Dress
Norman Hartnell · 1950
Norman Hartnell
- Royal couture
- Embroidery
- Bridal wear
Norman Hartnell built a British couture practice around richly worked surfaces, embroidery and formal silhouettes. His commissions included Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress in 1947 and her coronation gown in 1953.
Official house website
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Dress
1950
Hartnell's 1950 silk dress has a sleeveless fitted bodice, a broad waistband and a full skirt. Pale floral decoration spreads across the reflective fabric. The museum's photograph presents a clear example of the decade's formal proportions, while the source gives a year without a named seasonal collection.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Gift of Marshall Field & Co., 1951
Collection selection
Evening ensemble
1951
Hartnell's 1951 evening ensemble uses a pale, reflective silk surface, a defined waist and a long skirt. Draped and gathered details concentrate around the upper body and hip. The museum's designation as an ensemble preserves its identity as a coordinated set, rather than reducing the record to a single dress.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Gift of Marshall Field & Co., 1951
Collection selection
The Flowers of the Fields of France
Spring/summer 1957 · V&A collection
Duchesse satin, embroidered with pearls, beads, brilliants, and gold thread.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Evening dress
1953 · V&A collection
Silk satin with beaded embroidery, trimmed with pleated net.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Ball gown
c1953 · V&A collection
© Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonArchive pieces, grouped by date
2 pieces1950
1 piece · Season not recorded
1951
1 piece · Season not recorded
About Norman Hartnell
Alongside royal and society dressing, his business extended into bridal wear and ready-to-wear. The museum examples here document his handling of silk and proportion in the early 1950s.