century" by the press, the court proceedings were the subject of wide and sensational press coverage, due to the wealth and prominence of the involved parties and the scandalous evidence presented to support Whitney's claim that Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt was an unfit parent.[1]

In the 1970s, Vanderbilt launched a line of fashions, perfumes, and household goods bearing her name. She was particularly noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans.[2]

Early life

Vanderbilt was born on February 20, 1924, in Manhattan, New York City, the only child of railroad heir Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt of the Vanderbilt family[3][4] and his second wife, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt.[5][6] When Vanderbilt was born, her father was heard to exclaim in delight, "It is fantastic how Vanderbilt she looks! See the corners of her eyes, how they turn up?"[7] She was baptized in the Episcopal Church by Bishop Herbert Shipman as Gloria Laura Vanderbilt. After her father's death, she was confirmed and raised in the Catholic Church, to which her mother belonged.[8] From her father's first marriage to Cathleen Neilson, she had one elder half-sister, Cathleen Vanderbilt.[9]

Upon their father's death from cirrhosis, when Vanderbilt was 18 months old, she and her half-sister became heiresses to a half share each in a $5 million trust fund, equivalent to $ million in value.[10] The control of Vanderbilt's share, while she was a minor, belonged to her mother, who, for years, traveled to and from Paris, taking her daughter with her. They were accompanied by a beloved nanny—Emma Sullivan Kieslich,[11] whom young Gloria had named "Dodo"—who would play a tumultuous part in the child's life,[12] and her mother's identical twin sister, Thelma, who was the lover of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), during this time. As a result of her spending habits, her mother's use of finances was scrutinized by the child's paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. A sculptor and philanthropist, Whitney wanted custody of her niece, which resulted in a custody trial.[13][14] The trial was so scandalous that at times, the judge would make everyone leave the room, so as to listen to what young Vanderbilt had to say without anyone influencing her. Some people heard weeping and wailing from inside the courtroom. Testimony was heard depicting Vanderbilt's mother as an unfit parent, including an allegation from Marie Caillot, her discharged French maid, of an affair with the Marchioness of Milford Haven, a relative of the British royal family, which Lady Milford Haven would subsequently deny in her own testimony.[15] Vanderbilt's mother lost the battle, and Vanderbilt became the ward of her aunt Gertrude.[16]

Litigation continued, however. Vanderbilt's mother was forced to live on a drastically reduced portion of her daughter's trust, which was worth more than $4 million, at the end of 1937,[17] equivalent to $ million in value. Visitation was also closely watched, to ensure that Vanderbilt's mother did not exert any undue influence upon her daughter with her supposedly "raucous" lifestyle. Vanderbilt was raised amidst luxury at her aunt Gertrude's mansion in Old Westbury, Long Island, surrounded by cousins her age who lived in houses circling the vast estate and in New York City.[18]

The story of the trial was told in the 1980 Barbara Goldsmith book, Little Gloria... Happy at Last, and a 1982 NBC miniseries of the same name based on it,[15] which was nominated for six Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.[19] Actress Jennifer Dundas played Gloria.[20]

Vanderbilt attended the Greenvale School on Long Island; Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut; and then the Wheeler School[21][22] in Providence, Rhode Island, as well as the Art Students League in New York City, developing the artistic talent for which she would become increasingly known during her career. When Vanderbilt came of age and took control of her trust fund, she cut her mother off entirely,[23] though they later were reconciled. Her mother died in Los Angeles, in 1965.[24]

Following the death of her paternal grandmother Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt in 1934, Gloria inherited approximately $880,000.[25][26] Upon reaching her majority, the value of Gloria's inheritance fund from her father and grandmother had grown to approximately $4,717,000.[27]

Career

Theater arts

From 1954 to 1963, Vanderbilt applied herself to acting. She studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse, with teacher Sanford Meisner, and debuted in 1954, in The Swan, staged at Pocono Playhouse in Mountainhome, Pennsylvania. In 1955, she appeared on Broadway, as Elsie, in a revival of William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life. Vanderbilt also appeared in a number of live and filmed television dramas, including Playhouse 90, Studio One in Hollywood, and The Dick Powell Show. She made an appearance in a two-part episode of The Love Boat, in 1981.[28] Other TV programs on which she appeared include Person to Person, with Edward R. Murrow, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Live! with Kelly and Michael and CBS News Sunday Morning.

Fashion

Vanderbilt began her career as a fashion model when she was 15 years old, appearing in Harper's Bazaar.[29]

During the 1970s, Vanderbilt ventured into the fashion business itself, first with Glentex, licensing her name and a collection of her paintings for a line of scarves.[30] In 1976, Indian designer Mohan Murjani's Murjani Corporation proposed launching a line of designer jeans carrying Vanderbilt's signature embroidered on the back pocket, as well as her swan logo. Her jeans were more tightly fitted than other jeans of that time and were an immediate success with customers.

