This Caught My Eye.

  "Garbo's Eye" Natural linen

Recently, while web surfing, I came across the page of a fabric and wallpaper company called the "Cecil Beaton Fabric Collection". I stopped short on the image of a wing chair upholstered in a simple linen fabric, printed with a mad repetition of eyes.  The name of the print is "Garbo's Eyes". Pictured against a portrait of the iconic silver screen star, the photo taken by Cecil Beaton in the 1930's.

I was immediately drawn to it's obvious quirkiness and bold design statement. That this particular textile design did not read 'creepy" surprised and delighted me. Could it be because it is a representation of the divine Garbo--her ocular allure skillfully captured by the great Cecil Beaton? Taken from one of many of his whimsical designs, "Garbo's Eye" is from a series of charming sketches he created for Zita Ascher's fashion collection in the 1940's . The licensing for the sketches were recently acquired from Ascher's heirs by the UK-based interior design company, Beaudesert, and they have created a delightful collection of inspired fabric and wallpaper designs.

Cecil Beaton may be most famous for his photographic portraits of celebrities, but he was also an award winning costume designer, interior designer and diarist.  A very close friend of Garbo and later, her lover, it's likely the sketches of her eyes were drawn from life.

www.cecilbeatonfabrics.com

Greta and Cecil in the 1940's

*Edited by Jennifer Vandemeer