Irene Galitzine

Irene Galitzine (July 22, 1916 in Tbilisi - October 20, 2006 in Rome) was a Russian-born fashion designer whose most renowned creation was the "palazzo pyjama."

Galitzine was born to a Russian prince of the aristocratic Galitzine family, whose origins date back to 1200 and a Georgian mother. However, her family were forced to flee the country following the 1917 October Revolution, and took up residence in Italy.

After studying art in Rome, English at Cambridge and French at the Sorbonne, Galitzine joined the Italian designers, the Fontana sisters in 1943 and worked with them for 3 years.

In 1946 she opened her own salon and presented her first collection. In 1960, she achieved great success with the launch of her "palazzo pyjamas" which were wide legged evening trousers made of soft silk. Evening pyjamas became a firm fixture of the fashion scene during the 60's. Currently, some of her original "palazzo pyjama" collection still exist in important museums around the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the St. Petersburg Museum in Russia.

In 1962 she was named Designer of the Year by the Italian fashion press and in 1965 she won the British Sunday Times International Fashion Award. Since then, her creations have been worn by some of the most famous women in the world such as Sofia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo and Claudia Cardinale.

In 1990, the Galitzine label was purchased by the Xines Company. In September of 1996, Galitizine opened her first boutique in Moscow, and in November of the same year she published her biography entitled “From Russia to Russia”.

On October 20, 2006, Irene Galitzine died at her home in Rome, aged 90.

References

* [http://www.valmir.it/history.htm Biography of Irene Galitzine]