SHE CAME, SHE WORE, SHE CONQUERED! END OF AN ERA... YVONNE GULAMHUSEIN A CELEBRATION OF HER LIFE
When Yvonne Gulamhusein passed away on the 12th of July, 2010, it marked an end of era. She was a legend in her lifetime – as a very young delicate and petite beauty, who started life as a cabaret dancer, married her handsome young prince and lived her fairytale life! It was a life well lived, as Yvonne was much loved by her devoted husband, Onally Gulamhusien, the scion of a wealthy Borah family.
Yvonne Gulamhusein was the most paparazzied young fashion plate in her day – and as one gets an exclusive peek at her Scrap Book from 1945, with paper clippings from various newspapers and magazines which reported her many accomplishments as a dancer, her triumphs as a beauty queen, cover girl and then later on , as a much admired fashion icon, we begin to realize that she was way ahead of the times in her understanding of the power of the press! Certainly, for a teenager way back in the ‘40s! It is when browsing through this scrap book, that it strikes one that Yvonne’s life as documented in these pages provide an enchanting and fascinating insight into an era long gone…an era in which our country was called Ceylon under the British, then Independence in 1948. And as the decades roll on post-Independence to the present, when old black and white photographs change to colour, in these pages of Yvonne’s rich life, we catch glimpses of the history of our country - how British Ceylon to came to be the Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka.
Back to the Beginning – a Bathing Beauty
“Yvonne Toussaint’s costume was an overnight job,” reported The Times of Ceylon reported on May 27, 1946, headlining the article “Colombo Dancer Wins Beauty Title”. This was when she won the first ever “Queen of the Bathing Belles” at the all-day picnic arranged by Ceylon Tours at Bentota.
“The five lovelies who posed before the judges first paraded to the edge of the sea, then turned and posed again. But the onlookers had already made their choice, with one yell they wanted Yvonne and screamed, number five, number five. Yvonne, we want Yvonne!” Fortunately the judges agreed and told that she was the winner.
A man swooned in the midst of the crowd which swept forward to congratulate her! Then the spectators broke through the circle and mobbed the new Beauty Queen. They swept her along the beach up to a mount where the cameras were waiting for her to pose. There were still cameras and movie cameras all clicking away. Yvonne was wearing an exotic, scanty two piece costume in red and black. She said she had made it herself overnight. “
Exotic and scanty two piece –indeed! No wonder the pictures of Yvonne in that costume still can make cover page news. We at Hi!! Magazine, had no hesitation in selecting that picture of her as our Cover girl in this issue.
For after all, Yvonne was our second ever Cover Girl , back in 2003, the year we started the Hi Magazine.
Herald Cover Girl
In 1946, Yvonne applied for an advertisement by the Herald, for the Cover Girl Competition, and the picture she forwarded was selected as one of the joint winners of the competition; and hence on 15th of September, 1946 Yvonne graced the cover of Herald Vol No 12, and was described in it as “ a Ceylon born girl, educated at St Clare’s College, Wellawatte. Expert ballroom dancer and swimmer and an experienced cabaret entertainer. At present a well reputed dancing instructor.”
Flair for style, THE filly at the Races!
As mentioned earlier, Yvonne was already in the public eye as a dancer who did demonstration dances at Service dances and other gala events. Quoting one of the many clippings in her scrap book, “Miss Yvonne Toussaint whose new dance number ‘Viennese Waltz’ was a highlight of the gala opening night at the Silver Fawn, Colombo.
It is said that Onally Gulamhusein came to learn dancing from her and fell in love. For we find the gorgeous Ms Toussaint and the handsome Onally Gulamhusein strolling elegantly at the Races in August, 1948. Dressed exquisitely, she made it as the Cover Girl of The Ceylon Causerie in August, 1948. The magazine states, “Miss Yvonne Toussaint had her exquisite off-shoulder white lace picture frock partnered by a large white lace crownless picture hat and an elegant frilly white parasol. Nesting amongst the folds of her frock were posies of purple flowers – the whole a most striking ensemble.”
No wonder that she was a living legend for her iconic flair for style! Chic to the core, with an inborn elegance, she was the cynosure of all eyes in her heyday – and no wonder that the Cartoon of the Times of Ceylon, on August 10, 1948 had Yvonne among the celebrities - “ Incidentally, some women too went to great lengths to look ‘new’ but in one case at least, what was added to the bottom was taken from the top!”
Yvonne weds Onally
On Friday, August 27th, 1948, Yvonne wed Onally Gulamhusein at a reception at the Galle Face Hotel. Yvonne was a very demure bride, clad in “ a fragile net saree worked in an all over design of stars. Her blouse was in silver. She wore no veil, but a beautiful headdress of flowers.
In the morning, Yvonne went through rites of a Muslim wedding. In the evening she entertained a gay crowd of friends as the Galle Face Hotel. In her scrap book, the Wedding Invite and the accompanying Thank You notes, the Menu of the Wedding Buffet are well preserved for posterity.
Racing Cars
In February, 1949 the Ceylon Observer reports that “ Mrs. Onally Gulamhusein , wearing a striking costume of green, white and black and white rimmed sun-glasses, had little difficultly in winning the even for ‘Open Cars with Extra Equipment’ driving a grey Triumph Roadster upholstered in blue.”
High Flyer!
Yvonne’s many new talents did not stop there. The new Mrs. Gulamhusein next conquered the skies. The Ceylon Observer of December 29, 1948 reports that Mrs. Onally Gulamhusein went on her first solo flight the week before, becoming only the third Ceylonese girl to do so. And at just 21, she was also the youngest of the three.
Differed Honeymoon
The Gulamhuseins' had a differed honeymoon, and sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth to London. Yvonne attended races at Ascot, and In her dainty sarees and striking hair-dos where even with many beauties vying for the honours, the petite Mrs. G, was the cynosure of all eyes. Yvonne was presented to the Queen in 1954, (who first visited Ceylon as Princess Elizabeth and then returned as the Queen after the death of her father) at the Queen’s House, where she reminisced in the first interview I did with her way back in 2003, “As I was being presented to her, my fan fell down. And the next day, the papers were full of the incident and the million dollar question was “WHO picked up my fan- was it Prince Philip?”
Jet Set
Yvonne and Onally were part of the jet set in the post-Independent Ceylon. They were great friends of Sir John Kotelawala, who later became Prime Minister after Dudley Senanayake. She was part of the smart set of women who formed a fan club around Sir John, and were dubbed the ‘Purple Brigade’. They partied with the likes of Viscount Soul bury, the then Governor General of Ceylon. Aga Khan was a dear friend of the couple, and visited them twice in Ceylon.
They lived in a ranch style house, with sprawling gardens in the heart of the city; the mansion was called ‘El Patio Yveony’ and many were the memorable parties hosted there to the jet set of the day.
Fashion Columnist
Yvonne in her later years was a fashion columnist for the Sunday Times, a job which she enjoyed very much. Read one of her fashion articles below, where she reported on the first ever Yves Saint Laurent fashion show in Sri Lanka,
The Last Years
Yvonne and Onally had recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in August 2009. They were soul mates. Even during her last years, Yvonne remained the eternally elegant woman she always was. Always perfectly turned out, we will remember her not only as a striking beauty with an incomparable sense of style, but also for her kindness and her warm, caring and generous personality.