A regular face in the front row of fashion week, often clad in designer gear, and model good looks… no, it’s not Kate Moss, but her quasi-mother-in-law, the fittingly named Debonnaire Von Bismarck.
The 64-year-old former debutante, who goes by ‘Debbie’, is a long term pal of Miss Moss, 50, and the mother of the supermodel’s partner of nine years Nikolai Von Bismarck, 37.
On Monday, just hours after the supermodel landed after a trip to Turkey, where she was pictured hand-in-hand with reggae legend Bob Marley’s 27-year old grandson Skip – she was pictured sitting with her photographer boyfriend and his mother on the front row of the Gucci Cruise fashion show at London‘s Tate Modern.
Leaving the show, Kate linked arms with Debbie, who, wearing a black halter neck and sporting a year long tan, is just a glamorous as the Vogue cover star.
Born to a military officer father and a aristocratic mother in 1959, the society beauty has been dubbed the ‘best hostess in London,’ by Vanity Fair and regularly has royalty and the biggest names in the London float into her – appointment only – gift shop Debonnaire.
The 64-year-old former debutante, who goes by ‘Debbie’, is a long term pal of Miss Moss, 50, and the mother of the supermodel’s partner of nine years Nikolai Von Bismarck , 37
Friends in high places! Debbie is pictured with Naomi Campbell at Princess Eugenie’s wedding in 2018
Debbie von Bismarck attends the Roger Vivier book launch party at Saatchi Gallery
Society goes to her to solve ‘gift giving crises’ as she is a ‘gift giving genius’ as well as ‘one of the most glamorous countesses in the world’.
She says her ideal gift is something ‘with personalisation’, luxurious, or a bit naughty’.
In 1984, she married Count Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen, the youngest son of Otto Christian Archibald, Prince of Bismarck and Ann-Mari Tengbom. Together they have four sons, including Kate’s long term beau Nikolai.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a Knightsbridge shop owner, Debbie lives a very glamorous life.
The idea for her shop – which sells Moroccan shawls, Lebanese shawls and silk pyjamas among other luxury items – came from travelling, she previously told Vanity Fair.
To create her lookbook, she enlisted old pal Kate, as well as Alexander McQueen’s late muse Annabelle Neilson, and film producer Gala Gordon.
Travelling is a keen interest for the society siren, speaking to Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, Debbie said that a ‘nanny’ is the most important thing to travel with when you have children with you, her ideal date night is at the Ritz, and that she can’t live without her meditation shawl. ‘I wear it around my neck or across my shoulder as a blanket on a flight,’ she said.
The beauty has many friends in fashion, including the late Karl Lagerfield
Debbie is seen holding hands with former British Vogue editor Edward Enniful, her son Nikolai is also pictured
Fashionista! The star often looks glamorous at society events, pictured Charlotte Olympia ‘Handbags for the Leading Lady’ launch dinner at Toto’s Restaurant in 2014
Countess Debonnaire von Bismarck and Nikolai Von Bismarck at the Royal Academy of Arts
Debbie Harry, Lila Moss, Kate Moss,Nikolai von Bismarck and Debonnaire von Bismarck attend the Gucci Cruise 2025 Fashion Show at Tate Modern
Count Leopold von Bismarck and his bride Debonnaire Jane Patterson after their wedding ceremony at Saint Peter and Saint Pauls church in 1984
She regularly enjoys get away to the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Maldives, Venice, Cairo and Italy. She loves reggae, her Hermes cross body bag and looks to Jane Birkin and Daphne Guinness for style inspiration.
Darlings of high society magazine Tatler, the von Bismarcks effortlessly bridge the gap between old school London society and the new money generation of musicians, models and designers.
Kate, who describes the countess as a ‘one-off’, has long retained her services as a stylist and all-round design guru.
Indeed, when Kate was appointed Vogue’s contributing fashion editor in 2014 she persuaded Debbie and her husband Count Leopold von Bismarck-Schonhausen, to open the doors of their £7 million Chelsea home for a shoot. Kate’s assessment of the property said a lot about what she finds attractive about Nikolai. She called it ‘London’s most glamorous party house’.
