Norman Hartnell's 1938 Spring Collection is modelled here by a group of society ladies (one of whom looks alarmingly like Nadia from 2004's Big Brother) who pose awkwardly in a series of extraordin...
Norman Hartnell's 1938 Spring Collection is modelled here by a group of society ladies (one of whom looks alarmingly like Nadia from 2004's Big Brother) who pose awkwardly in a series of extraordinary gowns.
Shot in glorious Dufaycolor (an early and beautifully distinctive colour film process), this is not only an important record of 1930s couture, but also a handy reminder that not so long ago you could be a clothes horse without being a teenage size-zero.
This was an atypical subject for director Humphrey Jennings - soon to become one of the most enduring chroniclers of World War Two's home front. Here, he (and Hartnell) appear to have been influenced by Madame Yevonde, doyenne of British society photographers, whose portraits of aristocrats posing as ancient Greek goddesses had recently been exhibited. (Robin Baker)
You can watch the whole of 'Making Fashion' and almost 1000 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the new BFI Mediatheque - http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque
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Argh. I adore the music playing in the background and I really, awfully hope that it's a case of tented-music (or whatever it's called.) and that there's some kind of 1930s 78 release of the same recording that can be found somewhere to post on youtube.
This is one of my favorite 1930s fashion-related clips.
Overdressed,overpriced dressess for the upper crust of soceity..they are works of art wear but not practical and comfortable.That is a perspective coming out of casual wear fanatic.I can try putting them on for cat walk though.
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This is one of my favorite 1930s fashion-related clips.