Irene Galitzine & Diana Vreeland: The Palazzo Pajamas That Changed 1960s Fashion

Discover the fascinating story of Irene Galitzine, the Italian princess and couturier who helped redefine modern elegance in the late 1950s and 1960s. Best known for her revolutionary Palazzo Pajamas, Galitzine created a new language of luxury for a generation of women who were travelling, socializing, and moving through the world differently. Her combination of trousers and richly decorated tunics was elegant enough for evening, practical enough for modern life, and perfectly suited to the glamorous jet-set culture of Rome, Capri, Florence, and international high society. This video explores how Diana Vreeland helped transform Galitzine’s design into a global fashion phenomenon by giving it the unforgettable name “Palazzo Pajamas.” We trace Irene Galitzine’s path from her early work at Sorelle Fontana in Rome to the launch of her own fashion house, her breakthrough 1959 collection, and her growing international reputation in the 1960s. The story also leads to Capri, where Galitzine developed her own answer to the new culture of resort dressing that was also being shaped by Emilio Pucci. Both designers responded to the same changing woman — mobile, international, wealthy, and increasingly interested in clothes that offered freedom without sacrificing glamour. Yet Galitzine’s solution was distinctly her own: more structured, more formal, and deeply connected to Roman sophistication. We also look at the women who helped define the Galitzine image, including Jacqueline Kenned