The HonourableDaphne Diana Joan Susanna Guinness (born 9 November 1967) is a British and Irish fashion designer, art collector, model, musician, film producer and actor. She is an heir by direct descent of the 18th century Irish brewer Arthur Guinness.
Daphne Guinness' mother, Jonathan Guinness' second wife, was Suzanne Lisney (died 2005), of Cadaques, Spain, and Paris. When she was 13, she became aware that she had a further three half-siblings by Susan "Shoe" Taylor, her father's mistress.[1]
She was a friend of the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen.[6][7] Scheduled to model for charity on the runway the day his suicide was announced, Guinness veiled herself in mourning.[8]
She designs fashion, jewelry, and perfume.[9] Since 1994, she has been on the International Best Dressed List.[10] In 2010, she was named in Tatler's top 10 best-dressed list.[11] In 2011, she created a make-up line for MAC cosmetics.[12][13] In January 2011, she was asked by Tom Ford to close his comeback womenswear show.[citation needed]
Philanthropy
Guinness has walked in two of Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief shows to raise funds for disaster victims.[14] In the same vein, in April 2008, she auctioned off part of her wardrobe, with the proceeds going to a struggling British charity called Womankind Worldwide, which deals with women's issues at home and abroad, such as domestic violence.[15]
In June 2010, Guinness purchased at auction the entire wardrobe of Isabella Blow, her friend who committed suicide in 2007. The lot was purchased prior to an auction which was arranged at Christie's.[16] Guinness said of the purchase, "Indeed, in many ways, the auction would not be merely a sale of clothes; it would be a sale of what was left of Issie, and the carrion crows would gather and take away her essence forever."[16] She later announced that she would be displaying the wardrobe at Central Saint Martins and online, as well as starting a foundation to help with mental illness.[17] Guinness also held an auction in 2012 where she raised $744,285 for the Isabella Blow Foundation.[18] The official show, entitled "Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore," is set for display in November 2013 at Somerset House in London.[19]
In 2012, Guinness auctioned 100 items from her wardrobe to raise funds to start the Isabella Blow Foundation: a charity that provides donations for bursaries at Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design, and also supports mental health charities.
In Spring 2009 Guinness was chosen as the face of an advertising campaign for Swiss clothing brand Akris.
In 2009 Guinness launched her eponymous fragrance in partnership with French fashion house Comme des Garcons.
In Spring 2009 Guinness was chosen as the face of an advertising campaign for Swiss clothing brand Akris.
In 2009 Guinness launched her eponymous fragrance in partnership with French fashion house Comme des Garcons.
David LaChapelle chose her to appear in his Maybach advertising campaign in two pictures for the car's Zeppelin model. On another occasion, when working for LaChapelle, she spent six hours in a tank of water, immersed for up to two minutes at a time, to produce two underwater images, with one titled "Daphne Guinness in Water".[citation needed]
In Autumn 2010 Guinness launched a limited edition makeup line with French cosmetics company NARS.
In 2011 Guinness collaborated with MAC cosmetics to launch a limited edition makeup line.
In Autumn 2010 Guinness launched a limited edition makeup line with French cosmetics company NARS.
In 2011 Guinness collaborated with MAC cosmetics to launch a limited edition makeup line.
She is also featured in the series "Return to Eden", which has not yet been released.[citation needed]
In September 2011, more than half a million visitors attended the Alexander McQueen exhibition "Savage Beauty", at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Shortly thereafter, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology devoted one of its galleries to about a hundred of Guinness' most important pieces.[20]
In May 2011 Guinness was asked to dress live in the window of department store Barney’s New York ahead of the Costume Institute’s MET Gala, to mark the opening of “Savage Beauty.”
In May 2011 Guinness was asked to dress live in the window of department store Barney’s New York ahead of the Costume Institute’s MET Gala, to mark the opening of “Savage Beauty.”
On 31 January 2012, Guinness had put her art-filled Fifth Avenue apartment for sale for 14 million US dollars.[21]
In 2011 Guinness was photographed by photographer Bryan Adams and featured on the cover of Zoo Magazine.[22]
In 2016 Guinness starred in Stevn Klein’s advertising campaign for Macallan Whiskey.
Guinness appears extensively in David La Chapelle’s 2017 ‘Lost And Found’ series.
