Always inspired

She lived a life that most people dream of. Editor in chief of the most important fashion magazine. An avid collector of beautiful things. An enthusiast in whatever she planned on doing. Diana Vreeland excelled in seeing the beauty in things. She used lots of words ('divine', 'sensational'), made even her own words ('pezaaaz'), and was never afraid of a good quote. Just one of the many: 'I loathe narcissism, but I approve of vanity' Her' why don't you?' series in Harper's Bazaar became legendary. Now this is a woman whom I would have loved to interview.

A style icon, an example of yourth, a freshness... Hubert de Givenchy was so fond of her that he would have given her all his dresses in one season. Audrey on the screen was probably a lot different from the Audrey in the backstage. Much more silent, much less sure of herself. 

Of course you know Le Corbusier, but have you ever heard of Charlotte Perriand? She worked with him for more than ten years and was an incredibly talented designer and photographer. When hardly anybody traveled to Japan, she did, wanting to learn about lacquer work and the art of Japanese folding. Fortunately, her talent and her wit have survived: she has been honoured recently, in several exhibitions that mention her alongside the big design names.

Does DVF need an introduction? The first time I met her was in her apartment in Paris. I didn't know meeting her would be lifechanging. It was, in a way, because I started wearing her clothes, reading her books and thinking of that one phrase she keeps repeating: 'be the woman you want to be'. DVF (even her son Alex calls her that way) is not just a fashion designer, she empowers women and makes even the biggest things happen. She is so much more than a princess.

Elsa Schiaparelli was the big rival of Coco Chanel in the thirties. Elsa was Italian, Coco French, which at the time surely gave way to interpretation. Elsa was a big fan of Surrealism, she hooked up with artists like Jean Cocteau, Picasso and Gide. I am truly happy that her house has been bought by Diego della valle who wants to reinstall her legacy in Paris.

Sonia Delauney has Russian roots, learns the art of painting in Karlsruhe, yet settles in Paris. As a painter, she's often linked to Die Brücke, yet she develops into a colour artist, whether working on canvas or textile. Her play with colours is amazing.

A composer, a writer, a traveller, a lover: Paul Bowles had it all in him. His best years were in Tanger, where he lived with his wife but had affairs. In his work, he playfully described how one moment in life could trigger a bad outcome. His 'characters' often were in trouble, not able to get out of the downward spiral. Digging into his life in Tanger was one of the most interesting trips I ever made as a journalist.

It's a dream of mine to visit the ranch where Georgia O'Keeffe lived and worked in New Mexico, not far from Santa Fe. Her way of living makes me wonder: are we destined to live together or can we survive alone? She lived half a year with her husband, the famous photographer Stieglitz, in New York, and half a year by herself in New Mexico, where she could focus on work. As a painter, she took in the harshness of New Mexico, the brutal ways of life and death. Astonishing work.

Yes, I've met her, during a celebration dinner of 40 years of Benetton in Paris. She was sitting at a table, and I move over to talk to her. We exchanged some words, one could hardly call it a conversation. But then she went on stage, and started singing. I will never forget how she performed 'Because the night'. Actually, she did it a capella, and the whole audience sang along. I was standing pretty close to the stage. It was, after all, a fashion party... When I started reading 'Just kids', about her life with Robert Mapplethorpe, I couldn't lay down the book. Of course New York now isn't the New York she lived in then (she says that herself) but I do think art was really art then.