Norman Norell Evening Sheath Embellished With Rhinestones
View Similar Items
Norman Norell Evening Sheath Embellished With Rhinestones
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Length: 42 in (106.68 cm)Marked Size: 10 (US)Bust: 38 in (96.52 cm)Waist: 41 in (104.14 cm)Hip: 42 in (106.68 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU442133513
Norman Norell
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.
- Geoffrey Beene Cocktail DressBy Geoffrey BeeneLocated in New York, NYGeoffrey Beene, halter neckline cocktail dress with matching fitted jacket. Dress bodice is very fitted with halter back and neck in a pink and and white small check woven fabric. Th...Category
Late 20th Century American Cocktail Dresses
- Galanos Wool Halter Dress With Braiding DetailBy James GalanosLocated in New York, NYGalanos, black, wool crepe, halter neck cocktail dress having thick braiding detail along the neckline. Back is open. Simple sightly A line silhouette.Category
1960s American Cocktail Dresses
- Shamask Cotton Voile Tiered DressBy Ronaldus ShamaskLocated in New York, NYRonaldus Shamask, doubled, cotton voile and silk combination, tiered dress having a geometric sleeve and shoulder treatment and self belt.Category
1980s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Yves Saint Laurent Cocktail Dress with Diamanté DetailBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent, rive gauche, black, satin back crêpe, shift, having a high v neckline and open seam, sleeve detail, embellished with diamanté buttons.Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- Dior Strapless Cocktail DressBy John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in New York, NYChristian Dior, chiffon and hammered silk satin, strapless cocktail dress. Bodice has a horizontal, pleat like bodice in hammered silk satin having a ruched back. Skirt has two laye...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Cocktail Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent Lace and Velvet Cocktail DressBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent, black, velvet and lace cocktail dress. Collarless, sleeveless, with a lace bodice ending above the bust. The middle section is velvet, fitted at the bodice, wais...Category
1970s French Cocktail Dresses
- Badgley Mischka Beaded Black Silk Lace Evening Gown Size US 10By Badgley MischkaLocated in New York, NYBadgley Mischka glamorous black silk lace evening gown, size US 10. Gown features hand beaded and embroidered lace with glass jet beading, and neckline with glass jet beads along cu...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Gowns
- Rare CEIL CHAPMAN 1950s Vintage Black Satin COUTURE Cocktail Dress XS/SBy Ceil ChapmanLocated in Asheville, NCCeil Chapman, 1950's Era, Pleated Front and Back Panels, Front Bow, Open Top Puff Sleeves with Bows on Ends, Round Neck, Bone In Front and Sides, Back Zipper, Hook and Eye Black Clos...Category
1950s Cocktail Dresses
$1,750 Sale Price30% Off - Rare LARRY ALDRICH COUTURE 1950s Silk Taffeta Bow & Button Cocktail DressLocated in Asheville, NCLarry Aldrich, 1950's Era Vintage Couture, Silk Taffeta, V Neck Front Wrap Style with Bow, Two Front Pockets, Nine Fabric Back Buttons, Built-in Moderate Crinoline with Hook and Eye ...Category
1950s Cocktail Dresses
$909 Sale Price30% Off - Calvin Klein Black Lace Cocktail Dress, c. 1990s.By Calvin KleinLocated in New York, NYCalvin Klein Black Lace Cocktail Dress, c. 1990s. Calvin Klein Black Lace Cocktail Dress featuring low cut V-ncekline and shoulder pads. Beautiful Lace hem extends past chiffon linin...Category
1990s American Cocktail Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Black Gown with Open Back, 1990.By Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Black Gown with Open Back, 1990. Full length woven dress with waistband. Features slit at center front and open ...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses
- Gianfranco Ferré black gown with sheer sleeves, ca. 1970By Gianfranco FerréLocated in New York, NYGianfranco Ferré black gown with sheer sleeves, ca. 1970 Long black wool dress with subtle shimmer featuring waistcoat-style bodice with sheer sleeves. Mermaid skirt features diagona...Category
1970s Italian Aesthetic Evening Dresses