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Norman Norell

American, 1900-1972

The signature details that characterize vintage Norman Norell evening dresses include classically tailored silhouettes, feminine round necklines and tenderly applied beading, carefully inspected both inside and out. Pop culture icon Marilyn Monroe wore many of Norell’s classic dresses over the years. And as a young model for a Seventh Avenue clothing manufacturer, screen siren Lauren Bacall liked to scour the racks of Loehmann’s with her mother, looking for the odd piece by a famous designer like Norell. 

Norell began his career in his early 20s, designing costumes for Paramount Pictures and Brooks Costume Company, as well as for esoteric vaudeville productions. The theater remained a major source of inspiration throughout his career. Often drenched in beads or sequins, a material that remained readily available despite wartime restrictions, his show-stopping mermaid gowns, a marriage of glitz and simplicity, harken back to the days of vaudeville. He continued to design these gowns until the end of his life.

Raised in a family of haberdashers, Norell was long-influenced by the cuts, fabrics and details of traditional menswear, and he sought to incorporate those concepts into his designs. In 1960, at a moment when women were not yet wearing pants to work, he made waves when he presented his then-controversial wool flannel culotte suit. Some years later, he designed a black dinner suit with a bow-tie, beating Yves Saint Laurent to the punch, and later still, he conceived a feminine version of an aviator jumpsuit.

A creature of habit, Norell stuck with many of his classic designs throughout his career, but he continued to experiment with avant-garde ideas for evening garments. This was perhaps most vividly expressed in his wild coats, runway crowd-pleasers adorned with ostrich feathers or massive red and pink flowers.  

A fan of a full dirndl, Norell made skirts that ranged from delicately creased to voluminous balloons, and he frequently paired these with pleated blouses or tight turtlenecks. One of the first designers to incorporate traditional elements of sportswear into his evening attire, a typical Norell evening gown was divided into three separate colors: one for the top, one for the skirt and one for the sash. And vintage Norman Norell gowns are inherently versatile — they’re as modern today as they were decades ago. The little black dresses that Norell designed offered similar flexibility. Perfectly simple and sexy are the round necklines, which Norell introduced to declutter his dresses and allow for a more modern look.

Norell was the first American designer to have his name on a dress label and on a successful fragrance. He possessed a refined elegance and a quiet audacity that he expressed through timeless, wearable pieces boldly embellished with luxe trimmings. His work would come to redefine the American ready-to-wear industry and earn him the nickname the “American Balenciaga.” He received the inaugural Coty Award for womenswear and was the first designer inducted into the fashion industry critics’ hall of fame.

Find vintage Norman Norell day dresses, suits, jackets and other clothing on 1stDibs.

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Designer: Norman Norell
Dealer: Marlene Wetherell Vintage Fashion
Samuel Winston Gaberdine Day Dress
By Norman Norell
Located in New York, NY
White, wool gaberdine Samuel Winston, cap sleeve, A line dress designed by Norman Norell. Dress has off center seams on each side of the dress with covered button closures at the sho...
Category

1960s American Norman Norell

Norman Norrel Ivory Moygashel Linen 2 piece Day Ensemble
By Norman Norell
Located in New York, NY
Ivory moygashel linen Norman Norrel 2 piece day dress. Sleeveless top is double breasted with slightly gathered straight skirt with 2 pockets.
Category

1960s American Norman Norell

Norman Norell Wool Boucle Day Dress
By Norman Norell
Located in New York, NY
Norman Norell, black, wool boucle, day dress, having a scoop neckline, short puff sleeves, a fitted princess line bodice and a slightly dropped waist.
Category

1960s American Norman Norell

Norell Wool Knit Day Dress
By Norman Norell
Located in New York, NY
Norman Norell, oatmeal tone, wool knit, sheath, having buttons closing down the middle front, short sleeves, a rolled neck with a front bow and visible deep patch pockets.
Category

1960s American Norman Norell

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Norell Camel Hair Jacket with Sequined Interior
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Norman Norell Crepe Halter Neck Gown
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Norman Norell Bugle Beaded Sheath with Satin Belt
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Norman Norell, sleeveless, black, bugle beaded sheath having a satin belt that ties at the waist and a beaded fringe embellishing the hem.
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Norell "Little Black Dress"
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Located in New York, NY
Classic Norell, black wool, sleeveless sheath, having a high neckline, slightly empire waist with a half belt attached by buttons and low placed, deep patch pockets detail. ( Missing...
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Norman Norell Wool Blazer with Braided Trim
By Norman Norell
Located in New York, NY
Norman Norell, camel tone, wool Blazer having black trim detail, a single button closure, and notched collar. Flap side pockets have black trim as well.
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1970s American Norman Norell

Norell Tweed Day Dress with Capelet
By Norman Norell
Located in New York, NY
Norman Norell, wool tweed day dress with matching capelet. Ensemble is in an olive green tone wool tweed with specs of rust. Dress has elbow length sleeves with a round neckline. Bod...
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1960s American Norman Norell

Norell Belted Plaid Coat
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Located in New York, NY
Norell, wool, belted, plaid, coat in soft mutted tones. Ecru background with camel and soft green. Straight silhouette, having a padded mandarin collar,a belt that sits below the wai...
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1960s American Norman Norell

Norell Moygashel Linen Day Dress
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Norman Norell, cornflower blue, moygashel linen, capped sleeves, day dress, having a sheath silhouette, that buttons in the front with a self belt. Single Breast and hip pockets are ...
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Norell Wool Jersey Evening Dress
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Norman Norell, wool jersey, simple A line, long sleeve, evening dress having a generous self belt that can be wrapped around the waist several times or one...
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Norman Norell Wool Crepe Dress and Jacket DInner Ensemble
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Norman Norell Evening Sheath Embellished With Rhinestones
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Norman Norell Simple Seath
By Norman Norell
Located in New York, NY
Norman Norell, black wool knit , sheath having a back button closure and hidden side slash pockets. C. 1960's
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Norman Norell fashion for sale on 1stDibs.

Find an extraordinary range of authentic Norman Norell fashion available on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing our collection of unique vintage and designer fashion to elevate your daily look or to introduce new colors to the dazzling formal wear in your wardrobe, this designer’s body of work includes elements of red, blue, purple and other tones. Most of the items here were designed during the 20th Century, but you can find examples that were created as recently as the 21st Century and Contemporary. Customers who are interested in this designer might also find the work of Bonnie Cashin, Mollie Parnis, and Arnold Scaasi appealing. On 1stDibs, find haute couture, vintage and designer Norman Norell fashion from top boutiques around the world. Norman Norell fashion prices can differ depending upon time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $520 and tops out at $6,895, while the average work can sell for $1,250.

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