Monthly Archives: August 2021

………………………….The Italian linen plaids were developed for me by Torello Viera, a marvelous manufacturer of wool, linen and cottons. They were, and are still located in Biella, Northern Italy. They were known for their precious and high quality fibers and their unique constructions. They are considered one of the finest Italian fabric mills in Italy. Their legacy is over 100 years old. It was a pleasure to go there to visit with their very talented fabric designer. He was a very distinguished handsome man in his late 30’s, and didn’t speak a word of English. We always had an interpreter, but he always understood immediately what I was looking to develop. They manufacture men’s fabrics specifically, but many of the women’s designers also buy their fabrics. Armani was a big customer. Their quality was superb……Tailoring was always my forte. There was something about a beautiful precision cut lapel and collar that I loved….It brought me back to my days at Norell soaking in all I could as I watched the tailors at work. That’s wear I learned that all jackets start with a good shoulder, whether a natural one or one with massive shoulder pads. It’s all about the balance….Of course the more expensive the jacket, the more care is taken with tailoring and what goes into making a beautiful jacket….The different placement of seams and darts to create a certain shape was extremely important…..Not all jackets have the same seaming…..The long zip front topper and the shorter double breasted cutaway jackets were beautifully cut and tailored. They look as smart today as they did 30 years ago.They are both worn over tweed linen…..a pencil skirt, and a pleated pant. A pongee silk shell piped in black silk is worn under the DB jacket. The zipper pull was made in the clear resin with the gold drop inside……I always felt the jackets I did for Linea had the same qualities as any I designed for Anne Klein. Of course with the price restrictions tailoring had to be kept to a minimal, but considering the prices of the Linea jackets…they were great IMHO……The two jackets above retailed for approx. $655.00, but remember that was 30 years ago! Today I can only guess how much they would cost, but similar designer jackets are over $2000.

……………….As August is here, and summer will soon come to an end, I can’t help but look back at my incredible days working one summer at the great designer house of Norman Norell…….Norman Norell was called the “Dean Of American Fashion”……He was born on April 20th, 1900 in Noblesville, Indiana. His name was Norman David Levinson of the Utilarian faith. He left his home town when he was 19 in 1919, and became a fashion illustration student at Parsons School of Design, and later went to Pratt Institute for Fashion Design……During his early years he became a costume designer for silent films, and he designed clothes for Gloria Swanson, who would become a life long customer. He changed his name to……NORMAN NORELL. He dominated American fashion during the mid 20th century. He was the first American designer to launch his own perfume in 1968. I bought the original perfume for my mother, and I still have the original bottle and box, and it still smells wonderful! It was and is my all time favorite fragrance…….He was know for his spectacular gowns, his beautifully tailored suits, coat and dresses, and he was one of the first Americans to use wool jersey……He was the first recipient of the “Fashion Critics Award” later to be called the “Coty Award”. He was also the first designer to be inducted into the “Coty Hall Of Fame”. He has a brass plaque with a sketch of his and his name embedded into the side walk on 7th Ave….He was also one of the founders of “The Fashion Designers of America”which I have been a member of for over 45 years…..He was a member of the Parsons School of Design Board of Trustees, and was a teacher and design critic mentoring many students. I was privileged to receive The Norman Norell Scholarship for my third year at Parsons. He was also my critic and teacher….something I will never forget. He would sometime visit the school on east 53rd street and the east river unannounced just to see what we were up to, and if he could help with anything! He also paid for all of the fabric we would use designing our Norell critic garment.Years later when I became a critic and mentor for the new young talent….there was a large portrait of Mr. Norell hanging in the large room where the students and critic would meet to look at their school projects on a model, to discuss them and fit them…I always loved seeing that portrait…..It brought back such great memories……I thought he was the