“I would only wear Disney princess costumes to all my grandparents’ events and parties until I was probably around nine. I didn’t even know it was considered a costume,” says Ivy Getty. As I listen to the colourful upbringing she recounts for me, my mind can’t help but wander to nostalgic scenes from The Princess Diaries. “I would have impromptu fashion shows where I made my godmother Jo and my grandma wait as I changed behind the window curtains, and watch me walk down two mattresses I lined up on the ground.”
The Princess Diaries follows the story of a teenage girl in San Francisco who discovers she’s set to take the throne of a fictional European state, and while there’s no Genovia in Getty’s world, her reality is not so far from the realm of such fairy tales. Great-granddaughter to American oil tycoon J. Paul Getty and granddaughter to Gordon Getty and the late Ann Getty, Ivy Getty is a modern day heiress whose childhood was spent in the spectacular five-story Getty mansion in Pacific Heights, San Francisco. Not a day would pass where she was not surrounded by the opulence of her grandparents’ life: rare antiques and art of museum quality, and grand fundraisers and parties attended by society’s most elite and intelligent.
Somewhat of an old soul herself, Getty was particularly close to her grandmother. “She was this incredible, wise, and stylish force in my life,” she muses. “She was the most generous person to her friends and anyone she came into contact with. Her two best friends lived with us growing up so it was so much fun—we called the four of us the golden girls.”
Among many things, Ann Getty was a renowned philanthropist who dedicated much of herself to San Francisco’s arts and culture. She was also an interior designer whose soul still echoes throughout the sophisticated chinoiserie objects and French textiles of the lavish Pacific Heights property. Her worldly outlook was something she instilled into Getty at a young age. “Travelling with my grandmother was like opening a door to a new world every time,” shares Getty. “She believed in learning through experiences and she knew she had this great privilege to be able to have so many hands-on experiences when it came to education. I feel forever lucky for being able to have the foundation of my education be from her.”
Today Getty continues to jet set around the world, mostly to attend benefit galas and major international fashion events. A coveted collaborator and muse signed to Ford models, she is also quite the style maven. Her most notable fashion moments include a custom haute couture wedding gown by John Galliano for Maison Margiela, and the original sparkly Blumarine number worn by Brittany Murphy’s Molly Gunn in Uptown Girls. Getty has perfected an eclectic it-girl wardrobe that can only be the result of a serial vintage shopper. And that she is. “I like to think of any vintage piece as a part of a story before me. It is so exciting to think of the exciting nights or days these pieces saw. I also just feel more myself when I’m not influenced by something just because everyone else has it.”
Looking back to where this love for fashion and commitment to individuality stems from, Getty shares, “My parents and grandparents both encouraged me to dress myself or choose what to wear a lot. My grandma and mother would sew all my costumes for my ballet recitals and halloween. I got to see the process of making garments and customisation, it was always so much fun for me.” When asked if there are any fashion philosophies or shopping rules she abides by, Getty offers a unique perspective. “Not really—if I thought of one, I am sure I have [already] broken it myself. I think maybe that is it: just to not have any rules, dress how you feel, and shop with your instinct. The pieces I wear most actually are my impulse buys.” She also refuses to dwell on any missed opportunities. “I really cannot even think about it because it genuinely sends me into another dimension of bitterness that takes me like an hour to move away from.”
While Getty’s family were undoubtedly enjoyers of the finer things in life, she also shares how their invaluable wisdom has fuelled her sense of empowerment. “[My grandmother] always told me that fashion is self-expression, but kindness and grace are what truly make a person memorable. Her lesson in being authentic and unafraid of standing out shaped my style—and my life.”
In finding true purpose, Getty continues to leverage her family’s wealth and status to advocate for matters close to her heart. “I am very privileged and was born into that position without doing anything to be there. It is important to have perspective and drop ignorance. I don’t want to be in a bubble and I don’t want greed. Doing things that benefit and help people, animals, wildlife et cetera. brings me more happiness than anything else. Right now there’s a mental health crisis that is deeply ignored and I hope to get more involved in improving how society views mental health.”
Getty is, at the end of the day, just a woman at the cusp of another chapter in her life. Having recently entered her thirties, her day-to-day is as charming and relatable as the next person’s. In between the chaotic fashion weeks and just as chaotic fashion parties she frequents, her quieter moments are spent re-watching her favourite rom-coms and Gossip Girl scenes (one of her favourites is Chuck and Blair in the limousine), or starting new arts and crafts passion projects with a dedication so intense it lands her in a neck brace. (True story. It was the LEGO sculptures.) Like many, she’s still on a path of self-discovery—but that’s exactly where she wants to be. “In my twenties the most fun part was not knowing who you were at all. So much of it was about the process of figuring it out,” she says candidly. “I realised that I never want to figure it out because my life would be boring if I had nothing to reach for in my personal transformations.”
Photography: Oriana Layendecker
Styling: Foxla Chiu
Casting & Production: Marina Fairfax
Makeup Artist: Dmitry Kukushkin
Hair Stylist: Fabio Petri
Photography Assistants: Sangwoo Sun & Floor Heuvelmans
Fashion Assistants: Joanna Fu & Lauren Walsh
Set Designer: Milena Gorum
Set Designer Assistant: Sofia Leilani
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. Payos
