Even though I'm really not a very "fashion-conscious" fellow (as a lot of other people certainly seem to be) - I was still quite impressed with this first-rate bio-documentary that focuses in on the life and times of the "Empress of Fashion", Diana Vreeland.

Back in the mid-20th century (spanning the years from 1940-1970) - Diana Vreeland was not only credited for her vast influence on the ever-changing face of women's fashions - But, she was also noted for being the trusted fashion-adviser to such high-profile women as Jacqueline Kennedy.

All-in-all - "The Eye Has To Travel" is the sort of presentation that is sure to appeal to a wide range of viewers (whether they are women, men, or trans).

I think I love this the most for Diana's ugly duckling syndrome. Not all people are beautiful. Very beautiful people can be intimidating, which does nothing to encourage friendship and commerce. The way this problem intersects with fashion is very important. You can correct, or disguise physical defects with clothing and makeup. Diana set a good example for women who are not classic beauties. She got to work and made herself useful. She had good taste. She got dressed up every day, put on makeup and jewelry, and forayed out into the world. The alternative was staying home, depressed and useless. She had the good sense to pay attention to what the public was wearing out in the street every day. How are other people interpreting fashion, solving clothing problems, and individualizing their clothing? What are the kids wearing? Viewers want to see that in a magazine. That is why we read, after all, to collect new ideas. Diana paid attention to the wider world. That's the sign of a healthy person. Good clothing makes us feel good about ourselves. It is an essential part of sobriety. Good personal hygiene is the first step to staying sober. The alternative is people sleeping in the street with no clothing on, drunk and stoned. We don't want that, right? So, for those reasons alone, I loved this movie. But wait, there's more! We want a magazine to encourage women to engage in good hygiene. She did that. So why fire her? If you were not making money, it's because you were not advertising. Good advertizing makes or breaks a company. In any event, you did fire her, but she survived it, and thrived. That sets a good example as well. She got back up and got out of the house and made herself useful again. The photography in her magazine was truly inspiring. It inspired the viewer to imagine another life, which is good. This is one of the reasons we make art, and share photographs: to inspire and inform the viewer. The alternative is stagnation and a kind of artistic death. Diana's style was sexy and feminine. We want to encourage women to feel sexy and attractive to the opposite sex. The alternative is a utilitarian and androgenous style, which does nothing to encourage procreation. So what's the problem with keeping Diana employed? By the way, I do not think Diana is ugly. She is totally unique. I think she needs to gain some weight.

I found this documentary of the life and career of Diana Vreeland to be very fascinating. The journey of her life is conveyed through recorded interviews she game to writer George Plimpton , who was writing her autobiography "D.V.", as well as clips from interviews she gave to Diane Sawyer, Jane Pauley, and Dick Cavett, among others. Additionally, there's interviews with many people that worked with her over the years such as designers, models, photographers, film stars, assistants, and her family. There's many wondrous film clips of the eras and people of her time.

The movie covers her personal life and personality to some degree as well. She had a pampered childhood growing up in Europe, but suffered, it seemed, verbal abuse at the hands of her mother who referred to her as her "ugly little monster" and "ugly duckling". Eventually she met her husband Reed Vreeland and entered a marriage that lasted nearly a half century. Before, WWII, she moved to America, and eventually began working for the famed Harper's Bazaar magazine. She quickly rose to become fashion editor, but was notorious for her demanding and rude ways with her assistants, one of which surprisingly was the future movie actress Ali MacGraw.

At Harper's, Vreeland displayed many of the characteristics that made her so unique. She was an amazing visionary with seemingly impeccable instincts for fashion and how to transform that onto the pages of the mag. She also had an amazing eye for beauty in the models that were photographed and knew how to accentuate those features of the models that no one else could. Such notables as Lauren Bacall, Cher, Lauren Hutton, Twiggy, Marisa Berenson, Penelope, and Veruschka, all thrived under her watch at Harper's and later Vogue magazine.

After many years at Harper's, Vreeland was lured to Vogue to become Editor-In-Chief. It was the 1960's and the freedom and revolutionary spirit of the time were perfect for her. She thrived there as well and added to her legend. In her seventies, she became a lead consultant for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and their Costume Institute, where she staged fantastic exhibitions for the museum.

All in all, I was quite fascinated by this detailed documentary on the genius, and the "warts", of a very unique personality who added so much to the eras she lived through.