greatest…………….The ICONIC photo above is of Mr. Norell and 4 of his favorite models. Claudia, his muse is at the far right……..He was also a great admirer of Kees van Dongen, a Dutch/French painter who was one of the leading Fauves. Mr Norell loved his portraits of the women with the blackened eyes, white skin and red lips. He owned I think three of them including the one they are standing in front of…..This is exactly how he wanted HIS “Cabine of Models” to look.. He only used six models, and each did their hair and make up almost exactly the same…….white skin, slick back hair, red lips and blackened eyes with 2 or 3 pairs of false eyelashes. When I did my internship at Mr. Norell’s in the summer of 1966 I met his current group of models…….Claudia, Yvonne, Irene, Stephanie, Dianne [if memory serves]. He also used one blond who also wore her hair back with the same eye make up and red lip..  When the girls arrived in the morning it was my job to bring them a cup of coffee in china cups and saucers. I soon remembered how each liked it. They though this 18 year old boy from Long Island was adorable They would tease me, and they made me blush many times. These models were not young, but it was hard to guess there ages with all of that make up. They were WOMEN not girls….I remember one morning Claudia coming in very early for a writing appointment. This is when the buyers would come in and write their orders after seeing the clothes again on a model. She came in wearing a head scarf a la Audrey Hepburn, and very large black sunglasses. I immediately brought her coffee…….BLACK…….This was the first time that I had seen Claudia without any make up, and I was shocked. She was no beauty, as a matter of fact very plain looking. About an hour later I had to go back into the models room when others had arrived, and Claudia was transformed into this exotic beautiful creature. I think that was my first lesson on what make up could do!!!!……..The models room was a little treasure box. The floors were large black and white diamond tiles which were the same tiles as the entrance to the Norell lobby when you got off the elevator. Each model had her own station with a directors chair with her name on it, a white make up table and a long high mirror with light bulbs surrounding it. Next to the table was a cubby where her clothes, and the clothes, shoes and accessories she was to put on were housed…….It was truly magical. I was so naive I though every fashion house was like this……NOT………I will always love and admire Mr. Norell for his kindness, and for taking the time to speak and advise this wide eyed and impressionable young man.

………………….NORELL……………The master of SEQUINS, and the master of TAILORING…………The three tiered sequin “Flapper Dress” is the very same dress I first saw when I entered the Norell showroom. On my first day there I nervously entered 550 7th Ave. in my navy blazer from Brooks Brothers, khaki pants, a white shirt and tie. Up to the 15th floor I went….where my world would change forever. When the doors to the elevator opened the first thing I saw was a black and ivory large diamond tile floor. I went to the reception desk and told the lady who I was, and that I had an appointment with Max Berniger [shocked I can remember his name after 55 years]. She asked me to wait in the ante room? She pointed the way…I opened  the double doors with the gold door knobs and went into a small jewel box. All of the walls , and the ceiling were mirrored, and on one wall a cantilevered mirrored table upon which sat a beautiful simple, but large, frosted Lalique vase filled with Calla Lilies, Mr Norell’s favorite flower. There was an intoxicating fragrance in this little room. I sat on an small ivory satin bench with gold metal legs and waited. I took every detail in. After a while Mr. Berniger arrived. He was a very handsome, tall, slim man, impeccably dressed in his late 30’s, early 40’s. He had a slight accent, German I think, but he could have been Swedish too………Anyway, when I entered the show room there was the one gold rack with the “Flapper” sequin dresses….a gold, a kelly green, a purple. a silver and a fuchsia one all lined up perfectly. I was overwhelmed with all of this glamour in this Ivory showroom with ivory carpeted floors, ivory writing desks and small ivory chairs all with gold legs. The showroom also had the same intoxicating fragrance. I was introduce to the head vendeuse [sales person]. She was sitting at a desk, but rose to greet me. She was striking…..tall-ish, super thin, in her 50’s I would guess. She was wearing a perfectly fitting black Norell suit and had the signature jet black hair slicked back with