I loved looking at Maria's gorgeous outfits, and as usual, wonder what colour many of them were? She was a fan of black, clearly, but also liked a bold large floral. That burgundy floral and the black floral dress are both so elegant.
I enjoyed the comments below regarding taste - and agree, that the constant search for the perfect aesthetic is akin to the development of taste...but without doing all the work of diving into design history, appreciating how things are made and crafted, and then seeing it all as a whole, and also as part of the fabric of life. I like to think I have good taste (don't we all!).
Another excellent article, Martin. I always look forward to yours.
I don't know if you've seen it or not, but there's a great documentary called Maria by Callas from a few years ago and it has some gorgeous color footage of her I've never seen elsewhere. I definitely recommend in general, but particularly if you'd like more glimpses of her/her wardrobe in color!
Taste is such a fascinating topic. For me, I'm usually most interested in whether or not people have it to begin with, good or bad. I guess I agree with Vreeland in that sense that even bad taste is better than no taste. I think what makes taste so great and important is its specificity, and I wish we as a culture celebrated that more. Good fodder for a future newsletter! 🤍
god the shot of her on the phone in that black midi dress. I love it. Also love this paragraph: "No one talks about taste anymore, what it means, its power or its value. Maria Callas had it in spades. For her, it was sword and shield, a way to pour out into the world and sequester herself away from it when its demands became too much"
THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT TASTE ANYMORE. it's the hollow at the heart of so many conversations about aesthetics and fashion these days online. i think frequently about "quiet luxury", "stealth wealth" and how boring it is to reduce luxury (and the craft inherent in luxury, that is what draws me to it) to looking moneyed; similarly i know other commenters and creators on the internet have flagged that being drawn to "eclectic grandpa" is a desire for a life that has been lived and how simply looking like "eclectic grandpa" is valueless and will never capture the essence. i don't really blame the influencers though, i think so much of it is informed by the mediums through which we're creating these messages.
how can you talk about developing taste in an algorithmic world? i think taste is developed by a certain cultural literacy which is particularly hard to develop in this fracturing of media (and also of course, thinking about whose standards define taste? etc) and the cannibalization of culture by private equity companies.
(apologies for these scattered thoughts, thank you for pulling them out of me on this gloomy tuesday!)
I love your scattered thoughts! I too love the midi dress (and the boots!). So refined and elegant.
When it comes to taste, I so agree. I think what makes it difficult for people to grasp is that it's something each of us must cultivate, which is not the same as latching onto wayward social media trends and stringing the together. Sadly, I think most of luxury isn't particularly artisanal, tasteful or meaningful anymore, and I believe what we're seeing out in the world is very much a reflection of that. Cultural literacy is so important, as you say, and my hope is that people become more curious and question where things come from. Maybe taste is a subject for a future newsletter.
i agree re your point about what makes taste difficult to cultivate for people right now and would love to hear what some of the minimalist greats you've highlighted have said about it, and what you think in particular!
it's something i am actually thinking a lot about in my current field (psychotherapy and counselling). across so many psychotherapeutic modalities, the idea of health really is the clear sense of internal self, and the ability to hold on to that in the face of change/problems/stressors.
taste seems like a frivolous thing but it essentially amounts to having a point of view - and a point of view has to be rooted both in the ability to integrate and synthesize multiple versions of reality (in the things we read, write, look at, buy; as well as the people we interact with), as well as a sense of self (and the discernment that requires).
Thank you! And yes, indeed. Her parents immigrated to NYC from Greece, and Maria was born and grew up in the city until she was 13 when she moved back to Greece with her mother and sister.
Her style fully inhabited the woman she was, it was genuine unlike today where the stamp of a stylist is all over celebrities. But she was much more than a celebrity, she was a true artist. Thank you for an uplifting story about true artistry and innate glamor.
I loved looking at Maria's gorgeous outfits, and as usual, wonder what colour many of them were? She was a fan of black, clearly, but also liked a bold large floral. That burgundy floral and the black floral dress are both so elegant.