In 1978, Vanderbilt sold the rights to her name to the Murjani Group[31] and relaunched her own company, GV Ltd, which she had founded in 1976. With her company, she launched dresses, blouses, sheets, shoes, leather goods, liqueurs, and accessories. In the period from 1982 to 2002, L'Oreal launched eight fragrances under the brand name Gloria Vanderbilt.[32] Murjani sold rights to the name Gloria Vanderbilt to the owners of Gitano Group Inc.[33] in 1988.[34]

Jones Apparel Group acquired the rights to Gloria Vanderbilt jeans in 2002.[35][36]

Gloria Vanderbilt herself became an icon thanks to the numerous portrait shots. Among the famous photographers were Cecil Beaton, Gordon Parks, Horst P. Horst, Gianni Penat, Jeff Riedel, Paul Schutzer, Thomas Iannaccone, Ron Galella and Jack Robinson.[37]

Fraud trial

In the 1980s, Vanderbilt accused her former partners in GV Ltd. and her lawyer of fraud. After a lengthy trial (during which time the lawyer died), Vanderbilt won and was awarded nearly $1.7 million, but the money was never recovered. She was also awarded $300,000 by the New York City Bar Association. Vanderbilt also owed millions of dollars in back taxes, since the lawyer had never paid the IRS, and she was forced to sell her Southampton, New York, and Upper East Side homes.[38]

The brand's current parent company Nine West Holdings filed for bankruptcy in 2018.[39]

Fraud trial

In the 1980s, Vanderbilt accused her former partners in GV Ltd. and her lawyer of fraud. After a lengthy trial (during which time the lawyer died), Vanderbilt won and was awarded nearly $1.7 million, but the money was never recovered. She was also awarded $300,000 by the New York City Bar Association. Vanderbilt also owed millions of dollars in back taxes, since the lawyer had never paid the IRS, and she was forced to sell her Southampton, New York, and Upper East Side homes.[38]

The brand's current parent company Nine West Holdings filed for bankruptcy in 2018.[39]

Art

Vanderbilt studied art at the Art Students League of New York. She became known for her artwork, with one-woman exhibitions held of her oil paintings, watercolors, and pastels. Her first exhibition was held in 1948.[40] This artwork was adapted and licensed, starting about 1968, by Hallmark Cards and by Bloomcraft (a textile manufacturer), and Vanderbilt began designing specifically for linen, pottery, and glassware.[41]

In 2001, Vanderbilt returned to art and opened her first art exhibition, "Dream Boxes", at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester; it was a critical success. She launched another exhibition of 35 paintings at the Arts Center in 2007.[42] Two years later, Vanderbilt returned to the Arts Center as a panelist at its Annual Fall Show Exhibition, signing copies of her latest novel, Obsession: An Erotic Tale.[42]

When Vanderbilt celebrated her 90th birthday on February 20, 2014, a collection of her drawings, paintings and collages was placed on display in the 1stdibs Gallery at New York Design Center in New York City, in an exhibit called "The Left Hand Is The Dreamer".[43]

Writings

Vanderbilt wrote two books on art and home decor, four volumes of memoirs, three novels, and a singular collection of short stories, The Things We Fear Most. She was also a regular contributor to The New York Times, Vanity Fair and Elle.[44] In November 2010, Vanderbilt was the subject of a new book chronicling her life, The World of Gloria Vanderbilt,[45] written by Wendy Goodman, New York magazine's design editor. The book, published by Abrams Books, featured many previously unreleased photographs.[46]

In January 2017, HarperCollins Publishers released a book coauthored by Vanderbilt and her son Anderson Cooper, The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss. The book was described by its publisher as "{a} touching and intimate correspondence between Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, offering timeless wisdom and a revealing glimpse into their lives".[47][48]

Nothing Left Unsaid documentary

On April 9, 2016, HBO premiered Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper, a two-hour documentary produced and directed by Liz Garbus. It features a series of conversations between the mother and son, covering her life and family history in the public eye.[49]

Personal life

Marriages

In 1941, aged 17, Vanderbilt went to Hollywood, where she became the second wife of Pat DiCicco, an agent for actors and an alleged mobster.[50] They divorced in 1945 and had no children together.[51] She later alleged that DiCicco was an abusive husband who called her "Fatsy Roo" and beat her. "He would take my head and bang it against the wall," Vanderbilt said, "I had black eyes."[52]

In April 1945, within weeks of divorcing DiCicco, Vanderbilt married conductor Leopold Stokowski, who was 42 years her senior. He had three daughters by his previous marriages to Olga Samaroff, an American concert pianist, and Evangeline Love Brewster Johnson, a Johnson & Johnson heiress. She was his third and last wife.[53] The marriage ended in divorce in October 1955 and produced two sons: Leopold Stanislaus "Stan" Stokowski (born August 22, 1950), and Christopher Stokowski (born January 31, 1952).

