Estate auction of fashion designer Oleg Cassini reveals trove personal letters from Jackie Kennedy

Estate auction of fashion designer Oleg Cassini reveals trove personal letters from Jackie Kennedy

By the time of his death in , Oleg Cassini had earned his reputation as a legendary Lothario who seduced some of the twentieth century s most celebrated women. He was engaged to Grace Kelly, married to Gene Tierney, had affairs with Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lana Turner and became famous as Jacqueline Kennedy s personal couturier during the halcyon days of Camelot.

In the -years since Cassini s passing; a battle over his $million estate, waged between his widow, Marianne Nestor and his four grandchildren has dominated his legacy with sensational headlines. It is only now, after years of protracted litigation that a settlement is near with news of a court-ordered, public sale of Cassini s estate. A cache of personal letters from Jacqueline Kennedy and Grace Kelly, mementos, photographs and fashion drawings are among the items auctioned off by Doyle – revealing the private life of an illustrious playboy and a bygone era.

Oleg Cassini was the son of an impoverished Russian count loyal to the Tsar and Italian countess who lost everything during the Bolshevik Revolution. The family was forced to rebuild their lives in Florence where Cassini s mother opened a small clothing boutique. Upon completing his education in fine art, Oleg set sail for America in with only a tuxedo, two tennis rackets, a title and talent, he wrote in his autobiography.

Oleg Cassini and Hollywood actress, Gene Tierney dine at the Stork Club in New York left and the legendary West-Hollywood nightclub Mocambo. The couple met while Cassini was working in Hollywood as a costume designer, they were married for years and had two daughters named Daria and Christina 

Their toxic marriage was marked by affairs and the tragedy of their daughter – Daria, who was born with severe mental and physical disabilities. Tierney had affairs with Tyrone Power, J.F.K and Howard Hughes; the latter of which paid for Daria s medical expenses till the day she died

Oleg Cassini sits with actress Natalie Wood on a zebra lounge chair at the exclusive New York club, El Morocco. Diane von Furstenberg told the New York Times, He was a true playboy, in the Hollywood sense

Eventually, Cassini was joined by his parents and younger brother, Igor Cassini- who himself would go on to become a powerful gossip columnist under the pen name Cholly Knickerbocker. He could make or break reputations and made national news in when he was kidnapped, tarred and feathered by members of Virginia high-society in retaliation for a less than flattering story.

The Cassini brothers defined the jet set, in fact it was Igor also known as Ghighi who originally coined the phrase. They were international playboys, elegantly dressed, and distinctly old-world in their endeavors: polo-ponies, yachting, skiing in Charmonix and exclusive dinner clubs. The common thread running through Oleg Cassini s entire life up until his death at -years-old was the women he entertained: movie stars, models, debutantes, heiresses and ingenues. 

They were like pirates with a gloss of education and culture, said gossip columnist Liz Smith who worked as Ghighi s assistant for a short time. They slept with everybody. Ghighi would walk into the office and say, ‘Last night I went to dinner at Mrs. Babe Paley’s. I had slept with every woman at the table.   

A note from Jacqueline Kennedy to Cassini in sums it up best: Casanova reminds me of you. In a interview with Newsday, Cassini said: Am I a Casanova? Sure, Casanova was a cultured man who conquered women. Women love me. I give them total devotion. We talk. We laugh. He continued, I ve had the greatest women in the world. Women loved me, but men were my enemies.  

One of these women was his first wife, Merry Madcap Fahrney, a cough-drop heiress who Cassini claimed that she only married him for his aristocratic title. Count Cassini was her fourth husband in a line of eight marriages and they divorced after only two years.

Grace Kelly wears a dress designed by her fiance, Oleg Cassini to the premiere of the film, Rear Window.  Kelly broke their engagement to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco, but years later she admitted to a journalist: Do you realize if my mother hadn t been so difficult about Oleg Cassini, I probably would have married him?

