#1669 $1,950 Sold
Norman Norell beaded silk crepe evening dress, c.1968
A Norell beaded evening gown needs no adornment other than the wearer's attitude. As always, Norell's design is simple and yet supremely effective. The designer transforms his signature mermaid theme into a more figure-forgiving shape.
Made from black silk crepe covered with black glass bugle beads, the dress is unlined, allowing the weight of the fabric to cling to the figure. The skirt and sleeves close with zippers. The batwing sleeves are cut-in-one with the bodice.
Norell retained the high neckline, overall beading, and lean hip-hugging shape but expanded the bodice with fabulous batwing sleeves. The covered-up look is broken only by deep figure-revealing slits—one in the front skirt and the other in the bodice back. The contour waistline gracefully dips from slightly below the bust to the waist in back.
Norman Norell was master of ready-to-wear that looked like couture, making luxurious garments known for their cutting edge style. From 1940 to 1970, he was at the top of his profession, producing collections often copied in Paris. The New Yorker wrote that Norell's influence was rivaled only by that of Balenciaga. This sensational evening dress is quintessential Norell—elegant and glamorous.
At the April 9, 2003 Doyle couture auction, two Norell beaded/sequined evening gowns sold for $2,800 and $3,750. Collectors have recognized that his ready-to-wear designs rival the best of Paris couture. The label reads "Norman Norell for I. Magnin & Co."—see picture below.
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 condition is excellent. Buy it and wear it!
It measures: 36"-38" bust (adjustable due to the open back and batwing sleeve), 27" waist, 13" from shoulder to front waist, 36" hip, and 56" from shoulder to hem.