I enjoyed the comments below regarding taste - and agree, that the constant search for the perfect aesthetic is akin to the development of taste...but without doing all the work of diving into design history, appreciating how things are made and crafted, and then seeing it all as a whole, and also as part of the fabric of life. I like to think I have good taste (don't we all!).
Another excellent article, Martin. I always look forward to yours.
I don't know if you've seen it or not, but there's a great documentary called Maria by Callas from a few years ago and it has some gorgeous color footage of her I've never seen elsewhere. I definitely recommend in general, but particularly if you'd like more glimpses of her/her wardrobe in color!
Taste is such a fascinating topic. For me, I'm usually most interested in whether or not people have it to begin with, good or bad. I guess I agree with Vreeland in that sense that even bad taste is better than no taste. I think what makes taste so great and important is its specificity, and I wish we as a culture celebrated that more. Good fodder for a future newsletter! 🤍
Yes, good fodder- taste vs trends? Thank you for the documentary recommendation, Martin, I’ll look for it. 💕
god the shot of her on the phone in that black midi dress. I love it. Also love this paragraph: "No one talks about taste anymore, what it means, its power or its value. Maria Callas had it in spades. For her, it was sword and shield, a way to pour out into the world and sequester herself away from it when its demands became too much"
THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT TASTE ANYMORE. it's the hollow at the heart of so many conversations about aesthetics and fashion these days online. i think frequently about "quiet luxury", "stealth wealth" and how boring it is to reduce luxury (and the craft inherent in luxury, that is what draws me to it) to looking moneyed; similarly i know other commenters and creators on the internet have flagged that being drawn to "eclectic grandpa" is a desire for a life that has been lived and how simply looking like "eclectic grandpa" is valueless and will never capture the essence. i don't really blame the influencers though, i think so much of it is informed by the mediums through which we're creating these messages.
how can you talk about developing taste in an algorithmic world? i think taste is developed by a certain cultural literacy which is particularly hard to develop in this fracturing of media (and also of course, thinking about whose standards define taste? etc) and the cannibalization of culture by private equity companies.
(apologies for these scattered thoughts, thank you for pulling them out of me on this gloomy tuesday!)
I love your scattered thoughts! I too love the midi dress (and the boots!). So refined and elegant.
When it comes to taste, I so agree. I think what makes it difficult for people to grasp is that it's something each of us must cultivate, which is not the same as latching onto wayward social media trends and stringing the together. Sadly, I think most of luxury isn't particularly artisanal, tasteful or meaningful anymore, and I believe what we're seeing out in the world is very much a reflection of that. Cultural literacy is so important, as you say, and my hope is that people become more curious and question where things come from. Maybe taste is a subject for a future newsletter.
i agree re your point about what makes taste difficult to cultivate for people right now and would love to hear what some of the minimalist greats you've highlighted have said about it, and what you think in particular!
it's something i am actually thinking a lot about in my current field (psychotherapy and counselling). across so many psychotherapeutic modalities, the idea of health really is the clear sense of internal self, and the ability to hold on to that in the face of change/problems/stressors.
taste seems like a frivolous thing but it essentially amounts to having a point of view - and a point of view has to be rooted both in the ability to integrate and synthesize multiple versions of reality (in the things we read, write, look at, buy; as well as the people we interact with), as well as a sense of self (and the discernment that requires).
That's a fascinating point! That perspective makes so much sense and I very much agree. That sounds like a book in the making!
i look forward to the book martin! ;)
A fascinating read. I’m guessing her father was Greek by her birth surname?
Thank you! And yes, indeed. Her parents immigrated to NYC from Greece, and Maria was born and grew up in the city until she was 13 when she moved back to Greece with her mother and sister.
Excellently written!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed. 🤍
Her style fully inhabited the woman she was, it was genuine unlike today where the stamp of a stylist is all over celebrities. But she was much more than a celebrity, she was a true artist. Thank you for an uplifting story about true artistry and innate glamor.
You're exactly right – she was a true artist and it shone through in everything she did. Her integrity is awe-inspiring.
Loved this piece on Callas. Have you seen her in Medea by Pasolini? Stunning as always. Stunning isn’t the right word. Epic.
I haven't seen it yet, but it's been on my list for ages--maybe now is the time!