Horizontal stripes on Cecil Beaton muse

I loved Dannii Minouge's horizontal striped vintage dress and I was tinkled pink when I noticed this similarly patterned dress in the December issue of UK Vogue. In an ode to the evening gown Vogue have contrasted this Paquin striped fishtail masterpiece - as worn by Maxime de la Falaise and photographed by Cecil Beaton - with the Autumn 09 couture collections.

Enamoured with this classic photograph, I thought this was as good a time as any to celebrate the inimitable Maxime de la Falaise - model, fashionista, aristocrat and cookbook author - and her equally as gorgeous descendants.

Cecil Beaton once referred to Maxime as the most stylish Englishwoman of her generation and Maxime's daughter Lou Lou de la Falaise would become a fashion model too, muse to Yves Saint Laurent and is now a fashion designer.

Her granddaughter Lucie de la Falaise also became a fashion model who shot to prominence during the 1990s waif/grunge phase.

The ever beautiful Maxime sadly passed away last year.

These dynasties of talented, artistic and beautiful types - Maxime's father Sir Oswald Birley was an acclaimed painter, her second marriage was to a curator from the Met Museum and granddaughter Lucie is married to Keith Richards son - never fail to fascinate. No doubt it also helps to be born fabulously rich as well, although these days the daughters of the rich and famous seem to spend more time getting plastered at parties across the world than acting fabulously chic and inspiring style envy. Reality TV has a lot to answer for.