Guinness stout is not for the drinking sissies. It's a toughie of a drink, much loved by Brits. Daphne Guinness who shares the same name seems to have similarly tough dress sensibilities. Tough in the sense that she doesn't seem to be a slave to trends and there'a always a theatrical flair to the way she dresses. Invariably this Australian fashion journalist/London party socialite seems to always end up on best-dressed, most invited blah blah society lists. However, in the sea of society party pictures, her outfits always jump out at me not because they're particularly crazy/outrageous but because she wears things that combines modern, historial, edgy and classic all at the same time. A tough combo to crack.
**EDIT in April 2008** This post really is quite old and crusty and at the time, Daphne Guinness didn't even have a Wikipedia entry and Googling her name was quite a hardship, yielding nothing. I DID suspect she was the descendant of the Guinness family and granddaughter of infamous beauty Diana Mitford but alas those deets did not come up at the time of posting so apoliges for the misinformation. She isn't an Australian journalist but a British aristocrat.
Its like Bjork exploded all over her. I like the casualness of her layering.
Posted by: Eli | 04 November 2006 at 22:23
When we talk about well-dressed, susie you had this AMAZING picture of this really simple dressed girl in a white shirt and skinny jeans.. you were going on about the simplicity of the outfit and how you find it hard to keep it simple, i have been looking through your archives and can't find it. :( :(
I think you took it from facehunter or something...
I would love it if you could post a link, thanks sus. I love your blog!
Xx
Katie
Posted by: Katie | 05 November 2006 at 00:29
Love how her style is dramatic and yet just wearable enough to not look like she's going to a fancy dress.
Having said that, there is something about her that reminds me of that evil lady in 101 Dalmations!
Posted by: Puddle jumper | 05 November 2006 at 01:32
She looks like the kind of a person whom, at a party or a restaurant etc etc, you would just stare at in admiration. At least I would.
Posted by: Madelene | 05 November 2006 at 10:12
What a georgous girl !
very smart and fashion way dressing!
i don't know she until now.
Why the magazines never edit these style girl ?
Posted by: iphy | 05 November 2006 at 13:22
You cant realy caterogrise her style its just her. Most of it works but sometimes looks a little over the top. Nothing wrong with that but as puddle jumper said would draw plenty of glances.
Posted by: Ed | 05 November 2006 at 16:46
haha... I thought you were putting up pictures of her dressed LIKE GUINESS at first there :D:D without reading it.
Black lower half and white top bits :D! It actually worked quite well for a lot of these :)!
Never seen her before...she has a nice style.
Posted by: maskedmannequin | 05 November 2006 at 18:56
I simply AH-dore your blog! Amazing selection! love love!
Posted by: Jenna | 05 November 2006 at 20:35
Hi,
Sorry this has nothing to do with this post, but I was just wondering if you have been watching The House of Chanel on BBC4. Its about the creation of the Fall/Winter 2004-2005 Chanel couture collection made by a French reality show or something. Anyways just in case you are interested its on everyday this week at 8pm or 8.30pm.
Elspeth xxx
Posted by: Elspeth | 05 November 2006 at 20:38
Hello my name is Holly, I´ve a fashion blog in spain language.I would like that you ad me to your links and I want to say you that I´ve ad you to mi links´ list... I hope your visit to my blog..Cool kisses!
Posted by: Holly | 05 November 2006 at 21:15
great call. She is very stylish indeed. I like simplicity of her palette and the originality and detail in her choices.
Posted by: ruth singer | 05 November 2006 at 22:20
best eyebrows since Dietrich!
Posted by: carpedog | 09 July 2007 at 21:22
Are you folks all mad? What are you ON? Most of this is HIDEOUS. Some of it works, but I generally thought -- wow, this woman has money, why isn't she hiring a stylist to dress her in things fashionable and crazy instead of just plain batsh*t crazy?
Posted by: Lucy | 09 July 2007 at 22:46
She looks quite terrible and totally insane! Especially in that kinky "Fifi the French Maid in a bad British Farce" outfit (bottom row second from the right). She'd look a whole lot better with about 20 pounds more weight on her body too. But then what do I know? I wouldn't dress like this if anyone paid me, which just goes to show that I obviously have NO fashion sense whatsoever!
Posted by: Mnemo | 10 July 2007 at 00:27
She'd look better if she ate a little something. Right now she looks like a hanger with a giant head.
Posted by: lynn | 10 July 2007 at 01:06
She looks like a 50-something with her face pulled too tight. How old is she anyway?
Posted by: Lee | 10 July 2007 at 01:36
What on earth? Well dressed? Nah.The only outfit I like is the Number 5, she looks kinda 20s Marlene Dietrich to me with that Chinesy flared arms jacket. I do like that... wouldn't mind owning one, though I wouldn't dress all in black like she does.
That said, I think older women look better a bit rounder, she just looks sinewy and Skeletorlike, she should look like a grandma!
Posted by: Anna | 11 August 2007 at 16:23
I was reading all the nice, sweet comments and kept thinking, "OH MY GOD This is classic example of THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES"! This woman looks about 60 and like she's been around the block a few hundred times. Kudos to the poster who spotted Cruella Deville lurking behind those layers of clothes and makeup.
Posted by: Erika | 27 August 2007 at 17:59
Posted by: | 28 August 2007 at 06:38
of fresh air from the pathetic crP GOING
i VERY MUCH ENJOYED HER OPEN VIEW POINTS. i BELIEVE HER TO BE INCTREDIBLY STRONG IN THIS LIFE TO LEAD THE PATH SHE HAS CHOSEN. i ADEMIRE NOT ONLY HER FASHION GENIUS,BUT "HUTZBAH"
ON. gODND bLESS HER STYLE A
Posted by: Jennifer Richardswon | 15 November 2007 at 02:38
Posted by: Jennifer Richardswon | 15 November 2007 at 02:41
"Incredibly strong"?? "Path she has chosen"?? You'd think we were reading about a victim of some cataclysmic disaster, not some fashion victim with nothing but time and money on her hands to indulge her ego. Good Lord she looks like a ventriloquist's puppet!!
Posted by: Leigh | 06 December 2007 at 14:44
she is not Australian. She is Irish! She is the daughter of Baron Jonathan Guinness! She is(was) the aunt of Stavros Niarchos!
Posted by: flashy | 20 December 2007 at 08:10
Flashy: I have been meaning to amend this VERY VERY old post for a while.... you are completely write...she is the great granddaughter of Diana Mitford Guinness (the great Mitford beauty)...which is what I suspected when I first posted about her because of the last name. At the time, Daphne Guinness hadn't been getting as much press as she does now so on Google, it sourced her as an Australian journalist - perhaps that is a different Diana Guinness.
Posted by: susie_bubble | 20 December 2007 at 09:18
I thought for a moment that people were a little open-minded to someones personal style, until a reached the last few comments. If you really think she is THAT fashionably inept, then why is she a haute couture club member a deemed the most fashionable woman on earth at the time by karl lagerfeld? Really? and It's not the money. It's what influenced her and how she was raised.
Posted by: Sinead Mullinax | 14 May 2008 at 18:29
I was an admirer of daphne guinness, but more and more I feel her eccentricity is a concoction. next to amanda harlech and isabella blow, she just doesn't hold up well. you get the feeling she isn't comfortable in what she's wearing, that it isn't really a way of life for her - which is what style is all about. it feels too laboured for me.
maybe she'll astonish me. who knows. I do feel her patronage of boudicca is wonderful. and haute couture should be for life, not just for christmas.
love,
Alex.
Posted by: Alexander | 22 June 2008 at 14:45