Norman Norell’s work continues to influence aspiring designers
One of the first American designers whose name appeared on a label, Noblesville’s Norman Norell, was known for making clean, precisely tailored clothes with superb workmanship. Norell, who was born Norman David Levinson on April 20, 1900 in Noblesville, died Oct. 25, 1972 in New York City. His career spanned 50 years, its impact on fashion and influence in the fashion world is still seen today, and an upcoming exhibit at Nickel Plate Arts highlights his career.
Norell’s rise in fashion
Norell’s grandparents, N.D. and “Minnie” Levinson, emigrated to Noblesville in the 1850s from Germany. N.D. opened a clothing store in Downtown Noblesville where the Hamilton County Visitors Center is at today.
“They were one of the first Jewish settlers in the area,” Hamilton County Historian David Heighway said. “N.D. Levinson was a tailor, his son Harry also got into clothing and it was just natural for Norman to get into the business, but he wanted a slightly higher level and went to New York for fashion school (Pratt Institute).”
In 1922, Norell joined the New York studio of Paramount Pictures where he designed clothes for Gloria Swanson and other stars of silent movies. In 1928, he was hired by Hattie Carnegie and remained with her until 1941.
“He worked with a couple other famous designers and then setup his own studio,” Heighway said. “Historically speaking, after World War II the European fashion schools were gone … he leapt right to the top. He was on the cover of Life magazine three times. He was considered the premiere post-war fashion designer. He made America count in fashion.”
Nickel Plate Arts exhibit
From 6 to 9 p.m. May 2, Nickel Plate Arts will host the grand opening of its Mode Locale exhibit featuring Norell and other local fashion designers. The exhibit will have fashions from the early 1900s to modern times. Learn about costumes from Conner Prairie, Fishers Renaissance Faire and more. The free exhibit, which runs May 2 through 24, is the first fashion show at NPA.
“It’s something we had been discussing for awhile,” NPA Executive Director Aili McGill said. “It’s a really good reminder that Noblesville has a rich arts heritage. We have a lot to be proud of. Norman Norell’s story is cool. He had such a huge influence on the fashion world. We want people to see and learn from his story.”
With her interest in fashion, the exhibit is Noblesville High School senior Claire Bowles internship culmination.
“Norell is a main part because he is such a big figure in Noblesville,” she said. “I have always had a love for fashion, and when this became known to Aili, she gave me the opportunity to organize my own exhibit centered on local fashion. It has been an awesome learning experience I never imagined I would get, especially during high school.”
McGill said the internship provided Bowles with the practical side of arts and real world experience.
“She organized it from the start. We’ve given her leads and conceptually where we want it to go. She is incredibly responsible and talented,” she said. “The subject is fashion but the skills are exhibit design. She has a lot of natural instinct for all of it. She’s a really strong communicator.”
Impacting future designers
Bowles, 18, is working at NPA this school year as part of the career exploration internship program, but her interest in fashion began at a young age.
“Like every little girl, I liked clothes and fashion at an early age. We had a huge thing to dress up clothes and my sister and I fought over who wore what,” she said. “At the start of high school I really got into it. To make something I can share with the world is crazy and I love it. It expresses who I am – clothes and fashion can do that.”
In the fall, Bowles plans to study fashion merchandising at Ashland University in Ohio. She plans to intern in New York City her junior year of college.
“I went there last summer and immediately fell in love with it. I ultimately want to become a buyer for any large company,” she said. “I like making my own clothing but the design side is so hard to break into. It’s such a dream of mine to pick out pieces that fit back into stores.”
After studying Norell, Bowles said she felt inspired about the fashion industry.
“When I first saw his work I said, ‘This is exactly what I like’,” she said. “Norell made me think, ‘I can do this. If he can do it, I can too’. Even when I told my friends, they didn’t know we had someone that cool that grew up in Noblesville.”
What Bowles likes most about Norell’s work is its timeless appeal.
“It translates to today’s work. It can be rolled over in all the different periods,” she said. “Norell’s designs setup what American fashion came to be. The ideas are from Paris but American ready to wear. He transformed American fashion through today.”
Interesting facts
■ Norman Norell spent a short period at military school during World War I.
■ His uncle, Salmon Oliver Levinson, was the only Noblesville resident nominated for a Noble Peace Prize. He assisted in drafting the Kellogg-Briand Pact in 1928, which “outlawed” war in a legal sense.
■ Norell changed his name in 1922. “It’s a combination of Norman Levinson. He added an extra ‘L’ to make it look better,” NHS senior Claire Bowles said.
■ While the Levinson family has a prominent history in Noblesville, only Norell and his parents are buried in Crownland Cemetery. “Since we have no Jewsh burial ground, family members were shipped up to Chicago and buried there. They are the only ones buried here out of the family,” County Historian David Heighway said.
■ In 1943 Norell received the first of five Coty American Fashion Critics’ Awards. In 1956, the same year Parsons presented him its Medal for Distinguished Achievement, he was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame.
■ Norell died the night before the opening of a retrospective of his work at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
