Cornelia's namesake bridal art-to-wear store c1980-90s |
As
a writer and popular guest speaker, Cornelia Powell shares captivating stories of
goddess legends and bridal mythology, royal ceremonies and rituals of the heart,
costume history, women’s history and creative self-expression—all combined with
a hint of cosmic mystery. Her latest book, The End of the Fairy-Tale
Bride: For Better or Worse, How Princess Diana Rescued the Great White Wedding,
spotlights the archetypal princess’ influence on the world of weddings and the lingering effects of the “princess myth” in popular
culture. (Cornelia is also the author of Amazon
bestseller The Bride’s Ritual Guide: Look Inside to Find Yourself and The Handkerchief Has Been Thrown! Something
Old & Something New for Same-Sex Couples.)
(Cornelia
is at work on a new book, tentatively titled, The Spiritual Mission of a Princess: Diana and the Return of the Heart, which explores how
the death of a world famous princess set a revolution-of-the-heart into motion—and how it is still influencing this “great shift in consciousness” sweeping the planet!)
Ms. Powell, a fashion historian and a wedding and cultural folklorist, has been the keynote speaker at the prestigious
Winterthur Museum in Delaware; on Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina;
at the Goodwood Museum in Tallahassee, Florida; Stephens College in Missouri, the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion in historic Mobile, Alabama, and
at other venues around the country. Whether the focus of her talks is Downton Abbey, The Crown, Coronations and Weddings of Queens, Gilded Glamour Aboard the Titanic, or “Losing the Corset, Winning the Vote & The Flapper Revolution” (honoring the Suffrage Centennial), Cornelia uses fashion to tell the story of a time and place in history—including how it shaped and re-shaped women’s lives!
Speaking at Vintage Fashion Luncheon |
Cornelia first made headlines in the world of weddings with her nationally celebrated bridal art-to-wear shop in Atlanta, Georgia, in the 1980s and ‘90s. Opened on the glittering wave following the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer—and in recognition of the emerging “modern woman”—her store helped reshape the bridal design industry. During this time both Ms. Powell and her shop were featured in numerous magazines and books including Hearst Publication’s The Business of Bliss: How to Profit from Doing What You Love, introducing women entrepreneurs as presented in Victoria magazine.
Cornelia Powell is a former associate fashion editor
at Vogue magazine (“the hardest work
and the best training ever”) and served for years as a member of the Costume
Society of America’s Board of Directors. After 30 years in Atlanta, Cornelia moved to
the Western North Carolina Mountains in 2008 and now looks out at the world and
its ever-inspiring landscape from her writing loft nestled on a steep, green
mountain ridge. She claims growing up on a farm in south Alabama,
including visits “up the road” with two extraordinary grandmothers, gave her a
“wondering” quality about finding beauty in the everyday of Mother Nature. ~
For more information, contact Cornelia
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