Silver and Gold: The Autobiography of Norman Hartnell

by Norman Hartnell

Sir Norman Hartnell (1901–1979) was the star of London couture during the interwar years, gaining international fame as dressmaker to the British royal family. His autobiography, first published in 1955, tells the story of the creation of his couture house in 1923, his formal appointment as dressmaker to the royal family in 1935, and the most momentous commissions of his Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown in 1947 and her magnificent coronation dress six years later. Best known for romantic eveningwear shimmering with beads and embroidery, Hartnell is credited with reintroducing the crinoline to world fashion through his full-skirted designs for Queen Elizabeth. Silver and Gold describes an extraordinary life with elegance and panache.

Genres: Biography, Fashion, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction, History

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

Reviews

[Joan]

Norman Hartnell left Cambridge without a degree, intent on becoming a fashion designer. With the financial assistance of his father, and the practical assistance of his sister, he established his own house, and ultimately became dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II, among other royal and noble ladies.

It's popular to sneer at Hartnell, to call his clothes "dowdy" and "frumpish", but that's really wrong. Much of his work, particularly his evening wear, could, to the contrary, be called "over-the-top", with embellishments of jewels, fur and heavy embroidery. Indeed, he is quoted as saying, "For me, simplicity is the death of the soul." While his daywear for the Queen has been deemed "matronly", one must not forget that, when she was young, it was common for young, married women to dress in an older style. And Hartnell also talks about the various constraints that exist when designing for royalty: the use of pale colors to stand out in a sea of people wearing darker colors, a design that allows for the wearing of Orders, the need to "set an example" (as with wartime restrictions). As he puts it in describing the choice of colors for Queen Mary's visits to bombed sites, "Black does not appear in the rainbow of hope."

In many ways, Hartnell put English fashion design on the map. Most people would be hard-pressed to name an English fashion designer before Hartnell. There is, of course, Charles Worth, but he made his name in Paris. After Hartnell, the names keep coming: Mary Quant, Zandra Rhodes, Vivienne Westwood and so on.

This memoir is a must for anyone interested in fashion history, whatever their opinions of Hartnell's designs.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in the tone of a bygone era. It starts with Hartnell's beginnings in theatre costume (getting his dresses held by customs in France is funny, in a way that is not funny in the moment). My big complaint is that it bounces between time periods with no bridge or explanation. His first client was Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucestershire, whose bridesmaid was a then Princess Elizabeth of York. He went on to dressing all senior royal women including: Queen Mother, Queen Mary, Princess Margaret, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent etc..Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress would come later. His zenith was the coronation where he dressed the Queen, Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, ladies in waiting and Queen Mary (she died just before, but he had made a dress for her). He eventually made Princess Margaret's wedding dress too (one of my favorites), but it's not discussed in this book.

[Rachel Pollock · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, decent look into early to mid-20th century British fashion, told in an engaging voice. Hartnett is a bit too precious, hyperbolic, and namedroppy for me at times, but that's clearly just his personality coming through, and the book is presented as something between a respectable memoir and a chatty tell-all. The copy i read (an original hardback printing loaned to me by a colleague) had tons of beautiful full-color reproductions of Hartnett's design renderings for various members of the royal family, and many excellent photographs as well. Those alone make it well worth the read, for the opportunity to see his drawing style. Whatever one might think of his dress designs themselves, the renderings prove his talent.

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so lovely! The illustrations are absolutely fetching, and reading this was like peeping through a vintage window (with sumptuous draperies, of course.) I don't recall reading any other designer's memoire that has revealed so much of his personal process, successes and failures. Mr. Hartnell must've been quite a character. I wonder if he was really so adorable, or if he may've had an occasional catty streak? In any case, he had an excellent understanding of the form and function of royal attire. He understood the theatrical aspects, yet managed to make his 'costumes' seriously stunning. Now more than ever, I want to nose through the V&A's collection for a closer look at the embroideries and couturier details!

[Audrey Campillo Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice enough and a great look into his creative process, but I wish he had written an autobiography in the late 60s/early 70s, so that the book didn't end st the peak of his career. Silver and Gold is essentially a collection of loosely connected anecdotes, related in chronological order and ending at the Queen (rest her soul)s coronation. I also wish I had learnt a thing or two about Hartnell's personal life, which he obviously couldn't have put in a book written in 1955, although he was notoriously private so the chances of any insights in that department would be low anyhow.
Hopefully the V&A have their shit together and are secretly putting together a Hartnell retrospective in the Queen's memory as I write

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this book- Norman Hartnell is one of those names that gets tossed around in British royal history but you never get much further. He is a fascinating designer, and left an impressive legacy in English fashion. My only (small) qualm is that it ends in 1955; I would love to read his thoughts on the last two decades of his life. This is a must-read for anyone interested in royal fashion history, and QEII's coronation!

[David Serxner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book for anyone who is interested in the fashion industry in England. I found my copy through a rare book dealer in MA.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating memoir of Hartnell's climb from being fired from his first job to the success of designing Queen Elizabeth II's wedding and coronation gowns.

[Ontario Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinionated dishy memoir.

[MISS JOANNE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Norman Hatnell's own story from launching his business in 1923 to designing the Coronation dress for Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II