Download PDF Silver and Gold The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell VA Fashion Perspectives Norman Hartnell 9781851779666 Books
Download As PDF : Silver and Gold The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell VA Fashion Perspectives Norman Hartnell 9781851779666 Books
Sir Norman Hartnell (1901–1979) was the star of London couture during the interwar years, gaining international fame as dressmaker to the British royal family. His autobiography, first published in 1955, tells the story of the creation of his couture house in 1923, his formal appointment as dressmaker to the royal family in 1935, and the most momentous commissions of his career Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown in 1947 and her magnificent coronation dress six years later. Best known for romantic eveningwear shimmering with beads and embroidery, Hartnell is credited with reintroducing the crinoline to world fashion through his full-skirted designs for Queen Elizabeth. Silver and Gold describes an extraordinary life with elegance and panache.
Download PDF Silver and Gold The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell VA Fashion Perspectives Norman Hartnell 9781851779666 Books
"Norman Hartnell left Cambridge without a degree, intent on becoming a fashion designer. With the financial assistance of his father, and the practical assistance of his sister, he established his own house, and ultimately became dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II, among other royal and noble ladies.
It's popular to sneer at Hartnell, to call his clothes "dowdy" and "frumpish", but that's really wrong. Much of his work, particularly his evening wear, could, to the contrary, be called "over-the-top", with embellishments of jewels, fur and heavy embroidery. Indeed, he is quoted as saying, "For me, simplicity is the death of the soul." While his daywear for the Queen has been deemed "matronly", one must not forget that, when she was young, it was common for young, married women to dress in an older style. And Hartnell also talks about the various constraints that exist when designing for royalty: the use of pale colors to stand out in a sea of people wearing darker colors, a design that allows for the wearing of Orders, the need to "set an example" (as with wartime restrictions). As he puts it in describing the choice of colors for Queen Mary's visits to bombed sites, "Black does not appear in the rainbow of hope."
In many ways, Hartnell put English fashion design on the map. Most people would be hard-pressed to name an English fashion designer before Hartnell. There is, of course, Charles Worth, but he made his name in Paris. After Hartnell, the names keep coming: Mary Quant, Zandra Rhodes, Vivienne Westwood and so on.
This memoir is a must for anyone interested in fashion history, whatever their opinions of Hartnell's designs."
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Tags : Silver and Gold The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell (VA Fashion Perspectives) [Norman Hartnell] on . <DIV>Sir Norman Hartnell (1901–1979) was the star of London couture during the interwar years, gaining international fame as dressmaker to the British royal family. His autobiography,Norman Hartnell,Silver and Gold The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell (VA Fashion Perspectives),V A Publishing,1851779663,Art,BIOGRAPHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Fashion,BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY,DESIGN / Fashion Accessories,FASHION,GENERAL,GREAT BRITAIN - HISTORY - 20TH CENTURY,General Adult,Great Britain/British Isles,HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / 20th Century,History,Monograph Series, any,Non-Fiction
Silver and Gold The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell VA Fashion Perspectives Norman Hartnell 9781851779666 Books Reviews :
Silver and Gold The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell VA Fashion Perspectives Norman Hartnell 9781851779666 Books Reviews
- Gorgeous illustrations!!!!!!! This book is a true fashion history treasure! Hartnell was truly one of the great designers of the twentieth century.
- Norman Hartnell left Cambridge without a degree, intent on becoming a fashion designer. With the financial assistance of his father, and the practical assistance of his sister, he established his own house, and ultimately became dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II, among other royal and noble ladies.
It's popular to sneer at Hartnell, to call his clothes "dowdy" and "frumpish", but that's really wrong. Much of his work, particularly his evening wear, could, to the contrary, be called "over-the-top", with embellishments of jewels, fur and heavy embroidery. Indeed, he is quoted as saying, "For me, simplicity is the death of the soul." While his daywear for the Queen has been deemed "matronly", one must not forget that, when she was young, it was common for young, married women to dress in an older style. And Hartnell also talks about the various constraints that exist when designing for royalty the use of pale colors to stand out in a sea of people wearing darker colors, a design that allows for the wearing of Orders, the need to "set an example" (as with wartime restrictions). As he puts it in describing the choice of colors for Queen Mary's visits to bombed sites, "Black does not appear in the rainbow of hope."
In many ways, Hartnell put English fashion design on the map. Most people would be hard-pressed to name an English fashion designer before Hartnell. There is, of course, Charles Worth, but he made his name in Paris. After Hartnell, the names keep coming Mary Quant, Zandra Rhodes, Vivienne Westwood and so on.
This memoir is a must for anyone interested in fashion history, whatever their opinions of Hartnell's designs.
