Harking back to Hartnell

>> It's always been a point of lament that there no longer exists 'houses' in London in the same way that Paris has their 'maisons' – Chanel, Dior, Givenchy etc.  The resurrection and revival pattern never quite caught the imaginations of investors here to think of reviving the likes of Redfern, Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell to their former glory (althought Amies now exists as a Savile Row tailoring business…).  You walk by the Norman Hartnell address on 26 Bruton Street now and next door ye shall find Juicy Couture who actually rent the adjoining building with the Hartnell Suites which is why yesterday, we were able to have a little peek inside the House of Hartnell home to one of the few British couturiers that spanned the decades from the 1920s to the late 60s, bolstered by his three Royal Warrants as Dressmaker to the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II. 

Yes, it's all a bit opportunistic and conveniently timed, showing off the suite where Hartnell fitted a young Queen Elizabeth into her wedding gown, three weeks before another royal wedding.  That said, I relished the chance to take in a space that has been lovingly restored in all areas, each panelled mirror to the plush carpet to the boat shaped chandelier that resides above the door.  It feels odd to connect Juicy Couture with Norman Hartnell but at the very least, it's interesting that as opposed to burying the past of 26 Bruton Place, they're celebrating it…

The rise and fall of Hartnell's couture house which at one point in the 1950s, employed over 500 people is fascinating and it's a tale that is well summarised here in this Telegraph article.  He's probably most famous for designing Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret's wedding dresses as well as Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown.  I'm actually only mildly interested in Hartnell's connection with the royal family (and even less interested in the pending nuptials that will take place on the day that I flee to Sydney to avoid the festivities…).  What I find interesting is the essence of Hartnell's work as well as his philosophy that sat in line with Christian Dior's approach to womenswear.  I found a few excerpts from the out of print autobiography "Silver and Gold" here and his self-penned text says a great deal about his approach as well the delight he takes in sumptuous and luxurious fabric indulgence…

“The pastel shades of velvet are almost irresistible in palest turquoise, lilac and candy pink, but resisted they are, for they would prove too costly for the young wearer and too enlargening for the mature. Some exquisite silks and satins are rippled out at our feet and the temptation is to buy the whole lot, but common sense enters to resist the rustling flowerstrewn taffetas and metal threaded brocades, often too rich in beauty for women to wear. I have to remember reluctantly that at my dress collections a woman may refuse the most beautiful dress in preference for a little workaday number. Recklessly, however, I do order one or two of these glorious products, to be included in the collection merely for the sake of decoration and personal satisfaction.”

Hartnell's early work seen here in this 1924 gown, created one year after he set up his company, set the tone for his decadent work that really cemented him as one of the few British couturiers that tried to stand up against the French counterparts in a time when the English were flocking to Paris to buy their wardrobes…

The oppulence was all a little far-fetched and resolutely reserved for the rich and wealthy, which is why it was difficult for Norman Hartnell as a house to endure the changes in the 60s and 70s but I always like revisiting the notion of London still had a longstanding couture house that grew to the proportions of Dior/Chanel etc…

It's a silly notion of course but it's Friday and I'm allowed a "What If…" moment… especially whilst watching a Norman Hartnell 1938 fashion show which features an ensemble of "pale pink lace with cuffs of pink paradise…"