HER OWN WOMAN: Without question, Marlene Dietrich’s popularity has stood the test of time. Now her transgressiveness, self-styled photo shoots, strong mindedness and unmistakable fashion sense are the subject of a Flammarion-published book, “Obsession Marlene Dietrich.”
In a Q&A with coauthor Jean-Henry Servat, Parisian gallery owner Pierre Passebon said Dietrich “invented, disseminated and popularized” the concept of wearing men’s clothes in a very feminine way.” She made a habit of wearing tuxedos and other men’s wear on screen and inadvertently became the muse for Yves Saint Laurent’s “Le Smoking” decades later. The daughter of a military man, she was partial to military uniforms and gold-braided caps, envisioning of her wardrobe in terms of uniforms rather than costumes. Passebon noted that she “never looked like she had had a fight with her outfits, unlike some other actresses.”
Notoriously private, the German-born actress and singer had a film career that spanned 60 years as well an extensive stage and cabaret one. Featuring images from Passebon’s personal collection, the compact book presents photos of the film star shot by Edward Steichen, Irving Penn, Cecil Beaton, George Hurrell and others. Dietrich is also the subject of two museum exhibitions — “Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image” at
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