Here is an article from the current issue of Svensk Damtidning about Princess Lilian's favourite designer - translated by me!
”Princess Lilian wants new dresses every week”
The whole English society and half of Hollywood have gotten dressed for gala in dresses designed by Elizabeth Wondrak. At the age of 77, she has slowed down on the pace. But her friend Princess Lilian is still a steady customer.
For 56 years, she has designed gala dresses, one more beautiful than the other, and 54 of them for our own Princess Lilian. After all of the close contacts, Elizabeth Wondrak is also one of Princess Lilian’s best friends.
At least half of Hollywood and the whole English society have been dressed by Elizabeth, but these days she has slowed down on the pace – and the only one outside of the family who can dress in Wondrak-designs is Princess Lilian.
- Lilian always gives me free hands, which of course is nice – “you’re the boss”, she usually says.
But sometimes a little persuasion is demanded, like for example about the strong pink colour on the latest Nobel Banquet, Elizabeth reveals.
It is in a little fairy tale house in the middle of London’s fashionable Chelsea that Elizabeth lives and receives her famous customer. Roses climb on the façade, a stairs up to the studio – and in the middle of the comfortable mess, an absolutely adorable little dress designer. We are offered big cups of tea, the Queen’s English, and a never-ending stream of anecdotes from Elizabeth’s exciting life.
Favourite: wedding dresses
- This girl married three billionaires in a row, can you imagine, Elizabeth exclaims and holds up a picture on a striking young beauty.
The blood-red lipstick is applied with a few extra layers for the photographs, but otherwise it’s the dresses, designers and most of all her customers, that Elizabeth wants to uphold.
- The wedding dresses are absolutely the most fun to sew, at least as long as the marriage lasts!
And that also applies to what Elizabeth has designed and sewn for Princess Lilian, the wedding dress is the one she remembers best.
- Lilian was so fantastically happy to finally get to marry her Bertil, and of course then it’s extra fun to get to make the dress too. But it was a lot of work with the design, I don’t know how many times Lilian changed her mind before it was finished, Elizabeth tells.
They met through mutual friends, long before Lilian became Princess of Sweden, and in the days when Elizabeth still lived off of loans from her home.
- I called her “satin doll”, and from that day we became friends, she laughs.
Elizabeth sewed her first dress in 1948, and she hadn’t yet moved to London. She had her sewing studio in the dining room of her parent’s home, just south of London. How many dresses there has been after that is impossible to answer, only for Lilian it’s in the number of hundreds, gala dresses included!
- And if she could decide, I would have new dresses ready every week, Elizabeth laughs.
And Elizabeth works so close to Lilian, that on the middle floor of the studio, there is an exact model doll of Lilian’s figure. And among the numerous sketches, scissors and cloth samples in all colours of the rainbow, a black velvet creation is right now being made.
- Because Lilian lives in Sweden, this would’ve been impossible otherwise, but thanks to the doll, I can now try dresses on her all day long.
And despite that the designer herself, or “the little seamstress” that she so well remembers to have been called in Swedish press, has reached a mature age, she has no plans of stopping to work.
- I work every day, some days more – others less. And then Lilian calls from Sweden every now and then to stress on a bit…
Neighbours in the Riviera
Lilian and her Elizabeth have become much more than client and clothes maker during the years. Many photographs gives witness of everything from talks in confidence to happy holiday memories – not the least from the Princely couple’s beloved Villa Mirage on the Riviera. And thanks to Lilian, Elizabeth also got a little apartment in central Saint-Tropez, on the other side of the bay from the friend for herself and her family.
- If it hadn’t been for Lilian, we would never have gotten hold of it, those places never get out on the market!
Just like Lilian, Elizabeth today lives alone after her husband passed many years ago.
- Both my daughters have married Suisse men – first one, then the other followed and also she found her big love in Switzerland.
Many times Elizabeth has thought of quitting her career and totally focus on the family, but today when the daughters have their own families, she is of course happy to have the dresses to take care of.
- These days it’s the dresses that are my babies. And except for Lilian, I also make clothes to my daughters and grandchildren, the proud grandmother says.
She has only made one dress for Queen Silvia, and then she said “stop”.
- It became impossible, when I had an idea I didn’t know if I should give the dress to Lilian or Silvia!
And how Elizabeth best likes to see her friend, there is no doubt:
- Lilian is best suited in pastels and the best is pistachio green if I can decide. And most often, I can, Elizabeth says with a smile.
NOTE: Do not use these scans (courtesy of Riva) anywhere else!
