“He Demonstrated That Clothes Designed on Seventh Avenue Could
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“He demonstrated that clothes designed on Seventh Avenue could rival the most elegant creations fro m Paris…Norell h elpe d to put American fashion on the map.” Norman Norell was born in 1900 as Norman David Levinson in Noblesville, Indiana. His parents were not in the garment business, although his mother was a fashion plate in his small town. The Levinsons moved to Indianapolis when Norman was 5. After he graduated from high school he enlisted in the army, and at 19 he enrolled at Parson’s School of Design in New York City to study fashion illustration. Here was where he changed his name to Norman Norell. Norell left school to open a batik shop, but soon returned to his studies of fashion at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where he was awarded first prize in a blouse competition. Convinced it was his destiny to be a costumer… Norman worked for Astoria Studios of Paramount Pictures at 22. For two years he was a costumer for Paramount movies. He worked with Valentino, Gloria Swanson and Brooks Costume Company. He briefly returned to his first passion when he worked on the 1963 film “The Wheeler Dealers”. In 1924 Norell worked for Charles Amour in his first job designing. There he designed an upscale line of dresses. In 1928 he left Charles Amour to work for Hattie Carnegie, who is known as the first fashion retailer. In Norell’s 13 years working for Hattie Carnegie, he gained experience in retail, wholesale, and custom fashion design. He often accompanied her on her trips to Paris for inspiration, where he learned about European fashion and changing it to suit American tastes. In 1941, Norman Norell left Hattie Carnegie to founded Traina- Norell with clothing manufacturer Anthony Traina. From the very first collection under the new label, Norell established himself as a major new talent. For the next three decades,decades, from 1941 to his death in 1972, Norman Norell led American fashion with his classic ready-to-wear styles. In 1960, Norell’s name alone appeared on the label for the first time. In 1965, Norell presided over the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Norell believed a woman should look subdued by day and blossom at night… This led to his status as “ legendary minimalist” for understated simple wool dresses with a high round neckline, jumpers, and pantsuits. He was also known for his use of jersey fabric, double breasted coats, and a sailor motif. Norell pioneered the wearing of black and white when American women seemed to be stuck in a uniform of florals. He was the first to show long evening skirts topped with sweaters, a popular look today. Norell’s fitted “mermaid” dresses of sequins were the essence of elegance in the sixties. He said of the popular designs “they have a martini-dry, worldly quality” about them. These shimmering creations were a stark contrast to Norell’s simple linen and wool day suits, keeping with his belief that a woman should blossom at night. Norell catered to high-class clientele willing to pay for quality apparel, even though he was not a couturier. His favorite customer was film star Lauren Bacall. His most famous dress, the sequined and feathered number, was worn by Dinah Shore to an awards show in 1965. Jackie Kennedy was another famous Norell devotee. The first lady endeavored to wear only American designed clothes. The classic double- breasted jacket and skirt set, at right, were created by Norell. Revlon introduced a women’s perfume named after Norell in 1968. It was based on his belief of buying the best one can afford. This classic, floral fragrance comes in a classic, tall and slim, elegance bottle, noted for austerity. It is still sold today by Five Star Fragrances. Norell began his career during World War II. With a limited amount of fabric allowed for clothing at the time, hemlines rose. Most of Norell’s dresses are knee-length or calf-length. The tailored look also became popular for the working woman at this time and Norell used this classic look throughout his career. Most influential though was the effect World War II had on the world of European fashion. Although the French couture industry continued to work on a limited basis during World War II, international press coverage halted. As a result, American designers gained popularity. Along with American designer Claire McCardell, Norman Norell was able to gain a foothold on the International fashion scene. After the end of World War II, the French couture industry resumed full scale operation and once again became the center of international fashion. However, American designers had shown they could create innovative and original designs, earning an important place in the fashion world. During the post war period fashion magazines continued to give extensive coverage to American designers as well as their French counterparts. Norman Norell’s fashion house died with him in 1972. His devoted clients continued to wear his clclothesothes long after his death and some of his designs can be found in vintage clothing stores and auctions. It has been said that “everyone but the most obscure fashion-nut meets the name Norman Norell with a blank stare…even though he was considered the king of American fashion for over 30 years.” While Norell’s name is not widely known outside of professional fashion circles, his influence stays with us today. Black and white as a popular color combination came from Norell. He perfected the pantsuit, a wardrobe staple for the working woman today. The double-breasted look has recently gained a great resurgence in popularity in the form of peacoats and suits. Norell also introduced wool and jersey as fabrics that could be used for nighttime as well as daytime wear. Some of his most elegant cocktail dresses were made of these fabrics, which are usually relegated to sweaters, coats, and sportswear. Kenneth Cole Issac Mizrahi Anne Klein Issac Mizrahi Bill Blass Calvin Klein Along with seven other New York designers, Norman Norell was honored on June 6, 2000 by The Fashion Center Business Improvement District (BID) as the Fashion Walk of Fame was officially unveiled by Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Each designer was immortalized with a decorative white bronze and granite marker embedded along Seventh "Fashion" Avenue. “The Fashion Center wanted to make a public statement about the tremendous talent that has emerged from this neighborhood, talent that has made America a world-class fashion capital," said Barbara Randall, Executive Director, Fashion Center BID. .