Diana Vreeland wasn’t just a legendary fashion editor and icon. She was a sage. Here are the Diana Vreeland quotes to live by as you make your plans for 2014. For more from this Write In Color muse, pick up the incredible documentary, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel.

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“Style – all who have it share one thing: originality.” – Diana Vreeland

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“There’s only one thing in life, and that’s the continual renewal of inspiration.” – Diana Vreeland

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“A little bad taste is like a splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste – it’s hearty, it’s healthy, it’s physical. I think we could all use more of it. Bad taste is what I’m against.” – Diana Vreeland

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“All my life I’ve pursued the perfect red.” – Diana Vreeland

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“Fashion must be the most intoxicating release from the banality of the world.” – Diana Vreeland

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“The best time to leave a party is when the party’s just beginning. There’s no drink that kills you except the drink you didn’t want to take, as the saying goes, and there’s no hour that kills except the hour you stayed after you wanted to go home.” – Diana Vreeland

diana-vreeland-quote-success

“I think part of my success as an editor came from never worrying about a fact, a cause, an atmosphere. It was me – projecting to the public. That was my job. I think I always had a perfectly clear view of what was possible for the public. Give ’em what they never knew they wanted.” – Diana Vreeland

diana-vreeland-quote-chanel

“Where Chanel came from in France is anyone’s guess. She said one thing one day and another thing the next. She was a peasant – and a genius. Peasants and geniuses are the only people who count and she was both.” – Diana Vreeland

So next time you wear red, think of Diana and be something bold. Channel her confidence to empower your own creativity.  As Diana said, don’t confine yourself to facts and atmosphere. Know your audience and give them what they never knew they wanted. Trust your instincts — it works every time.