Film
Producer
Guinness has produced and edited three short films :
Cashback, short film nominated for an Academy Award in 2004, was later made into a feature-length version. Guinness produced this film for the photographer Sean Ellis.[1]
"Phenomenology of Body" was a hymn to the evolution of the female wardrobe over millennia, and is available on the NY Times website.
"Mnemosyne" was an 'anti-commercial' made to comment on the scent, "DAPHNE", that Guinness made at the request of Comme des Garçons. The film was nominated for a Webby award.[citation needed]
Acting
In 2011, Guinness starred in Joe Lally's film, "The Murder of Jean Seberg".[23]
In December 2011, she was photographed, while recorded livestream, by Nick Knight of SHOWstudio.com for 36 hours, resulting in five short films which were played in the windows of the Parisian department store, Le Printemps. In several of these films, Guinness, a soprano, sang opera arias, making her public musical debut.[citation needed]
At the end of 2011, photographers Markus Klinko and Indrani, Guinness, and stylist GK Reid produced "The Legend of Lady White Snake", a film based on an ancient Chinese legend, where Guinness played the central role of Lady White Snake.[24]Bernard-Henri Lévy wrote her dialogue for the film.[25]
In 2012, Guinness starred in Shakki,[26] a short sci-fi fiction directed by Julien Landais.
In 2017 Guinness srarred in ‘The Aspen Papers’, a film inspired by letters between romantic poet Jeffrey Aspern and Juliana Bordereau directed by Julien Landais.
Music
In 2013, Guinness released a music video entitled Fatal Flaw which was directed by Nick Knight.[27]
In 2014, Guinness released a music video for the song "Evening In Space" the lead single of her debut album set to be release in September. The video was directed by David LaChapelle.[citation needed]
In 2014, David Barron directed a documentary filmed in Guinness' Irish home called Daphne Guinness, The Last Leveller that focuses on her musical work and personal musical tastes.[28]
In 2016 Guinness released a music video for the song The Long Now, which was directed by Luca Pizzaroni.
In 2016 Guinness released a music video for the song Magic Tea, which was directed by Christel Franken.
In 2016 Guinness released a music video for the song Old School, which was directed by Jamie Kendall.
In 2017 Guinness released a music video for the song Remember To Breath, which was directed by The Fashtons.
In 2017 Guinness released a music video for the song Electric Consciousness, which was directed by Joseph Lally and featured fashion designers The Blonds
Albums
Optimist in Black was produced by Tony Visconti and released in 2016.
Daphne and the Golden Chord was produced by Tony Visconti and will be released in 2018
Performances to date:
In 2014 Guinness performed at Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Guinness made a guest appearance on Tony Visconti’s 2013/ 2014 tour Holy Holy.
In 2015 Guinness performed at The Steve Strange Memorial tribute: Strange Romance in Cardiff, where she sang a duet with Boy George.
In 2016 Guinness performed at The Natural History Museum’s topaz exhibition opening.
Guinness currently writes with friend and music collaborator Malcolm Doherty
Personal life
In 1985, when she moved to New York City, Guinness came to know Andy Warhol, for whom her sister Catherine had been a personal assistant for many years.[citation needed] In 1987, she married Spyros Niarchos, the second son of Stavros Niarchos, the shipping magnate.[citation needed] The couple had three children. Her settlement, obtained at the time of her 1999 divorce, is for an undisclosed sum, which was added to her Guinness inheritance.[citation needed]
She lives in London and Manhattan with her three children: Nicolas Stavros Niarchos (born 1989), Lex Spyros Niarchos (born 1991), and Ines Sophia Niarchos (born 1995).[1]
She has been romantically involved with French TV philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy for a number of years. In the February 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar, Guinness confirmed to journalist Derek Blasberg: "He is obviously the love of my life."[29][30]
In 2012, she auctioned 100 items from her wardrobe.[31]
In 2017, Guinness auctioned Contra Mundum, a gold and diamond set chainmail glove made in partnership with jewellery designer Shaun Leane, through Sotheby’s NYC. It sold for an undisclosed sum.
^"Daphne Guinness for M·A·C". Maccosmetics.com. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^Blasberg, Derek (11 February 2011). "The Real Daphne Guinness". Harper's Bazaar. p. 2. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