This photo taken of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and her sister, Lee Rasziwill while in Pakistan was one of the items up for auction. Cassini designed their wardrobe for the state visit and both sisters expressed their gratitude with messages on the front reading: For Oleg – Who made us the two best dressed women in Asia -Jackie and For Oleg – Au revoir Givenchy, Bonjour Cassini! – Lee

Also on the block was this letter written by Jackie before her husband John F. Kennedy was elected president. In it, she explains how difficult it will be for her to find and purchase clothes as a First Lady. She writes: Givenchy is where I have always gone – It would be SO easy if I could get everything from him but I can t and if Jack were elected I d never expose myself to that charge

This letter from Jacqueline Kennedy written on stationary from The White House was also part of the estate. In it, she thanks Cassini for a set of ties that he gave to her husband, Jack; Kennedy also congratulates Cassini on the success of his recent collection, writing: Diana Vreeland called to say how good she heard it was … Congratulations I am so proud of you. The letter finishes by her lamenting the lack of space at their rented Virginia country estate, where she writes: I can t even shelter a pony for Caroline

Cassini left New York for Hollywood in where he began a modest career in the wardrobe department for B-rated movies. Growing up, his mother always told him that – With a tennis racket and a dinner jacket, you ll be able to go anywhere in life. Indeed, it was on the tennis court where Cassini got his first career break after competing and winning a doubles match at the West Side Tennis Club. His partner happened to be the head of Paramount Pictures and coincidentally was looking to hire a new full-time designer, a job that saw him create seminal looks for all of Hollywood s silver screen sirens: Veronica Lake, Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Anita Ekberg and the glamorous th Century Fox talent – Gene Tierney. Cassini cut through Sunset Strip parties and nightclubs with his friends, John Barrymore and Errol Flynn but eventually captivated Tierney with his effortless charm.

Later in life, Cassini reminisced about old Hollywood to Newsday: Now, all the girls want to show what great actresses they are, wearing jeans and no makeup. The men then were beautiful looking, too — Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power. Today there s Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino.

The start of Cassini and Tierney s -year-long tempestuous relationship began in after they eloped to Las Vegas because her parents did not approve of the union. It wasn t long before both parties were having affairs with various people. One of Gene s was Howard Hughes; Cassini writes in his biography of how he was reduced to fisticuffs with the aviation tycoon at a party hosted by Jack Benny. Cassini s philandering pushed Tierney into the arms of other leading men of the era: Tyrone Power, Spencer Tracy, Desi Arnaz and Kirk Douglas. 

In , Tierney was pregnant with their first child, Daria, when she contracted measles in her first trimester from an eager fan while on tour with the USO in Germany. As a result, Daria was born blind with severe mental disabilities and had to be confined to an institution for the rest of her life. To the credit of Howard Hughes, he covered Daria s medical expenses until the day she died. Tierney never forgot the favor.

Cassini enjoyed retelling the anecdote of the time he enlisted political patriarch, Joe Kennedy, to help him persuade Grace Kelly into marriage. Instead of playing the part of wing man, Kennedy made a move on Kelly himself, telling her: I know this donkey. He s a pretty good boy, but you d be making a terrible mistake to marry him

Grace Kelly was absolutely besotted with Cassini even though her parents didn t approve of their relationship. In one of the four letters up for auction, she playfully wrote to Cassini: I think I d rather have a ring instead of an automobile. In another letter she chastises Cassini for being jealous of her co-star Bing Cros You have upset me so that I could die…It is incredible to me that having dinner with Lizanne and the Crosbys can make you behave like a school boy

After the divorce with Gene Tierney was final, Cassini moved back to New York where launched his own label on the reputation he built as a designer in Hollywood

In , Tierney was pregnant with their first child, Daria, when she contracted measles in her first trimester from an eager fan while on tour with the USO in Germany. As a result, Daria was born blind with severe mental disabilities and had to be confined to an institution for the rest of her life. To the credit of Howard Hughes, he covered Daria s medical expenses until the day she died. Tierney never forgot the favor.

Gene Tierney posed for a photo in while boarding an airplane with her daughter, Christina. Tierney never recovered from tragedy of Daria s health issues. She spent the rest of her life in and out of mental hospitals for bi-polar disorder, undergoing rounds of electro-shock treatment

Emotionally, it s a horror…in my many disorderly thoughts, I considered killing her- and killing myself, said Cassini to Newsday about the tragedy of his daughter s life. The event also affected Tierney, who spent bouts of time throughout the rest of her life in mental hospitals for bi-polar disorder, undergoing rounds of electro-shock treatment. The healthy birth of their second child, Christina in did little to fix the relationship.

