W.E.
by habituallychic
08 . 13 . 11
We all know that Tom Ford’s directorial debut was a smashing success. It remains to be seen if Madonna will be so lucky but it’s clear from the photos by Tom Munro that her upcoming film, W.E. will at least look beautiful. The story is the one we all know, The Duke of Windsor abdicating the throne in 1936 to marry the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson, a twice divorced American. A contemporary story set in New York about a woman obsessed with their love story is also weaved through the film that was co-written by Alek Keshishian. The real star of the film are the clothes and jewels from Dior and Cartier among others that were realm of Oscar winning costume designer Arianne Phillips. Madonna said, “It was easy to get swept up in the historical relevance and epic romance of Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. The fact that they were also the fashion icons of their day added to their allure for me. Wallis was the epitome of style and grace.”
Photos by Tom Munro for Vanity Fair
19 Comments
I can’t wait to see this film. The clothes and jewels look fabulous and I love the West Highland Terrier (we’ve got one too)!
they sure made wallis look way better than in real life, but this duke is a dud. not that he is not handsome, but rather does not have the mischievous look of the real edward VIII (also missing is his pinky rings). i hope that madonna, who has ruined every film she has been in except a league of her own, does not stink up this one (the title alone is already reason to cringe)
Gorgeous!!!!
looks interesting…. cant wait to see it.
one small detail that was overlooked… The Duke wore his wedding band- a cartier trinity ring on his pinky (the traditional European way), and he always wore two stacked together.
Wonderful movie as told by one who is herself a magnet of Style and Derision…THE CROSS bracelet so famous by Cartier created to highlight key WE moments, was on Madonna’s wrist on stage for the final Oprah show extravaganza…she just purchased it from the Sotheby’s sale a couple of months before…but no one ever noticed.
Perhaps we shall see it in the movie!
I adore your blog!!!
I’m a little confused. I had heard about this movie and had checked it out on IMDB.com a while ago. It looked good and I put it on my mental list of “upcoming movies to see”. I didn’t remember Madonna as part of the cast, and just went back to IMDB to check, and she still isn’t listed. Another actress is listed as playing “Wallis”. (And another one as playing the contemporary “Wally”). I also checked Madonna’s page and the movie wasn’t listed there.
So, did VF just set Madonna up to model fashion “along the line of “W.E.”? Because she doesn’t seem to be in the movie.
Phoebes – I thought it was a well known fact that Madonna is the director and screenwriter. She is not acting in the film nor is that her in the photos. Those are the actors from W.E.
Thanks for clearing that up, HC. I thought I was going nuts! And, no, I didn’t know Madonna had anything to do with the film. Maybe I would have if I had bothered to read my new VF, which arrived the other day, but that I am waiting to take on a trip at the end of next week.
I look forward to the film as well as the upcoming book by Anne Sebba THAT WOMAN.
The film looks to have great style.
Hopefully it will have substance too.
The Duke’s rings were not actually two but rather three stacked together (gold, silver and copper coloured) and were from a jeweler in Edinburgh which is still around today. Inside were engraved “Wallis” and a copy was given away as a promotion for some newspaper, if I remember correctly (of course, this was many years ago).
That said, here’s to the Duke, but down with Wallis and Madonna.
This could be a wonderful opportunity for Madonna, but based on her past performances on and off-screen, it’s a big IF.
But as Heather noted, it sure looks fantastic!
great photos! thanks for sharing
Hi Heather – I think it is a very good likeness of Wallis, and not too bad of Edward, although I do not know who could possibly do his personal looks perfectly. I agree it will be wonderful to see the jewellery and look forward to the movie. Wonderful pics
What a time of elegance, it was – love the picture with the hat!
Wallis and her prince have always been a controversial subject, but I will always remember the photograph at Edward’s funeral where an intensely sad Wallis looks out of the window at the cortege.I think in the end, they really did love each other…so – yes, it was a time of Cartier jewellery and Dior gowns and fabulous hats, but also of a couple in love .. in a difficult time for them and for the whole world..
First of all, I love your blog. It’s really fantastic.
I am very excited about this movie. The photos from VF are divine. Duchess designed an amazing “zipper” necklace for Van Cleef and Arpels that was shown in the Set in Style exhibit at the Smithsonian last month.
Amazing. Great style.
Looking forward to more,
Amy Vermillion
What sumptuously delicious pictures! Had to stop myself from touching the screen to feel the blue velvet in the first picture. Divine.
I thought the duke and duchess always had pugs, not terriers.