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Norman Hartnell (1901-1979) was a uniquely British genius. For
nearly sixty years he was a major personality in the world of
fashion. By the mid 1930s, Hartnell's meteoric rise to fame
resulted in London becoming a centre of style that closely rivalled
Paris. Known for glamorous evening clothes, Hartnell augmented his
early design successes by creating a series of stunning wedding
dresses for his younger society clientele. His bridal extravaganzas
culminated in the romantic 1947 wedding of Princess Elizabeth to
Prince Philip. While Hartnell clients included members of the
English upper class as well as the best-known stage and film
actresses of the time, it was his royal patronage that assured him
a place in history. The famous "White Wardrobe" created for Queen
Elizabeth (and photographed by Cecil Beaton) in the late 1930s
changed her image forever; the extraordinary coronation robes
designed for Elizabeth II in 1953; and the sublimely simple wedding
dress he made for Princess Margaret when she was married to Lord
Snowdon in 1960 remain iconic to this day. Decades of achievement
were rewarded with a Knighthood in 1977. Sir Norman Hartnell became
the first of two fashion designers to be so honoured. Hartnell
continued to create both daywear and evening clothes for a
well-heeled sophisticated clientele until his death in 1979. In 'Be
Dazzled!: Norman Hartnell, Sixty Years of Glamour and Fashion',
royal enthusiasts and fashion connoisseurs will be able to examine
in greater detail his drawings, vintage photographs, fabric samples
and personal scrapbooks that have never been published before.
Hardy Amies epitomized understated British couture, emphasizing the
cut of fine materials by tailored construction. Untrained in
dress-making, he achieved headlines in Vogue in 1937 with his
'Panic' suit, a reconstructed design of a staple in every woman's
wardrobe, wittily named to reflect current events. Evoking the
glamour of pre-war London while meeting the demands of contemporary
society's activities - town to country, morning to night - Amies
designs drew a star-studded clientele. His war-time 'utility'
designs revealed his design philosophy (and partly concealed his
role as head of the Belgian Section of SOE), unveiling a
needle-sharp intelligence and intuition for the changing world of
fashion, his elegant execution of which was rewarded through the
influential seal of approval by HM Queen Elizabeth II, as Princess
Elizabeth, in 1950. The first post-war international designer to
visit the USA, Amies' luxurious style produced lucrative global
business opportunities, including ready-to-wear, menswear shown as
couture, and wide-ranging merchandising options.
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