Nicolas, the 5th Baron de Gunzburg, was a French-born scion of a wealthy Russian-Jewish family, renowned for his extravagant costume balls in Paris, which attracted the city's artistic and social elite during the 1920s and 1930s.
With a passion for acting, Nicolas financed the now-classic film Vampyr, starring under the screen name "Julian West", in exchange for the lead role. However, his father's sudden passing and subsequent financial struggles left Nicolas with little money.
In 1934, he threw one final lavish costume party and embarked on a journey to America to seek his fortune. Although he attempted to revive his screen career, he never made another film.
Nicolas relocated to New York in the 1940s and eventually became the editor-in-chief of Town & Country magazine, befriending notable figures such as Noel Coward, Lauren Bacall, Cole Porter, Coco Chanel, and Cecil Beaton.
He later assumed the role of senior fashion editor at Vogue, remaining there throughout the 1950s and 1960s, before becoming the fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar. By the 1970s, his impeccable personal style had earned him the reputation of being one of the best-dressed men in America, despite openly living a discreet romantic life.
Nicolas also mentored three prominent fashion designers: Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, and Calvin Klein, all of whom went on to become legends in their own right.
Although he is primarily remembered for his solitary film role, Nicolas's influence on the fashion world has endured long after his passing, a testament to his enduring legacy.