Vanderbilt's third husband was the director Sidney Lumet. She was the second of his four wives. They were married on August 28, 1956, and divorced in August 1963. They had no children together.

Vanderbilt's fourth marriage was to author Wyatt Emory Cooper, on December 24, 1963. The marriage, which lasted 15 years, ended with his death in 1978 while he was undergoing open-heart surgery. They had two sons: Carter Vanderbilt Cooper (January 27, 1965 – July 22, 1988), who died by suicide at age 23 by jumping to his death from the family's 14th-floor apartment,[38][54][55] and Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967), a CNN news anchor.

Relationships

Vanderbilt maintained a romantic relationship with photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks for many years until his death in 2006.[56] Other relationships included Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Howard Hughes and Roald Dahl.[57][58]

Vanderbilt was very close friends with fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. While appearing as a guest on her son Anderson Cooper's television talk show, Anderson on September 19, 2011, Vanderbilt referred to comedian and actress Kathy Griffin as her "fantasy daughter".[59]

Truman Capote was speculated to have modeled the character of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's on Vanderbilt, but others say it was based on her friend Carol Grace.[60][61]

Religious beliefs

Vanderbilt was baptized into the Episcopal Church as an infant, but was raised a Roman Catholic and received the Catholic Sacrament of Confirmation. She was particularly fascinated with St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Although religious in her youth, she was not a practicing Catholic in her later years.[62]

Death and burial

Vanderbilt died at her home in Manhattan on June 17, 2019, aged 95, of stomach cancer.[63] She was interred in the Vanderbilt Family Mausoleum in Staten Island, where also are buried her son, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper and fourth husband, Wyatt Emory Cooper.

While she was rumored to be worth $200 million, upon her death Vanderbilt left her younger son, Anderson Hays Cooper, her estate, which was worth approximately $1.5 million.[64]

