Princess Katalin zu Windisch-Graetz (''Katalin Prinzessin zu Windisch-Graetz'' in German; born 30 December 1947), formerly Baroness Katalin Hatvany de Hatvan, is a Hungarian designer, philanthropist and former model.

Early life

Baroness Katalin Hatvany de Hatvan was born on 30 December 1947 in Budapest, Second Hungarian Republic. Her family, the

Hatvany Hatvani/Hatvany is a Hungarian surname. The name derives from Hatvan, Hungary. It may refer to: ''Hatvani'' * István Hatvani (1718–1786), Hungarian mathematician, scientist * '' Mihály Hatvani'', a penname of Mihály Horváth (1809–1878) ...

, are a Jewish family that was ennobled by the Emperor of Austria. During her childhood, shortly after World War II, Hungary was under control of the Red Army. Her family's property was confiscated by the Communist government and her father was imprisoned, where he later died.

Career

When Hatvany was sixteen years old she worked in a government-operated sewing room directed by Klara de Rothschild. Rothschild noticed Hatvany's physical appearance and had her take a photogenic test. She later introduced her to Norman Parkinson, Farah Diba, and

Madame Tito Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...

, launching her modeling career. She became one of the most successful models in Eastern Europe, appearing on over three hundred magazine covers. Parkinson photographed her for the 1967 edition of '' LIFE''. While working as a model Hatvany began to explore fashion design. When she was twenty-one years old she moved to Vienna and began designing for two ready-to-wear stores. Six months after her move to Vienna she debuted her first collection. After seeing her collection her cousin, Prince Egon von Fürstenberg, invited her to come to New York City. While living in New York her fashion collections were photographed for '' Vogue'' and ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...

''. Her designs were sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, Bloomingdales, and Neiman Marcus. In 1984, she became a major designer and later the chief executive officer of Jerry Silverman, Inc. In 1991, she opened a flagship store in Budapest. In 2012, she founded KZW Pet Interiors, a luxury pet furniture manufacturer and retailer.

Philanthropy

After Hungary was liberated from Communist rule she moved back to Hungary. She launched the first Hungarian Red Cross Ball after fifty years, raising money for Hungarian orphanages. She was awarded the Golden Award by the Hungarian government for her patronage of the Fót orphanage. She presides over the Triple A Gala committee, raising money to protect and care for stray animals in

Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol (literally "Coast of the Sun" or "Sun Coast") is a region in the south of Spain in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the coastline of the Province of Málaga and the easte ...

Personal life

On 20 June 1980 she married Prince Hugo Weriand Antonius Franziskus Thomas Maria zu Windisch-Graetz in New York City. They moved to Marbella, Spain in 1997.

References

{{authority control Living people 1947 births Austrian baronesses Austrian princesses Hatvany family Nobility from Budapest Hungarian fashion designers Hungarian women fashion designers Hungarian female models Hungarian furniture designers Hungarian philanthropists Princesses by marriage Windisch-Graetz Women philanthropists