The Style Advice Elizabeth Taylor Shared with Her Granddaughter

Everyone’s grandma dishes out heaping helpings of advice. But when your granny happens to be Elizabeth Taylor, you definitely take notes. READ: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Marilyn Monroe And that’s exactly what granddaughter Naomi deLuce Wilding did. In the May 2014 issue of Glamour Magazine, the “down-to-earth Brit” and head of Wilding Cran Gallery in Los Angeles gave a rare interview in which she shared what it was like growing up with “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” as her grandmother.  “I don’t think I associated the Elizabeth Taylor I knew with the movie star,” explains the 39-year-old. “She was just my grandmother–well, my granny. We were very close, and she had a strong influence on my life…She hosted my wedding reception, and I was even a bridesmaid in her wedding to Larry Fortensky. More than anything, my grandmother gave me confidence. She made me feel like I could do anything.” READ: 15 Vintage Celebrity Quotes on Sex, Love, and Men Wilding dishes on what it was like growing up with the glamorous screen siren, a woman who loved dressing other people up and sharing her wealth. “In my grandmother’s house in Switzerland, she had a bomb shelter that she’d turned into her wardrobe,” says Wilding. “Everybody would go down to pick out something to wear. If it looked good on you, chances are, she’d let you keep it.” “After trips to LA, I’d returned to England with beautiful things and no place to wear them,” adds Wilding. “My mother would roll her eyes–‘Oh God, what has Elizabeth given her this time?’–but I loved it. I’d dress up my friends in Yves Saint Laurent dresses, and we’d put on our rain boots and walk through the field.” PHOTOS: Kate Middleton Stuns with Giant Diamonds But despite her famous lineage, Wilding didn’t always have a fairy tale life. During her years pursuing a career in fashion design, she tells the women’s magazine how her New York City studio apartment was robbed just a few days before Christmas in 1999. Among her missing belongings included jewels given to her by Taylor. After the unfortunate incident, Taylor asked her heartbroken granddaughter to live with her in Los Angeles, where she resided “on and off” for three years while kicking off her styling career. “Nobody knew, but I borrowed clothes from her closet for my early shoots,” says Wilding. Of course, you don’t live with Taylor herself without sharing some of her love for drama. PHOTOS: Celebs Love Their Daring Dresses “Most grandmothers would say, ‘You can’t leave the house wearing that!’” says Wilding. “Mine would see my bra strap showing, and say, ‘Just take your bra off.’ I am shy, but she pushed me to be daring. She’d accessorized my subtle outfits to be more eye-grabbing. She relished abundance. She didn’t always make the most tasteful choices, but she always had a great time. “I’m the same way,” says Wilding. “My husband thinks I’m crazy when I go out in three types of plaid. But it’s from her that I learned that fashion is for play.”