#5. Interview Mrs. Nancy Kissinger
Updated: Sep 24
Nancy Kissinger attending Pauline Trigere Fashion Show
One of my first interviews for the biography of Pauline Trigère was with Mrs. Nancy Kissinger; the spouse of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Both Henry and Nancy were good friends with Pauline. Mrs. Kissinger was a good client and would come in to the Trigère office for fittings, with Secret Service agents stood about.
Mrs. Kissinger described Pauline's garments as "ageless" and fondly remembered one of her favorite ensembles: a deep purple wool coat paired with an evening dress, which she wore to a formal event. While serving as an aide to the then-New York Governor Nelson Rockfeller, Mrs.Kissinger recalled receiving compliments on the ensemble from the governor himself..
A WWD article from 1977 described Nancy at the Trigère office selected 11 outfits from the latest collection. At times, Mrs. Kissinger would come by the Trigère atelier, having conversations with Ms.Trigere as she worked. Once Nancy was waiting for her mother she was there for three hours, watching Pauline buying fabric and told Pauline: "You're lucky that you are working." Pauline frequently hosted dinner parties where she entertained the Kissingers and other guests such as conductor Leonard Bernstein. In a recorded interview by journalist Robert Green, Bernstein and Kissinger remarked on the wonderful dinner parties at Pauline's. Regrettably, Mrs. Kissinger has donated many of her garments to charitable foundations and no longer possesses them.
In an article for Vogue magazine dated November, 2008, Devon O’Brien, who is a writer, actor and model, shared a story about meeting Mrs. Kissinger at the Trigère studio, you can read my separate blog post interview Devon [here].
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October, 2018
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