one white streak….so chic!. I later learned she had been a Norell model in the late 40’s early 50’s. I was then ushered into the back where I was introduced to the man in charge of operations, and he took me on a tour and introduced me to all of the people who’s biding I would be at! What can I say it was all too much for this 18 year old boy. After a few days I knew everyone as if I had worked there for years! There were three sample rooms. Two were headed by women, one Italian, and one French. They didn’t like each other very well and were both very possessive of Mr. Norell. I had to learn quick how to win them over with my boyish charm. The third sample room was headed by a man……a master tailor who I learned much from. He was Italian, but spoke English perfectly. He too was very distinguished………On one occasion I was to bring a package to Mr. Norell’s apt. He lived in a town house, and had the top two floors of a 4 story building. I couldn’t wait to see it. I was given cab fare and off I happily went. When I got there the maid let me in and had me wait in the living room for a package I was to return to Mr. Norell. I don’t remember it well, but I do remember a very large Persian rug and a dark velvet couch [dark brown or forest green?]. Behind the couch was a magnificent Chinese antique 8 panel Coromandel Screen….The room had two sets of French doors that looked onto the street. In between the two doors were these very tall planters of beautifully dressed black men with large ferns coming out of their turbans. They would probably be considered politically incorrect today, but they were beautiful. I retrieved the package and was on my way back to 7th Ave…..thinking all the way of what I had seen, never wanting to forget anything about it……..The photos above are just a sampling of the beautiful sequin clothes and tailored clothes Mr. Norell had created……The beautiful Merlot jacket to the middle right is avail to buy on either Ebay or Etsy…..It’s a STEAL and still looks so modern!

…………………………..Over the span of a 50 year career Mr Norell was known for his glamorous sequin Mermaid dresses that are still worn today, his exquisite and precise tailoring of suits and coats. He also used sailor collars and pussycat bows repeatedly. He was a master, and every garment he made was perfection. Sometimes, when I had a free moment, I would sit quietly and watch the tailors hand roll collars with steam and then manipulate them with their fingers so they would dry in the shape they wanted. I watched them hand tailor collars and lapels with exact  “feather”stitching…….something that’s long gone except in couture and very very expensive men’s made to measure suits…….His fashion shows were special events, and the evening shows were Black Tie as can be seen in the bottom left photo…Gold guilt ballroom chairs were brought in and Champagne was served after the show…..That’s Helen Gurley Brown sitting in the front row in the top photo at one of the shows…..That’s Darlene on the runway, another of Mr. Norell’s favorites………What absolutely drives me crazy is today’s fashion student don’t even know who Norman Norell was. They don’t teach Fashion History in the design schools today. When I went to Parsons we had a fashion history course. We had to go to the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s fashion department and do research on designers of the past. Designers like Paul Poirot, Worth, Schiaparelli, Madame Vionnet etc etc. The last class I taught….the students didn’t even know who Rudi Gernreich was!!! I had them use his designs as inspiration for their project….He was the most modern avant guard designer of the 60s and 70s…..The topless bathing suit and the no bra bra revolutionized the undergarment industry…..and they had no clue. I am sure today’s students have no clue who I am……Once in a while there would be a designer doing research there too. Bonnie Cashin was a frequent visitor at the….Design students today want the easy quick route to success, and don’t want to do the necessary preparation to be come successful. That’s why so many of them fail to accomplish their goals. When I went to Parsons there were 250 students starting in the Fashion Design Department. When I graduated there were 21 of us left, and out of the 21 only 3 of us became well known……..Donna, Bill Robertson who became a men’s designer, but died of Aids at 33, and myself. Donna and myself had careers that lasted 50 years plus….Others were successful, but worked for companies and never got name recognition……I thank Mr. Norell for his sage advise all those years ago that stayed with me through out my career. I will be eternally grateful.

