GLORIA VANDERBILT IN NEW YORK, DECEMBER 1953. PHOTOGRAPH: RICHARD AVEDON. © THE RICHARD AVEDON FOUNDATION.

VANDERBILT IN 1979. PHOTO: EVELYN FLORET/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES. 

FRANK SINATRA AND VANDERBILT, 1954. PHOTO: © BETTMANN/CORBIS. 

VANDERBILT, PEARL BAILEY, AND TRUMAN CAPOTE, 1955. PHOTO: © BETTMANN/ CORBIS. 

VANDERBILT IN 1966. PHOTO: HORST P. HORST. © CONDÉ NAST ARCHIVE/ CORBIS. 

VANDERBILT IN HER STUDIO, 1975. PHOTO: HORST P. HORST. © CONDÉ NAST ARCHIVE/CORBIS.

TRUMAN CAPOTE AND VANDERBILT, 1972. PHOTO: © CONDÉ NAST ARCHIVE/CORBIS. 

GLORIA VANDERBILT IN NEW YORK, JUNE 2014. JACKET: (COURTESY OF ALBRIGHT FASHION LABEL): CHANEL. ALL OTHER CLOTHING: VANDERBILT'S OWN. 

COSMETICS: KOH GEN DO, INCLUDING AQUA FOUNDATION IN 002; CHANEL, INCLUDING LES 4 OMBRES QUADRA EYESHADOW IN PRÉLUDE AND CREAM BLUSH IN RÉVÉLATION; MAKE UP FOR EVER, INCLUDING AQUA LIP WATERPROOF LIPLINER PENCIL IN ROSEWOOD. MAKEUP: SHERI KORNHABER. RETOUCHING: GLOSS STUDIO. DIGITAL TECHNICIAN: BRENDAN BURKE. PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: EVAN LEE.

VANDERBILT IN 1953. PHOTO: © AP/CORBIS. 

VANDERBILT WITH HER SONS ANDERSON COOPER AND CARTER VANDERBILT COOPER, 1969. PHOTO: JACK ROBINSON/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES.

VANDERBILT IN 1955. PHOTO: AGIP-RUE DES ARCHIVES/THE GRANGER COLLECTION, NEW YORK.

WYATT COOPER AND VANDERBILT, 1968. PHOTO: JACOBELLIS/PHOTOFEST.