Her name would become synonymous with international style, but the Countess began life as Mona Strader in Louisville, KY.
She was married 4 times (her second husband being James Bush who was considered by many at the time to be the most handsome man in the world). They divorced in Paris. Her third husband left her a widower but with her famed look and elegance it did not take long for her to catch the eye of and then marry Count Edward Von Bismark.
Both Salvador Dali and Cecil Beaton idolized Mona and painted and photographed her extensively. Cole Porter wrote RED, HOT and BLUE in her honor. Truman Capote' satirized her beauty in his unfinished novel, ANSWERED PRAYERS (Mona and Truman were not friends).
In 1933 Mona was voted the Best Dressed Woman in the world. Although she enjoyed different labels and often wore Chanel her primary fashion choice was always Balenciaga. They became very close friends for over thirty years. Once, due to a train accident that destroyed a large portion of her wardrobe, Mona ordered over 150 garments from Balenciaga in one sitting.
Givenchey had so much respect for Mona and Balenciaga that he arranged a major exhibition of her clothing after she had died.
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