Works

Art and home decor

Memoirs

Novels

External links

References

  1. Gillian Brockell. 'Poor little rich girl': Gloria Vanderbilt was caught between a neglectful mother and an oppressive aunt The Washington Post, June 17, 2019^
  2. Katherine Lam. How Gloria Vanderbilt became a designer jeans pioneer, fashion industry leader Fox Business, 2019-06-17, retrieved 2023-06-13^
  3. Gloria Vanderbilt. A Mother's Story Alfred A. Knopf, 1996^
  4. Vanderbilt Dead After Hemorrhage Last Night Evening Independent, September 4, 1925, retrieved August 6, 2013^
  5. Gloria Vanderbilt. A Mother's Story Alfred A. Knopf, 1996^
  6. Reginald C. Vanderbilt and Gloria Morgan to Wed Tomorrow Providence News, March 5, 1923, retrieved August 6, 2013^
  7. Vanderbilt II, Arthur T., "Fortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt". Morrow: 1989, 340.^
  8. Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, Palma Wayne. Without Prejudice E. P. Dutton, 1936^
  9. Reginald Vanderbilt Dies Suddenly Today The Meriden Daily Journal, September 4, 1925, retrieved August 6, 2013^
  10. Gloria Vanderbilt. A Mother's Story Alfred A. Knopf, 1996^
  11. Vanderbilt II, Arthur T., 346.^
  12. Mrs. Vanderbilt's Paris Life Exposed Lewiston Daily Sun, October 2, 1934, retrieved August 13, 2010^
  13. Gloria Vanderbilt. It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir Simon & Schuster, 2004^
  14. Gloria Vanderbilt Is Ward of Court Lewiston Daily Sun, November 21, 1934, retrieved August 13, 2010^
  15. Ula Ilnytzky. Gloria Vanderbilt, heiress, jeans queen, dies at 95 San Francisco Chronicle, June 17, 2019^
  16. Little Gloria...Happy at Last Dell, 1981, retrieved August 13, 2010^
  17. Life on the American Newsfront: 1938 Comes to Thousands in Times Square and ... to Gloria Vanderbilt at the Ritz Life, January 17, 1938, retrieved November 24, 2011^
  18. Gloria Vanderbilt dead at age 95: 'What an extraordinary woman,' son Anderson Cooper says USA TODAY, retrieved June 21, 2019^
  19. Gloria Vanderbilt dead at age 95: 'What an extraordinary woman,' son Anderson Cooper says USA TODAY, retrieved June 19, 2019^
  20. John J. O'Connor. Tv Weekend; 'Little Gloria' and a New Nbc Series The New York Times, October 22, 1982, retrieved June 21, 2019^
  21. Gloria Maroni. Social Side Vanderbilt at home at Wheeler, her happy place Providence Journal, May 26, 1985, retrieved July 6, 2017^
  22. Vanderbilt Chooses Work Instead of Being Idle Rich Times Daily, October 1, 1979^
  23. Gloria Vanderbilt. It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir Simon & Schuster, 2004^
  24. Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, Socialite, Dies of Cancer Meredien Journal, February 15, 1965, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  25. https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/in-re-vanderbilt-s-884553861 1939, retrieved 4 April 2025^
  26. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Papers, Series 1: Correspondence, 1883–1942 Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, retrieved 4 April 2025^
  27. (parallel citation 1945 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1980) 21 May 1945^
  28. Julia Szabo. Inside Epiphany; All Hams On Deck The New York Times, February 25, 2001, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  29. Victoria Bekiempis, agencies. Gloria Vanderbilt, New York artist, model, heiress and socialite, dies at 95 The Guardian, June 17, 2019, retrieved June 19, 2019^
  30. Marques Harper. How Gloria Vanderbilt used her authenticity and 'great taste' to build her denim line Los Angeles Times, June 17, 2019, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  31. Murjani Group—Powering International Lifestyle Brands Murjani Group^
  32. Gloria Vanderbilt Fragrances Fragrantica^
  33. Gitano Group the Target of a Trademark Lawsuit The New York Times, December 8, 1993^
  34. The Gitano Group, Inc. encyclopedia.com^
  35. Jones to buy Gloria Vanderbilt Apparel Houston Chronicle, Hearst Communications, March 19, 2002, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  36. Company News; Johns Apparel to Acquire Gloria Vanderbilt The New York Times, March 20, 2002, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  37. Sarah Gilbert. Gloria Vanderbilt – a life in pictures the Guardian, June 17, 2019^
  38. Veronica Horwell. Gloria Vanderbilt obituary The Guardian, June 17, 2019, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  39. Nathan Bomey. Nine West files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection^
  40. Eliott C. McLaughlin. Fashion icon and artist Gloria Vanderbilt dies at 95 CNN, June 17, 2019, retrieved May 12, 2020^
  41. PHOTOS: The Reinventions Of Gloria Vanderbilt HuffPost, November 9, 2010, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  42. Denise Petski. Gloria Vanderbilt Dies: Actress, Fashion Designer, Mother Of CNN's Anderson Cooper Was 95 Deadline Hollywood, Penske Media Corporation, June 17, 2019, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  43. Gloria Vanderbilt Exhibit: The Left Hand Is The Dreamer Downtown Magazine NYC, March 2014^
  44. Gloria Vanderbilt (Author of It Seemed Important at the Time) Goodreads.com, January 3, 2013, retrieved March 7, 2013^
  45. Wendy Goodman. The World of Gloria Vanderbilt Abrams, 2010^
  46. Anushika Srivastava. Fashion Icon Of 70s, Gloria Vanderbilt Dies At The Age Of 95 SheThePeople TV, June 18, 2019, retrieved June 21, 2019^
  47. The Rainbow Comes and Goes HarperCollins US^
  48. The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss|Paperback retrieved May 27, 2021^
  49. Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper HBO.com, retrieved April 10, 2016^
  50. Gloria Vanderbilt. It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir Simon & Schuster, 2004^
  51. Gloria Vanderbilt. It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir Simon & Schuster, 2004^
  52. Adam Higginbotham. Last of the Big Spenders The Daily Telegraph, November 23, 2004, retrieved August 6, 2013^
  53. Leopold Stokowski Biography—A Brief Biography of the Eventful Career of Leopold Stokowski stokowski.org, retrieved April 23, 2017^
  54. Mrs. Vanderbilt's Son Plunges to his Death The New York Times, July 23, 1988, retrieved August 1, 2014^
  55. Susan Donaldson James. Anderson Cooper on Brother's Suicide: Grief Never Ends September 21, 2011, retrieved August 1, 2014^
  56. Jonathan VanMeter. Gloria Vanderbilt + Gordon Parks The New York Times, July 16, 2000, retrieved April 2, 2010^
  57. Katie O'Malley, Harriet Hall. Gloria Vanderbilt Death: Fashion Designer, Actor and Mother of Anderson Cooper, Aged 95 The Independent, Independent Print Limited, June 18, 2019, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  58. Jessica Sager. Gloria Vanderbilt, model, fashion designer and mother to Anderson Cooper, dead at 95 June 17, 2019, retrieved June 18, 2019^
  59. Sarah Anne Hughes. Anderson Cooper talks to mom Gloria Vanderbilt about brother's suicide (Video) Washington Post, September 20, 2011^
  60. "Big City Book Club: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'." November 29, 2011. Web. June 17, 2019.^
  61. Holly Golightly inspiration The New York Times, August 2, 1992, retrieved August 17, 2015^
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  65. Paul Harris. Socialite, 85, Shocks New York with Sex Novel The Observer, April 11, 2009, retrieved August 6, 2013^