 |
LEFT:
Traina-Norell (for Nan Duskin)
Subway coat and dress
Coat: cashmere and sequins
Dress: camel silk jersey with gold sequins
Circa 1958, USA
The Museum at FIT, 68.143.6, Gift of Lauren Bacall
RIGHT:
Norman Norell (for Evelyn Byrnes)
Evening coat
Dark green velvet with white mink fur
1970, USA
The Museum at FIT, P86.43.1, Museum purchase
| |
Norman Norell was
known for ready-to-wear that rivaled French couture in cost and
craftsmanship. His fine tailoring and
discrete elegance are apparent in this ensemble. By lining a coat with gold sequins, Norell
engaged in a kind of “stealth” luxury before the term was invented.
This Norell evening coat, which was featured on the
cover of Vogue in 1970, takes the folk influence in fashion at
the time – specifically, the Russian peasant “Cossack” style –
and reinterprets it in luxurious velvet and mink. | |