It wasn t long after, when Tierney fell madly in love with a young John F. Kennedy who was just back from serving the war. They carried out a short-lived affair together in Palm Springs before he made it clear that his religious and political aspirations meant that he couldn t marry a divorced woman. By , Cassini s marriage to Tierney was officially over; Gene moved on to the Prince Aly Khan, whose own marriage to Rita Hayworth was deteriorating, while Oleg set his sights on Grace Kelly. 

It wasn t long after, when Tierney fell madly in love with a young John F. Kennedy who was just back from serving the war. They carried out a short-lived affair together in Palm Springs before he made it clear that his religious and political aspirations meant that he couldn t marry a divorced woman. By , Cassini s marriage to Tierney was officially over; Gene moved on to the Prince Aly Khan, whose own marriage to Rita Hayworth was deteriorating, while Oleg set his sights on Grace Kelly.

By the mid-fifties, Cassini moved back to New York where launched his own label on the reputation he built in Hollywood. Living with her father in his two-bedroom apartment on Fifth Avenue, Christina explained to Maureen Orth of Vanity Fair that it was too easy for me to witness the traffic of my dad s many girlfriends. She recalls the early days of Cassini s relationship with Grace Kelly and how one time she caught them getting ready for an evening when he noticed Kelly didn t have a bow in her ponytail. You can t go out like that said Cassini before he fastened one of his bow ties in her hair. Cassini designed a lot of Kelly s iconic looks, most notably, the mint green, satin gown she wore to accept an Oscar for her performance in The Country Girl. 

Cassini designed over silhouettes for Jacqueline Kennedy during her tenure in The White House like this orange silk dress she wore for a state visit to India. He also coordinated every aspect of her wardrobe, from shoes and hats to gloves and handbags – the First Lady called him her Secretary of Style  

 Cassini invented Jackie s look comprised of meticulously tailored suits, sheathe and A-line dresses, empire gowns, and most famously her pillbox hats, which are often mistakenly credited to Halston

Grace Kelly holds stands between Alfred Hitchcock left and her fiance Oleg Cassini right on the premiere of her film: Rear Window. By , Kelly had broken off her engagement to Cassini after she was introduced to Prince Rainier in Cannes for a photo publicity stunt organized by Paris Match. According to Vanity Fair, Cassini said, Grace told me she would rather be a princess than a countess…

Ever concerned with his image, Cassini only wanted to be seen with what he called, top top girls. Wholesome and glamorous, Grace Kelly was a top girl, so was Jacqueline Kennedy who he said had a hieroglyphic figure. However Marilyn Monroe, one of Cassini s many conquests, did not make the cut. In his book he described her as the world s most marvelous marshmallow. According to Orth, he told journalist Joe Klein, that she was just a little show pony.   

Oleg was one of the greatest ladies men who ever lived, better than Aly Khan or Porfirio Rubirosa. He could go up to any girl anywhere and have her laughing in a few minutes, said one of his contemporaries, in Vanity Fair.

Cassini met Grace Kelly at a restaurant in New York City. After sending her flowers for ten consecutive days, she agreed to go on a date with him, chaperoned by her sister. Kelly left for Los Angeles the following day and while she was gone, Cassini made sure he was spotted by gossip columnists while out with other celebrated beauties like Anita Ekberg and Pier Angeli – knowing it would certainly get back to Kelly. Shortly thereafter, the two spent an evening together in Cannes, which Cassini described as distressingly platonic in his biography. Though his persistence finally paid off and Kelly suddenly found herself very much in love with Cassini.  

Oleg was one of the greatest ladies men who ever lived, better than Aly Khan or Porfirio Rubirosa. He could go up to any girl anywhere and have her laughing in a few minutes, said one of his contemporaries, in Vanity Fair.

Cassini met Grace Kelly at a restaurant in New York City. After sending her flowers for ten consecutive days, she agreed to go on a date with him, chaperoned by her sister. Kelly left for Los Angeles the following day and while she was gone, Cassini made sure he was spotted by gossip columnists while out with other celebrated beauties like Anita Ekberg and Pier Angeli – knowing it would certainly get back to Kelly. Shortly thereafter, the two spent an evening together in Cannes, which Cassini described as distressingly platonic in his biography. Though his persistence finally paid off and Kelly suddenly found herself very much in love with Cassini.

