#c286 $950 Reserved
Norman Norell wool coat, c.1965-1970
Norman Norell was the master of ready-to-wear fashion that could pass for couture. He consistently produced luxurious garments distinguished for their cutting edge style. From 1940-1970, Norell was at the top of his profession, producing collections often copied in Paris. In the 1960s, The New Yorker wrote that Norell's influence was rivaled only by that of Balenciaga.
With its strong color and pure lines, this knockout bubblegum pink wool coat, minimally accented with black buttons, showcases Norell's artful simplicity. The knee-length, belted coat features a wide flat collar and patch pockets. The coat is lined with matching pink taffeta.
Norell showed that great design could also be simple design. He avoided extraneous detail, which detracted from the main design idea. As Vogue wrote in 1966, "One coat is all he believes in, and one coat is all he shows—and it's enough."
In art, as in philosophy, there are hedgehogs and there are foxes. The ancient Greek poet Archilochus wrote: "The fox knows many little things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing." Norman Norell was a hedgehog, whose one big idea was that great design was simple design.
The label at the neckline reads "Norell." There is also a handwritten style number that reads "11706-936-8-7."
The condition is excellent. The coat has not been worn.
The size is approximately 6. It measures: 40" bust, 38" waist, 44" hip, 23" sleeve length, and 42" from the shoulder to the hem.
