Oleg Cassini

Oleg Cassini (11 April 1913 – 17 March 2006) was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after starting as a designer in Rome, and quickly got work with Paramount Pictures. Cassini established his reputation by designing for films.

He became particularly well known as a designer for Jacqueline Kennedy while she was First Lady of the United States. The "Jackie Look" was to become highly influential and much admired. Among Cassini's inspirations were sports and Native American culture.

Early life

He was born in Paris as Oleg Aleksandrovich Loiewski, the elder son of Countess Marguerite Cassini and her husband Count Alexander Loiewski, a Russian diplomat, thereby obtaining the title of Count. His maternal grandfather Arthur Paul Nicholas Cassini, Marquis de Capuzzuchi di Bologna, Count Cassini, had been the Russian ambassador to the United States during the administrations of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Count Arthur Cassini signed the Treaty ending the war between Japan and China. His mother's family claimed Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini as an ancestor. In 1918, the Russian Revolution caused the Loiewski family to flee for their lives, leaving behind their wealth, lands, and homes. As a young child, Oleg saw his cousin shot to death. The family reached Denmark and next moved to Switzerland. The Greek Royal family invited them to Greece, but, while traveling through Italy, revolution began in Greece as well. They got off the train in Florence, eventually settling there. In Italy the children started using the surname of Cassini.

In his early youth, Cassini suffered a major accident, almost losing his leg. He spent much of a year in bed in recovery, during which time he studied history and read extensively, including authors such as American James Fenimore Cooper. He developed a love of history and the mysticism of Native American tribes. He also discovered American culture through the movies from the United States that were shown in Italy.

When he started school, Oleg had to learn Italian, but he already knew Russian, French and Danish. His mother, Marguerite Cassini, founded her fashion house in Florence, gaining American clients from people she knew in Washington, D.C., as the daughter of the Count Arthur Cassini.

Cassini played soccer with the teenage team, the "Boys" of Fiorentina, and was on the university track and ski teams. He also played tennis for the Italian Jr. Davis Cup team, becoming Italian Jr. Champion.

Education

Cassini studied Political Science at the University of Florence and became an accomplished equestrian. He studied fine art under painter Giorgio de Chirico at the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze. Eventually he started in fashion, studying under the French couturier, Jean Patou. Cassini won a number of international fashion competitions in Turin, including five first prizes in Mostra Della Moda for sketches and Most Creative Presentation for an evening dress painted in dramatic colors on silver foil, garnering a prize of 5,000 lire. Cassini opened his own boutique in Rome and designed for the local film industry as well as Roman society.

Move to America

Oleg became engaged to a debutante in Rome, Anna Donnina Toeplitz, and subsequently left for America after winning a duel. He sailed to America on the ''Saturnia'' and arrived in New York on Christmas Day 1936. His autobiography describes his possessions upon arrival in America as being limited to a tuxedo, two tennis rackets, a title, and talent. He briefly worked as a political cartoonist in Washington, D.C., upon his arrival prior to traveling to Hollywood.

Career

Hollywood, California

Upon arriving in California, Cassini began playing tennis at the West Side Tennis Club. After he competed in and won a doubles tournament, his partner introduced himself as the head of Paramount Pictures, saying he was "looking for another designer". Cassini went to the studio the next day and got the job as a full designer for Paramount Pictures. In 1941, his first film was ''I Wanted Wings'', for which he created the look for its star, newcomer Veronica Lake.

Cassini designed costumes for films including ''The Shanghai Gesture'' (1941), starring Gene Tierney, ''Tales of Manhattan'' (1942) for Rita Hayworth, ''The Razor's Edge'' (1946), ''It's a Joke Son!'' (1947), ''Born to Speed'' (1947), ''Lost Honeymoon'' (1947), ''The Ghost and Mrs. Muir'' (1947), ''That Wonderful Urge'' (1948), ''Whirlpool'' (1949), ''Night and the City'' (1950), ''Where the Sidewalk Ends'' (1950), as well as '' The Mating Season'', ''Close to My Heart'', ''On the Riviera'' (all 1951), '' Rampage'' (1963), ''The Tammy Grimes Show'' (1966), ''The Day Dreamer'' (1966), ''Peligro ... ! Mujeres en acción'', (1967), ''The Ambushers'' (1967) for Dean Martin, ''SOS Conspiracion Bikini'' (1967), '' The Sentinel'' (2006) for Kim Basinger, and ''Say It in Russian'' (2007) for Faye Dunaway.

His designs are worn in the climactic scene of ''Meet Joe Black'' (1998) and throughout '' Ready or Not'' (2009). He worked for the major film studios and dressed numerous stars over the course of his career including Audrey Hepburn, Shirley Temple, Anita Ekberg, Janet Leigh, Loretta Young, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, Ursula Andress, Jayne Mansfield, Lana Turner, Sandra Dee, Suzy Parker, Gina Lollobrigida, Renée Zellweger, Malin Åkerman, Kim Basinger, Carroll Baker and Taylor Swift.

World War II

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Cassini quickly enlisted in the war effort. Initially, he joined the United States Coast Guard, but he later served in the U.S. Army as a cavalry officer. He reached the rank of first lieutenant. Cassini became a United States citizen (in December 1941/January 1942, losing his titles of nobility); he was commissioned as a first Lieutenant at Fort Riley, Kansas. After serving five years in the U.S. Cavalry, Cassini moved to New York City in 1952 to open his own fashion house on Seventh Avenue, the center of the fashion industry.

New York, New York

After the war, Cassini designed ready-to-wear dresses while continuing to design for television, motion pictures, and Broadway theatre. According to his autobiography, Jack L. Warner offered Cassini the position of head of design for Warner Bros. Studios proclaiming, "You're better than Errol Flynn". He remained in New York rather than work with Warner Brothers and opened his own designer brand. Cassini had enough money to launch one line, his first Collection, which was received with rave reviews.Lord & Taylor