A candid photo of Cassini with Kennedy reveals the strength of their platonic friendship that lasted well beyond the Camelot years. One of Cassini s contemporaries told Vanity Fair that He could go up to any girl anywhere and have her laughing in a few minutes. Over the years, Cassini brought a lot of joy and happiness to The White House, as both a good friend to John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline

A trove of pencil sketches from Cassini s tenure as Jacqueline Kennedy s personal couturier were also available in the public auction of his estate. In a interview Cassini said of his success:  Why am I a big designer? Because big women said I was. I am who I am because of women

A cache of letters from Grace Kelly auctioned in the Cassini estate sale uncovered the intimacies their relationship. On Hotel Bel-Air stationary, Kelly flirtatiously writes, I think I d rather have a ring instead of an automobile, before signing off the letter with I love you. Another correspondence reveals Cassini s jealousy over Kelly s co-star Bing Crosby, You have upset me so that I could die…It is incredible to me that having dinner with Lizanne and the Crosbys can make you behave like a school boy, Kelly continues, I told you he said he was in love with me – but there are many people that he feels that way about…Bing would never try to do anything about it — unless he thought I wanted it that way. Imploringly she finishes her letter to Cassini, I have very few friends here – please don t ask me to give up their friendships.

Despite John F. Kennedy s affair with Gene Tierney; an honest friendship between Cassini and the girl-chasing senator began to bloom in the late fifties. According to Vanity Fair, when Kennedy was in bed rest for his chronic back pain, Cassini had Kelly dress like a nurse and take him medicine.

Much like Tierney s parents, Kelly s wealthy Philadelphia family did not approve of her marriage to Cassini. He was a foreigner, and they didn t like foreigners. He had an accent. Third, he had a mustache, and fourth, he was a Latin lover… said socialite John Cahill, a friend of Cassini s. Kelly ultimately broke off their engagement in to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco one year later. According to Orth, Oleg told his daughter: Grace told me she would rather be a princess than a countess… Grace Kelly lamented the decision for the rest of her life, in a book written by J Randy Taraborrelli, she is quoted as saying: Do you realize if my mother hadn t been so difficult about Oleg Cassini, I probably would have married him? She added, We were in love. We were engaged to be married. That is the truth. No more, no less.   

But Cassini was about to step into his greatest role as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy s personal courtier. A letter on the auction block dated from Fall , Jackie writes to Cassini expressing her need for a new wardrobe if her husband wins the election. Nothing would delight me more than to get clothes from you – as that will be a major problem for me if Jack wins…

Hubert de Givenchy, the French fashion designer had long been Jackie s favorite but in complying with tradition for First Ladies to dress humbly, she writes: Givenchy is where I have always gone – It would be SO easy if I could get everything from him but I can t and if Jack were elected I d never expose myself to that charge. I have been trying to find American clothes I like – it s so difficult when I can t go into stores or wholesale houses. She clarifies her intention, I don t mean that I just want you to slavishly copy Givenchy for me – it s just to give you a steer on the sort of thing I like.

Cassini was accused of stealing Givenchy s designs and capitalizing on them. Of course, he was copying all the time. Jackie would tell him what to do, said Letitia Baldrige, Jackie s personal secretary to Vanity Fair in

Cassini as an older man is seen in stripes holding a polo trophy next to Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Governor Carey. Cassini s kinship with the Kennedy family went well beyond his work at The White House. He told Senator Ted Kennedy later in life: I am the samurai for your family to which he replied, You are a member of our family

Taking a more unguarded tone in a letter dated December , , Jackie pleads with Cassini: Protect me – as I seem so mercilessly exposed and don t know how to cope with it. Just one month before, on November , John F. Kennedy officially won the election. Jackie was suddenly thrust into the crucible of inaugural planning while preparing for her new role as First Lady.

Among the trove of letters, other highlights from the sale include a pencil drawing of the iconic gown he designed for the Kennedy inauguration balls – a look that Jackie had been planning for a while as she mentioned in a previous letter dated earlier that Fall, I know exactly the kind of dress I want if I go to an Inauguration Ball so that s no problem.

