The Lives She Lived: Rosamond Bernier

And, still does.  Rosamond Bernier has always managed to be in the right place at the right time.   Recalling her spectacular luck, Ms. Bernier, now 95,  has penned a memoir, Some of My Lives, A Scrapbook Memoir.    Remarkable is the one word description.  While on a summer break in Mexico, after her sophomore year at Sarah Lawrence, she met Aaron Copland, then a broke pianist and aspiring composer.  Gertrude Stein advised her on art.  Leornard Bernstein was a lifelong friend.  You get the gist.

As a writer for American and French Vogue, Ms. Bernier went on a quest to learn more about Marcel Proust, interviewing many of his friends,  and she approached Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso for articles.  When a scoop regarding Picasso’s work in Antibes or Venice wasn’t given the proper recognition by Vogue, she and her second husband launched a monthly arts magazine, L’OEil.  (The re-invention of her life was a VERY Sarah Lawrence thing to do — then and now). .

Picasso gave her another scoop to jump-start the new publication by telling her there were a number of early paintings at his family’s home in Spain.  Since he had vowed to not return to his homeland while Francisco Franco was in power, Ms.  Bernier had pictures taken of his work without him.  LIFE Magazine published the pictures and the new magazine was launched.  A mainstay of the International Best Dress List, Ms. Bernier seems to effortlessly float through her life with elegance and grace.

  

The book is terrific, but I promise you will be interested in learning more.  A contributing editor to Vogue for many years, she was recently profiled http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/rosamond-bernier-the-flaming-debutante/#1, and last year she talked about her apartment’s black walls and how she added pink and blue to warm up the dark hue.  LOVE it.http://www.elledecor.com/decorating/articles/rosamond-bernier-art.

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