Flair [Magazine] February, 1950 Vol 1, No 1

Author: Cowles, Fleur – Editor [Lucian Freud, Jean Cocteau, W. H. Auden, and Tennessee Williams]

Publisher: Cowles Magazines, Inc

Condition: Very Good

Stiff card wraps; 9.75 inches by 13.25 inches. Interior clean; bindings tight; some hand-soiling on the cover; the lower spine has abrasive wear. The cover has a “peek-a-boo” wing shaped cutout revealing part of the image on the next page. Cover design is a deep red background with a gold wing with the cut out revealing its black shadow; underlying illustration is a dramatic portrait of a red-headed woman in a black evening gown with the caption “The Spirit of Flair: Interpretation by Rene Gruau. Booklets attached inside, including one by Jean Cocteau. This issue has very clean interior pages and includes features by Lucian Freud, Jean Cocteau, W. H. Auden, and Tennessee Williams. Also, articles on the Paris house of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor, Philip Johnson’s Glass House. Illustrations by Rene Gruau (cover with cut out and gold wing), ads for Hattie Carnegie, Schiaparelli, etc. ‘A fancy bouillabaisse of Vogue, Town & Country, Holiday, etc.’, remarked Time Magazine discussing the launch of Fleur Cowles’ extravagant and innovative Flair magazine. It was the brainchild of Cowles, who wished to create a journal with ‘flair’. One that covered the best of fashion, décor, travel, art, literature, humor and entertainment, and featured the words and images of the best twentieth century writers and artists. It was published by Cowles’ husband, Gardner Cowles, and his brother John, but the editorial control rested with Fleur. She insisted on the finest production values and each issue featured cut-outs, fold-outs, inserts, different paper stock and lots of colour. Art direction was by Louis-Marie Eude & then Hershel Bramson.