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………………………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.