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The first four images are from the Lee Miller Archives.
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Whether you believe her version or that of her daughter's regarding the duration of the tour, Dietrich had spent months traveling in North Africa and Italy entertaining the troops. Arriving in the just liberated French capital in September of 1944, she met up with photographer Lee Miller whose own wartime work alternated between the front line and creating features for Vogue. The meeting produced these images of the actress modeling an evening coat/hostess gown by one of her favorite fashion designers, Elsa Schiaparelli. The images were sent to Vogue that same month, and Dietrich went on to wear the garment at further war-related appearances and in publicity portraits.
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Two months later, on 20 November, Dietrich wore the coat when she performed for the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops at the seminary in Luxembourg City.
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| The 23rd - aka "The Ghost Army" - was a tactical deception unit that had been formed to mislead the Axis forces as to the size and location of Allied forces. |
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| That same month, this time in Namur, Belgium, she wore the coat again when, famous for her "million dollar" legs, she judged those of a sextet of American GIs. |
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| She also wore it for a series of formal portraits, with typical "movie star" lighting, and wearing full-on makeup and a longer wig instead of her own hair. |
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| I don't know who the photographer was or the reason for the session, possibly publicity for "Kismet" the only film she starred in that year. |
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The garment survives, but un-Dietrich-ed it looks distinctly less fabulous. |
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