Post on 30-Mar-2018
Here was an evening all at once a through-the-
looking glass tour of the wildly creative and
extravagant career of Tony Duquette, and a
madly entertaining “stand-up” perf o rmance by
Hutton Wilkinson.
Wilkinson, President of Tony Duquette, Inc. , the
Elsie DeWolfe Foundation and, in his own right, a
j e w e l ry and interior designer, began working for
Duquette during his teenage years, though his
aspirations to do so took root when, as a 7th
g r a d e r, a Los Angeles Ti m e s f e a t u re bro u g h t
Duquette to his rapt attention.
P resented by the FGI Frontliners Committee,
and graciously hosted by the Baker Showroom
of Baker Knapp & Tubb “Tony Duquette—An
Enchanted Vision” explored Duquette’s
e x t r a o rd i n a ry life, from his childhood to his
d i s c o v e ry by his friend, patroness and client, Elsie
de Wolfe, who persuaded the Duke of Windsor to
commission a Duquette necklace for the Mrs.
Up close and personal was a view of Duquette’s
work for crowned and nearly-crowned heads, the
greats of dance, theater and screen, socialites of
the A+ ilk and his unprecedented exhibition at
the Louvre, the first American to exhibit at the
Paris museum.
Against a backdrop of images from his book,
Wi l k i n s o n ’s presentation––laced with style, wit
and charm––spoke of Duquette’s marriage to his
muse and soul mate, the ravishingly beautiful
Elizabeth Johnstone Duquette (herself an
accomplished artist who painted the canvases
for Elizabeth Ta y l o r’s character in the film, T h e
S a n d p i p e r) and his associations with the friends
and colleagues who helped him achieve his
d reams. Wi l k i n s o n ’s dialogue was liberally and
delightfully peppered with the names of the
glitterati whose patronage paved the way to fame:
the legendary fashion designer, Adrian, movie
moguls, George Cukor and Vincent Minnelli
(whose fairly well-known daughter, Liza, is a
self-appointed Duquette goddaughter), Fre d
Astaire and Cary Grant, among so many others.
An inveterate collector—with l i tt le sales
resistance and a discerning eye—Duquette
accumulated a wealth of tre a s u res unearthed at
the props and costume auctions held by the
movie studios. Among the goodies scooped up
(often by offers of “if you can use it, just come
and get it) were the Louis XVI chairs featured in
�
The Thin Man, Regency and Chippendale tables,
Biedermeier display cabinets and, in another vein
e n t i re l y, Esther Williams’ swimming pool and the
front doors to Gone With The Wind’s “Tara”.
As fascinating as the program was the venue itself;
a vast and elegant space richly detailed with the
crème de la crème of interior design, including
B a k e r’s 20-or-so re p roductions of Duquette
masterpieces, some of which, Wilkinson
acknowledged, are better than the originals.
P o s t - p resentation, attendees enjoyed a lavish
spread of wine, cheeses, fruits and veggies, while
lining up to purchase copies of Tony Duquette:
Inspirations and Achievements; a collector’s
volume—beautifully writ ten and glor iously
illustrated with dozens of rare and fabulous
photographs. With warmth and grace, the very
charismatic Hutton Wilkinson stayed on to sign
each copy.
–– Wendy D'Amico
Creative Consultant, Wendy7d@aol.com
The World of Tony Duquette:The Vision and Scope of an Iconic American Art i s t
“Beauty, not luxury, is what I value” —Tony Duquette
dFrontliners
Hutton Wilkinson signing his book for
designer Joanna Mastroianni.