Phyllis Brown
You know those designer jeans that became a must-have in your wardrobe? Well, you can thank Gloria Vanderbilt for that. Yes, that Gloria Vanderbilt – the mother of CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
But long before her son became a famous journalist, Gloria was making waves in the fashion world. Back in the 1970s, she kicked off the designer jeans trend, convincing people to swap out their everyday Levi’s for her sleek, stylish, and slightly more expensive jeans.
Born into one of the wealthiest families in America – yes, those Vanderbilts of Gilded Age fame – Gloria was more than just an heiress. She was multi-talented: a socialite, model, actress, author, artist, and, of course, a fashion icon.
Known as the original “poor little rich girl,” her life was filled with glamour, tragedy, and reinvention. Let’s dive into the story of this incredible woman.
Why Gloria Vanderbilt Called The ‘Poor Little Rich Girl’
Gloria Laura Vanderbilt was born in New York City on February 20, 1924, to Reginald Claypool Vanderbilt and Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt.
Reginald was a great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of America’s wealthiest railroad tycoons.
Despite this immense wealth, Gloria’s early life was marred by tragedy. Her father died when she was just 18 months old, leaving her with a sizable trust fund but without his guidance.
By the age of 10, young Gloria was thrust into the public eye during a bitter custody battle between her mother and her aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.
Gertrude, one of the richest women in America, believed Gloria’s mother was unfit to care for her.
The press called it the “trial of the century.” The newspapers painted Gloria as the “poor little rich girl,” a label she never quite escaped.
Witnesses described Gloria’s mother as a party-loving woman who neglected her daughter in favor of a jet-setting lifestyle. After seven weeks of courtroom drama, the judge awarded custody to Gertrude.
Gloria later reflected on her childhood, stating, “I was lonely in my mother’s care and wanted to live with my aunt.”
From Society Heiress To Fashion Icon
Despite the public’s fascination with her early life, Gloria Vanderbilt’s story didn’t end in courtrooms.
As a teenager, she was determined to make a name for herself on her own terms.
She began as a model, appearing in Harper’s Bazaar at the age of 15. By the 1950s, she had ventured into acting and the arts, studying at the Art Students League of New York and even starring in Broadway plays.
Her biggest breakthrough came in the 1970s when Vanderbilt turned her artistic talents toward fashion.
Partnering with designer Mohan Murjani, she launched her now-famous line of designer jeans.
Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans, with their swan logo and her signature embroidered on the back pocket, revolutionized the fashion world, particularly during the disco era.
She was one of the first designers to make jeans a fashion statement, combining comfort with style.
By 1980, her jeans had become a cultural phenomenon, earning her a fortune in her own right.
Reflecting on her success, Vanderbilt said, “I’m not knocking inherited money, but the money I’ve made has a reality to me that inherited money doesn’t have.”
Triumph And Tragedy In Personal Life
Vanderbilt’s personal life was as public as her professional one. She married four times, with her most famous unions being with conductor Leopold Stokowski and director Sidney Lumet.
Yet it was her marriage to writer Wyatt Cooper that brought her the most happiness. Together, they had two sons, Anderson and Carter.
Sadly, tragedy struck the family when Wyatt died unexpectedly in 1978, and a decade later, their son Carter took his own life at the age of 23.
These losses, though devastating, did not break Vanderbilt. She channeled her grief into her writing, penning memoirs such as A Mother’s Story, where she shared the raw pain of losing a child: “The fatal loss that stripped me bare.”
She once said, “I like the idea of showing that you can go through a lot and still be on your feet, still be working, and still be positive about life.”
A Lasting Legacy: The Self-Made Woman
While Gloria Vanderbilt was born into one of America’s wealthiest families, she spent her life carving her own path.
She was not just a Vanderbilt; she was an artist, a writer, a designer, and a mother.
Her denim empire, which earned her millions, made her a fashion icon in her own right. Her resilience in the face of personal tragedy earned her the admiration of millions.
Gloria Vanderbilt, who passed away at 95, lived an extraordinary life.
As her son Anderson Cooper said upon her passing in 2019, “She was the strongest person I ever met, but she wasn’t tough. She wanted to feel life’s pleasures, its pains as well.”
Her life reminds us that strength comes from facing life’s darkest moments, and as Vanderbilt herself said, “Without pain, we can’t know what joy is.”
