Elizabeth Taylor’s private archive is stepping into the digital age.
The Elizabeth Taylor Estate has unveiled a newly digitized selection from her private archive, making highlights from the collection available for the first time on elizabethtaylor.com. The items offer a glimpse into Taylor, who redefined Hollywood stardom, spanning her headline-making jewels and costumes to private correspondence and traces of her activism.
“In general, this is a private archive that we only allow access for projects where we are directly involved,” said Tim Mendelson, House of Taylor trustee, in a statement to WWD. “However, a dream of ours is to one day have an Elizabeth Taylor Museum and sharing select pieces online seemed like a good starting point. Elizabeth lived a long and very full life. It was also a very public life. Much of that public life was with Elizabeth’s participation and consent, while other parts of it were revealed in ways that took something from her.”
Elizabeth Taylor’s floral headdress from the 1963 film “Cleopatra.”
Mendelson continued, “During her lifetime, Elizabeth was very clear that it was her story to tell and hers alone, but in her absence, we want to continue to tell Elizabeth’s story and the interest is there. Items we’ve chosen to start with give a broad glimpse into the many facets of her varied and much celebrated life. Elizabeth was excellent at navigating and accepting her position in this world. She handled challenges with maturity and a direct approach to solving problems while always holding onto what was in her heart.”
The selection, unveiled on Tuesday, includes Taylor’s wardrobe from “Giant,” the 1956 film opposite James Dean, and her extravagant “Cleopatra” costumes, as well as her canary yellow wedding dress from her 1964 marriage to Richard Burton, created by celebrated costumer designer Irene Sharaff.
Elizabeth Taylor’s 1964 wedding dress, designed by costume designer Irene Sharaff.
“An intriguing fact about Elizabeth Taylor is that she was highly sought after by designers and tailors alike,” noted Janice Holmes, a fashion historian and specialist at the House of Taylor. “During fittings, her openness to new ideas created an inviting atmosphere where tailors felt encouraged to share their suggestions, while she also contributed her own creative input. In essence, it was a symbiotic relationship [that] brought out the best of the actress and the costume designer.”
Elizabeth Taylor wore this red chiffon dress designed by Halston to the 48th Oscars in 1976.