Traina-Norell

Norman Norell proved that American fashion could set its own direction. He produced elegant evening clothes as well as simple daywear, and he treated every part of a garment with care, lavishing as much attention on the linings and interfacings of his garments as he did on their exterior details. His form-fitting, sequined “Mermaid” dresses were hand-sewn with rows of glittering spangles; at one time, they were the most expensive dresses made in the United States. It is no surprise that Norell’s clothes were frequently referred to as the “Rolls-Royces of the American fashion industry.”

Born in 1900, Norman Norell began his career in 1922 as a costume designer for Paramount Studios (then located in Astoria, Queens), dressing silent screen stars such as Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. In 1928, Norell went to work for Hattie Carnegie, where he spent the next twelve years working in “complete anonymity,” modifying elements of Paris couture for American ready-to-wear designs. During these early years, Norell learned about cut, fit, and quality fabrics, as seasonal trips to view the Paris collections exposed him to the standards of couture. However, a disagreement with Carnegie led Norell to accept a position with the design firm Anthony Traina in 1940. “[Traina] offered me a larger salary if my name were not used, a smaller amount if it were,” Norell recalled. After years of designing anonymously for Hattie Carnegie, Norell selected the second option and for twenty years designed under the “Traina-Norell” label. He launched his own label in 1960.

Norell popularized the Empire-line dresses, culotte-skirted suits, sailor-style dresses, and the chemise dress, which was inspired by his favorite decade, the 1920s. He considered his simple, round necklines—at times embellished with bows or Peter Pan collars—his greatest contribution to fashion. Norell placed a high value on workmanship, and insisted on a prodigious amount of hand-work in his designs. Upon his death in 1972, the New York Times proclaimed: “Norman Norell made Seventh Avenue the rival of Paris.”