Gloria Vanderbilt – Gone but Never Forgotten
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
The world is mourning the loss of yet another legendary designer and creative artist. The lovely and timeless Gloria Vanderbilt passed away on Monday, June 17th, 2019, living a long and prosperous life for 95 years. She came on to the fashion scene in the 1970’s, introducing us to form-fitting jeans with her signature on the back pocket and earning her the title of ‘Duchess of Denim.’ At the age of 93, after creating her own Instagram account to keep up with the times, Vanderbilt could boast that her followers always remained loyal, having upwards of 221,000 following her account.
American journalist Anderson Cooper paid a most touching tribute to his mom upon her passing, giving us a brief glimpse into the woman who has forever been surrounded by mystery. The tenacious bond shared by mother and son was clenched with such a passion and admiration that it truly grips at the heart. His statement says it all, “Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms. She was a painter, a writer, and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife and friend. She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they would tell you: She was the youngest person they knew – the coolest and most modern.”
Gloria Vanderbilt’s childhood was tumultuous, born to railroad heir, Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt and young socialite, Gloria Morgan. When Reginald passed away at the age of 45 due to cirrhosis, Gloria’s mother’s parenting skills came under scrutiny and what ensued became known as the ‘Custody Battle of the Century’, taking place in 1934. Custody of little Gloria was granted to her aunt Gertrude after the trial came to an end. The media seemed to always be in toe from that point forward. Sadness permeated Gloria’s life. She searched for her identity and looking back at her life in her final years, she felt that her past always remained a big part of her future. Gloria started her college years in acting but only had a fascination with it for a short time. At a very early age she began modeling but then turned her skills into designing which became one of her many successes. Her fashion empire brought immense wealth and satisfaction at that time, however, the interest faded, and in 2002, the Gloria Vanderbilt Apparel Corporation was sold to the Jones Apparel Group for $100 million. Having an unmistakable talent, Vanderbilt ventured into art which she continued to take pleasure in all the way into her 90’s, commenting more than once that her artwork was an expression of who she was. She also became a writer, completing two books on art and home decor, four volumes of memoirs, three novels, some poetry and regularly contributing to the New York Times, Vanity Fair and Elle. A book was also written about her life. On April 9, 2016, HBO premiered Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper, a two-hour documentary, produced and directed by Liz Garbus, which features a series of conversations between the mother and son, covering Gloria’s storied life in detail and family history in the public eye.
Gloria’s personality was shaped by a series of ups and downs in life. She was always portrayed with an elegance and intrigue but beneath the surface was a girl who just wanted to share a forever love with her birth mother. She was married four times and was divorced three. Her first husband, Pat DiCicco was abusive, her second husband, Leopold Stokowski, was 42 years her senior. The fourth husband, Wyatt Cooper, was the charm, always known as the real love of her life, the husband that really understood her and promoted a happiness beyond compare. Unfortunately, he passed away at the age of 50 from a heart attack. Gloria had four sons. Stan and Christopher were fathered by Leopold and to this day they both remain out of the spotlight. Anderson and Carter were fathered by Wyatt. Anderson is one of the most famous television journalists of all time. Carter was successful and talented as well but seemed to lead a more troubling life. At 23 years of age, he committed suicide by jumping off the terrace of his mom’s Manhattan penthouse, breaking her heart and creating a deep sense of sorrow for both her and his brother, Anderson, an unrelenting loss that will always remain with him. In a number of her memoirs, Gloria documented her feelings surrounding that incident and the mark that it would leave on her inner conscious forever.
As her life went on, Gloria’s financial freedom ironically held her captive at times. In her 50’s, a failed partnership with her lawyer and a psychiatrist led to a lawsuit that she filed alleging that they swindled her out of a large sum of money. While she won close to $1.5 million, she was never able to collect on it and was forced to downsize her residence. She was also slapped with a lien for federal back taxes estimated to be around $2.7 million.
An abiding sense of resilience carried her into later years and continuing her career as an artist brought the greatest amount of joy. As she grew older, Gloria continued to do what she loved and always brought a rise out of those who knew her best. Anderson Cooper has always put his mother at the center of his universe. He was at her side in her final hours, just weeks after learning that she had a form of stomach cancer. Now, he remembers all the beauty and grace that she brought to his life and the life of others, even as she was battling the demons of her youth. They laughed together and enjoyed looking back at her adventurous life each time they were together. Someday they will once again be reunited, but for now, Anderson has the amazing memories to cherish. We will continue to keep Gloria Vanderbilt in our hearts as well, recounting her life in pictures and in her writings.
Photo Credit: Jim Spellman/Getty Images, Bettman Archive/Getty Images, Evelyn Floret, The LIFE Images Collection, Getty
