Mirella Petteni in Venice, 1966. Photo: Helmut Newton. Image: Tumblr.
Happy Mardi Gras! To celebrate the last day of Carnival, here’s a look at the star of Helmut Newton’s 1966 Venetian shoot: Italian model and socialite Mirella Petteni Haggiag.
Born in Bergamo, Mirella Petteni moved to Milan to work as a model. As the wife of film producer Robert Haggiag, Petteni was also a society figure with residences in Venice, Tuscany, New York, and Rome’s Palazzo Mengarini. (See T magazine.) She retired from modelling to become an editor at Vogue Italia.
Mirella Petteni in Queen, August 1966. Photo: Helmut Newton. Image: Sweet Jane.
Petteni can be seen on many Vogue Couturier Designs by Italian designers.
Image: PatternVault shop.Vogue 1397 by Pucci, March 1965 retail catalogue. Image: Pinterest.
Petteni also appears in a Vogue holiday editorial that includes two Vogue Special designs (Vogue 6084 and 6054):
In Vogue 6084 and 6054, Vogue, December 1963. Photos: Irving Penn? Image: Youthquakers.
Here she wears Galitzine’s halter and culotte:
Vogue 1393 by Galitzine (1964) Image: Etsy.
Here, in Pucci’s bestselling cape-jacket ensemble, Petteni’s aspirational hair is an added bonus:
Vogue 1394 by Pucci (1964) Image: Etsy.Image: Etsy.
In white dresses from Fabiani and Forquet:
Vogue 1402 by Federico Forquet (1964). Image: Etsy.Vogue 1866 by Fabiani (1967) Image: Etsy.Vogue 1899 by Fabiani (1968) Image: Etsy.
Sorbet colour-blocking from Pucci:
Vogue 1865 by Pucci (1967) Image: Etsy.Vogue 1955 by Pucci (1968) Image: PatternVault shop.
In Forquet’s short, half-bias evening dress:
Vogue 1957 by Federico Forquet (1968) Image: Vintage Pattern Wiki.
Benedetta Barzini and Mirella Petteni in Valentino, at Agnese Bruguier’s apartment in the Palazzo Borghese, Rome, Vogue, September 1968. Photo: Henry Clarke. Image: tumblr.Mirella Petteni in Queen, August 1966. Photo: Helmut Newton. Image: tumblr.
Tania Mallet wears Mary Quant and James Wedge on the cover of British Vogue, October 1, 1963. Photo: Brian Duffy. Image: eBay.
Model and Bond girl Tania Mallet (b. 1941) was born in Blackpool to English and Russian-English parents. (Her mother, Olga Mironoff, was Helen Mirren’s paternal aunt.) She began working as a model in the late 1950s after taking a course at the Lucie Clayton Charm Academy. You may recognize her from her role as Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger (1964).
Mallet’s modelling work in the 1960s included editorials for Vogue patterns and Vogue Knitting Book.
Tania Mallet in Vogue Knitting Book no. 60 (Jubilee edition), 1962. Image: Etsy.
The earliest patterns I’ve found featuring Mallet are by French and Italian designers—Jacques Heim and Simonetta:
Vogue 1258 by Jacques Heim (1963) Image: Pinterest.Vogue 1265 by Simonetta (1963) Image: eBay.
Later patterns are by London designers like Ronald Paterson and Jo Mattli:
Vogue 1391 by Ronald Paterson (1964) Image: Vintage Pattern Wiki.Vogue 1407 by Jo Mattli (1964) Image: Etsy.Vogue 1661 by Jo Mattli (ca. 1967) Image: Etsy.
Tania Mallet wears Vogue 1693 by Federico Forquet (with Vogue 1758 by Ronald Paterson and Vogue 7158). Sekers Fabrics advertisement, 1967.
Full marks for hats and coiffure, don’t you think?
Tania Mallet in Pucci on the cover of British Vogue, July 1961. Photo: Eugene Vernier. Image: Vogue UK.Tania Mallet in Pierre Cardin on the cover of Jardin des Modes, March 1962. Photo: Harry Meerson. Image: Jardin des Modes Covers.Tania Mallet on the cover of British Vogue, July 1962. Photo: Henry Clarke. Image: eBay.
