Hardy Amies

Michael Pick

CHAPTER THREE

FOR KING AND COUNTRY

CHAPTER THREE

FOR KING AND COUNTRY

Learning at Lachasse

Learning at Lachasse

Embroidery was not undertaken inhouse, but by the firm of Lock & Company. The Amies designs might show an idea of the embroidery envisaged, but this most usually evolved in discussions with Mr Lock, who would then submit samples for further approval, before the dress or sections of it were taken to his workrooms.

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Learning at Lachasse

Learning at Lachasse

Embroidery was not undertaken inhouse, but by the firm of Lock & Company. The Amies designs might show an idea of the embroidery envisaged, but this most usually evolved in discussions with Mr Lock, who would then submit samples for further approval, before the dress or sections of it were taken to his workrooms.

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Kenneth Fleetwood: In House

Embroidery was not undertaken in-house, but by the firm of Lock & Company. The Amies designs might show an idea of the embroidery envisaged, but this most usually evolved in discussions with Mr Lock, who would then submit samples for further approval, before the dress or sections of it were taken to his workrooms.

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for almost two years about their construction, as he later wrote: ‘The suits that Morton had made in his last year with us had a comparatively short, high-waisted jacket, buttoning slightly above the natural waist-line.

Hardy Amies knew that he was taken seriously as a designer when he read his own name in the press rather than that of Lachasse, his employer for barely three years. By April 1937, he was an established worldfamous designer given full illustrated coverage in Vogue for his innovative woman’s suit, wittily named ‘Panic’, a reference to the growing German threat to world peace and quite possibly with a hopeful Amies sub-text of the commotion caused to those designing women’s suits by his own subtle innovations.

Kenneth Fleetwood: In House

Embroidery was not undertaken in-house, but by the firm of Lock & Company. The Amies designs might show an idea of the embroidery envisaged, but this most usually evolved in discussions with Mr Lock, who would then submit samples for further approval, before the dress or sections of it were taken to his workrooms.

176

for almost two years about their construction, as he later wrote: ‘The suits that Morton had made in his last year with us had a comparatively short, high-waisted jacket, buttoning slightly above the natural waist-line.

Hardy Amies knew that he was taken seriously as a designer when he read his own name in the press rather than that of Lachasse, his employer for barely three years. By April 1937, he was an established worldfamous designer given full illustrated coverage in Vogue for his innovative woman’s suit, wittily named ‘Panic’, a reference to the growing German threat to world peace and quite possibly with a hopeful Amies sub-text of the commotion caused to those designing women’s suits by his own subtle innovations.

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II

Embroidery was not undertaken in-house, but by the firm of Lock & Company. The Amies designs might show an idea of the embroidery envisaged, but this most usually evolved in discussions with Mr Lock, who would then submit samples for further approval, before the dress or sections of it were taken to his workrooms.

Elizabeth II, not least the coronation dress itself, it is understandable that any dress he might have designed would have been seen by the world as a precursor and attracted unwelcome publicity.

Amies created one of his masterpieces; less a design wanted by the bride, as she later stated, and more her mother’s choice evolved in conversation with Amies. He knew that it had to stand up against the vast space of the cathedral in mid winter and that members of the royal family, including The Queen, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret would all be present; undoubtedly, there would be at least two of them wearing Hartnell. Amies later said ‘a bride should always choose

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Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II

Embroidery was not undertaken in-house, but by the firm of Lock & Company. The Amies designs might show an idea of the embroidery envisaged, but this most usually evolved in discussions with Mr Lock, who would then submit samples for further approval, before the dress or sections of it were taken to his workrooms.

Elizabeth II, not least the coronation dress itself, it is understandable that any dress he might have designed would have been seen by the world as a precursor and attracted unwelcome publicity.

Amies created one of his masterpieces; less a design wanted by the bride, as she later stated, and more her mother’s choice evolved in conversation with Amies. He knew that it had to stand up against the vast space of the cathedral in mid winter and that members of the royal family, including The Queen, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret would all be present; undoubtedly, there would be at least two of them wearing Hartnell. Amies later said ‘a bride should always choose

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Hardy Amies for Men

Hardy Amies for Men

day I realised that if you lower the waist-line to its lowest possible point, you have a much longer line from under the armhole to the waist, which gives you much more room to move when in action and makes the jacket lie almost peacefully on its own when you are still, avoiding the buttoned-up and restricted look of a high waist.’

In order to counter-balance the top-heavy padded shoulders then fashionable, Amies lengthened jackets, giving emphasis to the hips, unfashionable for many years. For decades thereafter, women relied upon foundation garments to achieve ‘ideal’ dimension. Amies successfully redefined the design of women’s day-wear and by 1939 Vogue illustrated his corseted figure, as a tendency in fashion evolution, which Dior came to make his own with the New Look.

Embroidery was not undertaken in-house, but by the firm of Lock & Company. The Amies designs might show an idea of the embroidery envisaged, but this most usually evolved in discussions with Mr Lock, who would then submit samples for further approval, before the dress or sections of it were taken to his workrooms.

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Hardy Amies knew from the beginning that a wedding provides the best opportunity to display every facet of creative skill on the drawing board – and, subsequently, in the work-room – to great numbers of potential new clients and to the press. The wedding dress and goingaway outfit, the bridesmaids, mother, and families were (and are) used to ordering from one designer in order to achieve a sense of dress harmony to the occasion.

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Hardy Amies for Men

Hardy Amies for Men

day I realised that if you lower the waist-line to its lowest possible point, you have a much longer line from under the armhole to the waist, which gives you much more room to move when in action and makes the jacket lie almost peacefully on its own when you are still, avoiding the buttoned-up and restricted look of a high waist.’

In order to counter-balance the top-heavy padded shoulders then fashionable, Amies lengthened jackets, giving emphasis to the hips, unfashionable for many years. For decades thereafter, women relied upon foundation garments to achieve ‘ideal’ dimension. Amies successfully redefined the design of women’s day-wear and by 1939 Vogue illustrated his corseted figure, as a tendency in fashion evolution, which Dior came to make his own with the New Look.

Embroidery was not undertaken in-house, but by the firm of Lock & Company. The Amies designs might show an idea of the embroidery envisaged, but this most usually evolved in discussions with Mr Lock, who would then submit samples for further approval, before the dress or sections of it were taken to his workrooms.

234

Hardy Amies knew from the beginning that a wedding provides the best opportunity to display every facet of creative skill on the drawing board – and, subsequently, in the work-room – to great numbers of potential new clients and to the press. The wedding dress and goingaway outfit, the bridesmaids, mother, and families were (and are) used to ordering from one designer in order to achieve a sense of dress harmony to the occasion.

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CONTENTS Foreword [royal] Foreword [celebrity] Introduction Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3: Chapter 4: Chapter 5: Chapter 6: Chapter 7: Chapter 8: Chapter 9: Chapter 10: Chapter 11:

YOUNG HARDY (1909–1934) YOUNG DESIGNER LACHASSE (1934–1939) FOR KING AND COUNTRY (1939–1945) ESTABLISHING THE HOUSE (1945–1955) FOR QUEEN AND COUNTRY (1950–2003) KENNETH FLEETWOOD AND DESIGNERS (1955–2011) HARDY AMIES AT HOME (1909–2003) HARDY AMIES WORLDWIDE (1970–2011) WEDDINGS (1935–2003) STAGE AND FILM (1935–2003) MENSWEAR (1959–2011)

Acknowledgements Bibliography Index