Count Igor Ghighi Cassini, Oleg s younger brother also known by his pen name, Cholly Knickerbocker was a powerful gossip columnist for Hearst Magazines. His former assistant Liz Smith, said: They slept with everybody. Ghighi would walk into the office and say, ‘Last night I went to dinner at Mrs. Babe Paley’s. I had slept with every woman at the table.’

Jackie was my triumph, Cassini said to Newsday in . Using the same technique and expensive fabrics as the French couture houses, Cassini created the timeless Jackie look based on simple, clean lines with sophisticated silhouettes: boxy tops with oversized buttons, meticulously tailored suits, sheathe and A-line dresses, empire gowns, and most famously her pillbox hats, which are often mistakenly credited to Halston. Kennedy officially retained Cassini as her exclusive couturier in , giving him the title as her Secretary of Style. During his tenure he created different, original pieces. In one of the personal letters up for auction she writes: I want all of mine to be original and no fat little women hopping around in the same dress.

Givenchy accused Cassini of stealing his designs and capitalizing on them. Of course, he was copying all the time. Jackie would tell him what to do, said Letitia Baldrige, Jackie s personal secretary to Vanity Fair in . She d give him the designer and have him make it in different colors and different fabrics. In the same story, Kennedy s sister said: It s unfair to Oleg for Givenchy to say that. It was really Oleg who did the majority of her clothes. I don t think he was appreciated the way he should have been.

Lot on the auction block is a photo given to Cassini of the famous sisters while they were visiting Pakistan in for a state dinner. Radziwill signed the front of the picture, For Oleg – Au revoir Givenchy, Bonjour Cassini!  

Oleg Cassini poses for a photo with his third wife Marianne Nestor who he was secretly married to for years. Nestor has  been embroiled in a -year-long battle between Cassini s four grand children over her husband s estate

Cassini s association to the Kennedy clan goes deeper than fashion. Other mementos up for auction are candid photographs of Cassini dressed in costume wearing earrings and a turban while performing a Russian Cossack dance at The White House; the President is seen laughing in the background. In other photographs, Cassini is seen teaching Jackie and Lee the twist while dining at Lee s home in London. Years later, Cassini told Senator Ted Kennedy: I am the samurai for your family to which he replied, You are a member of our family.

Frank Mori, the business prodigy behind Donna Karan said, Cassini was not the most highly respected designer but he latched onto Camelot. Jackie Kennedy made him a star. Cassini turned his sartorial success into a multi- million dollar cottage industry; becoming the first person to license his name to a whole range of items from perfumes, to sunglasses, cosmetics, bridal wear, home goods and a special edition of the AMC Matador. His brand became synonymous with his reputation as the high-society debonair man responsible for Jacqueline Kennedy s most famous looks. Despite his all-too-casual objectification of women, Cassini credits them for his success. In an interview with Newsday he said, Why am I a big designer? Because big women said I was. I am who I am because of women.

At the end of his life, Cassini split time between his exquisitely designed Gramercy Park town home, his palatial -acre property in Oyster Bay, on the Gold Coast of Long Island and his Upper East Side town home that served as a headquarter to the Cassini business. A playboy till the end, Cassini kept his third marriage to his business manager, Marianne Nestor, a secret for years. It wasn t until his death and the subsequent probate of his estate, that his daughter Christina, discovered he had been married all along. In fact, it came as a surprise to everyone, including Joe Klein, the journalist who spent countless hours with Cassini while ghostwriting his book. He told Orth, There was never any intimation of intimacy between the two. Marianne was not a top girl.

Since her husband s death in , Nestor has waged war over the right of his four grandchildren s inheritance to half his estate. The battle, which has resulted in Nestor being jailed twice for failure to comply with court orders, has been the center of scandalous headlines over the last decade. Which makes it ironic that Cassini told Newsday in : The truth is, when I die there will be a story in the newspaper, and the next day nobody s going to remember me.

Like most great American stories, Cassini s is one of classic reinvention – the story of an immigrant who arrived in the new world with only $ in his pocket that became a beloved figure in one of the country s most celebrated presidencies. Yes, I was Pinocchio. I was ugly. I was poor. My feelings of inferiority were as long as my nose, so when I came to America I invented a different me.

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