The adage "live fast, die young" applies to few people quite as well as it does
Talitha Getty. A victim of her own excessive lifestyle, the Dutch-descended Getty died in 1971 at age 30 of a drug overdose, yet left behind a style legacy that's become a cultural touchstone: designers as disparate as Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Michael Kors, and Christian Dior are among the many who've cited Getty's signature Marrakesh-meets-mod fashions as inspiration for various collections. Gamine, almond-eyed, and possessed of a confident style that drew on the twin influences of the Moroccan souks she frequented and the London-based Swinging '60s crowd she ran with, Getty was immortalized in Patrick Lichfield's iconic photograph of her and husband John Paul Getty, Jr., on the rooftop of their infamous home in Morocco dubbed "The Pleasure Palace." The image captured not just the beautifully tragic air that surrounded the Gettys, but also Talitha's groundbreaking boho-chic aesthetic. Flowing
caftans, mounds of
costume jewelry, fur-trimmed mod dresses, filmy silk scarves, and gauzy
harem pants were some of the hallmarks of her repertoire but, more than that, it was her laissez-faire, creative approach to blending style genres that prompted designers like Yves Saint Laurent to declare, "When I knew Talitha Getty my vision completely changed." Getty's seemingly direct fashion descendants include
Jade Jagger,
Nicole Richie, and
Kelly Killoren Bensimon, the latter having proclaimed her admiration of Getty openly. Talitha Getty's casual-elegant style is perfect for the coming summer months, and I've put together a slideshow to show you how to achieve it-- check it out.
