Beachwear

Mrs. Kempner's travels gave her the opportunity to depart from the urbane daywear and formal eveningwear that defined her New York wardrobe. Vivid colors and exotic accessories contributed to the festive quality of clothes that she wore to Christmas in Santo Domingo or skiing in Gstaad. Mrs. Kempner found the ease and comfort of Halston's cashmere knits perfect for packing, proclaiming, "I love the feeling of completely covered nakedness, of cashmere on my skin." When Mrs. William McKormick Blair says, "Nan would always appear…in the biggest hat…and the smallest bikini," the scene is poolside at the Cipriani during Mrs. Kempner's annual September visit to Venice. Her free-spiritedness and eclecticism are seen in even the earliest surviving pieces of her wardrobe. A brightly printed ensemble by Princess Irene Galitzine, creator of the "Palazzo Pyjama," projects the playful la dolce vita quality of much of Mrs. Kempner's resort wear.