Rumours have lingered that Kate and Nikolai’s eight-year romance has been on the rocks.
Last summer he was seen heading to a hotel with French-American model Camille Rowe, however, he was central to Kate’s 50th birthday celebrations in January.
But last night’s fashion show appearance, their first together for four months, will mean rumours about their relationship won’t go away.
Debonnaire with her sister-in-law Debonnaire in 1990
Debbie has many high society pals, including Sophia Hesketh and Lady Mary Charteris
If Nikolai von Bismarck was hoping for some affection from Kate Moss it was not forthcoming as they made their first public appearance since January on Monday evening
Kate and Nikolai repeatedly turned away from each other
It comes hours after Kate (centre) was pictured holding hands with Skip Marley (right) in Turkey at the weekend after running onstage during his performance
Nikolai was left in the shadows, quite literally, on the far right, while Kate chatted with model daughter Lila, Blondie star Debbie Harry and Hollywood legend Demi Moore as well as Alia Bhatt on the front row at the Gucci Cruise fashion show in London
The supposed couple looked like they did not communicate as they sat next to each other at the star-studded event
Nikolai von Bismarck was pictured looking serious on his phone
He did not appear to be present during her recent trip to Turkey, during which she became so excited at a performance by Skip Marley that she ran on stage and had to be ushered away by guards.
Slip, the 27-year-old grandson of late reggae superstar Bob Marley, did not appear to be too perturbed by her passionate enthusiasm as he was later seen holding hands with Kate.
‘Kate ran on stage as she loved it so much,’ a spectator told the Mail’s Richard Eden. ‘She was escorted off the stage by security. I don’t know whether there’s a “thing” [between the pair] but she’s a fan for sure. It was all very sweet and non-confrontational.’
Marley was performing at the launch of cultural festival Med Bodrum at the Turkish holiday resort’s Macakizi hotel, where the model is known to have stayed in the past.
Other artists to feature in the festival include Marina Abramovic and British photographer Alistair Guy.
Moss, who is a regular visitor to Bodrum, was accompanied by her close friend Rosemary Ferguson, 48, a model-turned-nutritionist.
Joining them was Rose’s husband, the artist Jake Chapman, and photographer Mariano Vivanco.
Raised in Miami, Skip is the son of Bob Marley’s second daughter Cedella.
The catwalk veteran was making her first public appearance with Nikolai since January, when they celebrated her 50th birthday in Paris – pictured in January together
Slip, the 27-year-old grandson of late reggae superstar Bob Marley, did not appear to be too perturbed by her passionate enthusiasm while performing at the launch of cultural festival Med Bodrum at the Turkish holiday resort’s Macakizi hotel (pictured onstage at the event)
Kate turned away from Nikolai as she cosied up to her daughter Lila as the pair sat front row at the fashion show – leaving him talking to his mother, Debonnaire Jane von Bismarck (right)
The supermodel cosied up to her glamorous model daughter Lila alongside Debbie Harry
Skip is understood to be single, having previously been romantically linked to Grammy award-winning American singer H.E.R. with whom he made the hit song Slow Down
Bob Marley is seen here performing on stage; he died at age 36 in 1981 from melanoma
Kate previously enjoyed a long relationship with hellraising musician Pete Doherty (pictured together in 2006, left). Her most recent relationship was with Count Nikolai von Bismarck (pictured together in 2023, right)
He is understood to be single, having previously been romantically linked to Grammy award-winning American singer H.E.R. with whom he made the hit song Slow Down.
When in Bodrum, Kate often stays at the LifeCo health retreat. However, her visits do not always have a calming effect.
In 2015, she was escorted by police off an Easyjet flight from Bodrum after reportedly drinking vodka she pulled from her cabin luggage when flight attendants refused to serve her alcohol.
As officers at Luton Airport lead her off airport she reportedly called the pilot ‘a basic b**ch’.
