AN ICON AT 90
THERE ARE PEOPLE YOU MEET ALREADY KNOWING EXACTLY WHO THEY ARE. NANI BREGVADZE IS ONE OF THEM. HER VOICE, ELEGANCE, MANNER, EVEN HER SILHOUETTE, HAVE LONG BECOME PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORY.
AND THEN SHE ARRIVED ON SET.
BEFORE THE SHOOT BEGAN, NANI WAS EVERY BIT THE DIVA ONE SECRETLY HOPES A TRUE DIVA WILL BE. A LITTLE GRUMPY, WONDERFULLY PARTICULAR, NOT ENTIRELY CONVINCED BY WHAT WE WERE ABOUT TO DO, AND VERY FUNNY WITH IT. NOT NECESSARILY TRYING TO BE. SHE OBSERVED EVERYTHING WITH THAT UNMISTAKABLE LOOK THAT SEEMED TO ASK WHETHER WE REALLY KNEW WHAT WE WERE DOING.
LUCKILY, WE DID.
MINUTE BY MINUTE, CURIOSITY REPLACED SUSPICION. SHE BEGAN TO ENJOY THE LOOKS, THE CAMERA, THE UNUSUAL WORLD WE HAD BUILT AROUND HER. WITH EVERY FRAME SHE BECAME MORE PLAYFUL, MORE TRUSTING, AND BY THE END, I THINK SHE WAS AS EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE WERE CREATING AS WE WERE.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO PHOTOGRAPH SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY AN ICON. THERE ARE DECADES OF FAMILIAR IMAGES TO COMPETE WITH, AND THE TEMPTATION IS TO REPRODUCE THE LEGEND EVERYONE ALREADY KNOWS. WE WANTED SOMETHING ELSE: NANI AS SHE IS TODAY — TIMELESS, FORMIDABLE, FEMININE, WITTY, ELEGANT, AND COMPLETELY HERSELF.
I BELIEVE WE CREATED IMAGES THAT WILL BECOME ICONIC IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF DISCOVERING THE WOMAN BEHIND A VOICE I HAVE KNOWN ALL MY LIFE. SHE TOLD ME STORIES ABOUT HER LIFE THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET. AND THAT, TO ME, IS PRICELESS.
NANI BREGVADZE IS A TRUE DIVA IN THE VERY BEST SENSE OF THE WORD — AND AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, STILL ENTIRELY UNMISTAKABLE.
NINO ELIAVA: WHO ARE YOUR STYLE ICONS? WHICH WOMEN SHAPED YOUR PERCEPTION OF BEAUTY AND ELEGANCE?
NANI BREGVADZE: I can hardly recall who might have caught my fancy in those early days... or how my sense of style even came to be. It was simply that, ever since I was a child, my mother used to see the most exquisite dresses for me. The entire Bregvadze family — my aunts included — were all so devoted, so driven, you might say, to have me dressed beautifully.
So, really, my sense of style was formed right there in my childhood. From the age of seven, I cannot even remember for how many years, my father was working in Iran, and he often sent us incredibly beautiful clothes, shoes, and accessories from there.
I still remember the patent leather shoes... After the war ended, my father stayed there and continued working for a while. My mother and I used to dress alike... I remember, whatever my mother had, I had as well. Mostly things nobody else possessed back then, like those patent shoes with rubber soles.
Even today, my friends, those who are thankfully still with us, often recall a gorgeous jacket I had in shades of yellow and brown with a diamond pattern and angora sleeves... back when no one even knew what angora was. Looking back now, I can barely remember how many such extraordinary pieces I had in my wardrobe. But one thing I can say with absolute certainty: my mother always had me dressed impeccably.
NINO: DO YOU REMEMBER THE VERY FIRST FASHIONABLE ITEM YOU PURCHASED ABROAD? WHAT WAS IT?
NANI: When I first went to Paris back in 1964, the film "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" was all the rage. The leading actress wore this magnificent, exquisite coat — and right then, I decided I simply had to have one just like it. Naturally, I bought it. If you ever watch the film, do pay close attention to that coat — you'll see exactly the kind of beauty I mean.
NINO: IS THERE A DRESS OR A PIECE OF JEWELRY IN YOUR WARDROBE THAT YOU COULD NEVER PART WITH? WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND IT?
NANI: To this day, I still have an extraordinary Lanvin shirt and a gorgeous Dior skirt that I still wear. Over the years, I've styled this skirt in so many different ways, pairing it with different tops. Then there are my Chanel shoes, which I bought at the Chanel boutique in London. I mostly wore them on stage because they had sturdy heels, which made them perfect for performing.
NINO: DO YOU REMEMBER THE DRESS IN WHICH YOU FIRST FELT EXCEPTIONALLY BEAUTIFUL?
NANI: I couldn't possibly narrow it down to just one dress, because there were several that I truly adored and felt wonderful in. For instance, I was given one of Barbra Streisand's dresses, bought at an auction in America. With velvet detailing... magnificent... To this day, both Eka and I still wear it quite often. The time I felt most beautiful, though, was in a red dress by Maka Asatiani. I absolutely loved wearing it; it was, without a doubt, a truly exceptional dress.
NINO: WHAT DO YOU ADMIRE IN THE STYLE OF MODERN WOMEN, AND WHAT DO YOU FEEL IT IS LACKING TODAY?
NANI: Generally speaking, the younger generation has become so very beautiful, and I do like their style. Yet somehow, I feel there is a lack of individuality. It's as though their clothes, hairstyles, and overall looks have all begun to resemble one another. I cannot say I am fond of that, but then again, I suppose I view these things through a somewhat different lens.
NINO: WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT OLD TBILISI — THE STREETS, THE HOUSES, THE OLD TBILISIAN SPIRIT, OR THE PEOPLE?
NANI: That is my most painful topic... My whole life, my childhood and youth is deeply rooted in old Tbilisi, particularly in Mtatsminda, where I was born. I used to wander the hills all the time, picking flowers...
NINO: IF A TWENTY-YEAR-OLD NANI WERE SITTING BEFORE YOU TODAY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE HER?
NANI: At twenty, Nani was just a student — an inexperienced young girl who didn't yet understand life very deeply. Today, I would advise that younger self to focus on her studies and to simply follow the path life laid out for her — just as I did.
NINO: WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR YOURSELF TODAY?
NANI: At my age, I will answer this question quite frankly: health. There is truly nothing better, whether you are young or at my stage of life. I wish health to everyone.
INTERVIEW: NINO ELIAVA
PHOTOGRAPHY: MARIAM KACHASHVILI
PRODUCTION AND STYLING: NINO ELIAVA
MAKEUP: KRISTINA MIRZASHVILI
