MARIA CAILAS: HAUTE FASHION, HAUTE DRAMA

The current Angelina Jolie starrer, 'Maria', has sparked interest in the Greek-American diva whose greatest love was the Greek tycoon Onassis, who turned out to be her greatest suffering as well.

- RICKY TOLEDO & CHITO VIJANDRE

Maria Callas was our first introduction to opera. How could you not be captivated by her Vissi d'arte, singing of love and music, the two great driving forces of her life? Usually sung like a prayer, her version is much more complex, with a range of emotions, from accusation and plangency to anger and bewilderment. It could very well describe her tumultuous life filled with more drama than anything onstage could ever approximate, making her an icon that designers and artists have drawn inspiration from for decades.

The current Angelina Jolie starrer, Maria, has sparked interest in the Greek-American diva yet again. Erdem did a theatrical reinterpretation of her Medea wardrobe in front of the British Museum's Parthenon marbles for his fall collection, together with takes on her signature '50s and '60s looks. Maria Grazia Chiuri did lots of Grecian draping for Dior's fall couture while Richard Quinn's spring 2025 pieces are full-on operatic drama. Updated diva glamour was prevalent in Dennis Lustico's show at the Goldenberg Mansion.

Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent were both fans and collaborators. Saint Laurent became a close friend, moving in the same society circles in the late '50s. She was a celebrity, appearing in the gossip pages as much as the art pages. Her famous liaison with the Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis was covered for many years, from the time she ditched her husband to be with him till the time he married Jackie Kennedy and kept seeing her thereafter.