………………………Norman Norell’s career spanned 50 years…..He started as a costume designer for silent movies here in NYC. There was also a large movie business in Ct. in the 20s and 30s before it all moved to the west coast. He then worked for Hattie Carnegie, and then formed a partnership with Traina/Norell. When Traina died Norell opened his own house until his death in 1972 from a stroke. He was 72 years old. During his career he dressed the Hollywood elite, the entertainers and the wives of the studio heads. He dress the socialites from around the country, and the politicians, and the wives of industry leaders. I remember when I worked there they had a room filled with forms with women’s names on them. These were used to make custom made clothes for these different customers, and then they would come in for their fittings. It was the closest to European Couture, and he rivaled the French designers. He dominated American fashion until the late 60’s when Blass and Halston were the rising stars, and younger women were looking for something that were more modern, “hip and cool”. His roster of clients was impressive…….When Marilyn Monroe married Arthur Miller Norell made her dress. He made clothes for Judy Garland, many of which she wore on her TV show, Carol Channing, Dinah Shore, Lena Horne, Gloria Swanson, Babe Paley and all of NYC’s swans, Lyn Revson [photo at bottom left in the silver Mermaids gown with Mr. Norell], Lady Bird Johnson, Katharine Graham, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Lauren Bacall was a frequent visitor. The list went on and on… On one morning I was asked to bring a cup of coffee, black, into the model’s dressing room. I went to the kitchen, got the fine China, filled the cup with black coffee and went on my way. I walked into the model’s room looking down at the cup to make sure I didn’t spill any. When I looked up there was Lauren Bacall, who’s movies I loved, standing there in a very small silk bra and panties. I must have turned BEET RED. She was very sweet and said “that’s Ok, come on in”. I went in put down the cup, and couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Later on one of the head ladies in one of the sample rooms called me and told me to hold out my arms????? OK I held them out. Across my out stretched arms she softly placed one of Mr. Norell’s sequin Mermaid dresses in a power blue. I was to bring it into the model’s room…..OH NO NOT AGAIN. However, this time an assistant met me at the door and took this gown from me…..PHEW! All I could remember was how feather weight this long sequin dress was. It was later explained to me that each sequin was individually sewn and knotted on this incredibly light silk jersey, therefore there was no extra weight or unnecessary threads to snag. These dress were about 4 to 5 thousand  dollars. They were the most expensive dresses being made in the U.S. at the time….Years and years later at a black tie Fashion Event Jac and I were leaving and our limo pulled up. I saw a much older Lauren Bacall looking perplexed…. She too was waiting for her car, but it hadn’t shown up, which I thought was strange. I offered her a lift to the Dakota, which is the apartment building on the west side where she lived. She said yes and we all got in…..I told her about the time at Mr. Norell’s when I brought her the coffee, but she didn’t remember….why would she???!! She got out, said thank you, and that was it. To tell the truth the much younger and more beautiful Lauren Bacall was much nicer to the 18 year old boy than she was that evening. I think getting older and being alone took a toll on her…..Mr. Norell continued to design special outfits for a few movies…….”That Touch Of Mink” with Doris Day and Cary Grant, and “Sex and the Single Girl” with Natalie Wood…… .Mr. Norell did have a younger partner who he loved very much. His name was John Moore, and he was also a designer….They had offices in the same building, but they did not live together…In the 50’s and 60’s they still had to protect their reputations….John made beautiful evening clothes and received a Coty award…He also attended Parsons and was a critic. They were both slight men and John had blond boyish good looks, but the business was too cut throat for him. It was said that he had a drinking problem, and died at the age of 68 from cirrhosis of the liver. He had gone back to Alice, Texas his home town where he died….I do remember WWD giving Mr. Moore a scathing review which destroyed him. Mr. Norell, in support banned them from his showroom. It was the first time any designer banned WWD and John Fairchild, who always supported Mr. Norell, but the review was so unkind Mr. Norell was compelled to protect and stand by is lover…In 1972 Parson’s School Of Design was planning a 50th Anniversary retrospective for Mr. Norell at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was to take place on the evening of October 16th. There was to be dinner followed by a fashion show featuring his clothes over the decades. The models were all made up to look like “NORELL MODELS”. Mr. Norell suffered a stroke the day before the event and could not attend. It went on as planned. The photo at the bottom left, second in was taken at the show….He never regained consciousness and died on Oct 25th at age 72. He was brought home to Nobelsville, Indiana to be buried.