Fashion Sketch

This design by the British fashion designer Sir Norman Hartnell (1901-1979) is for Queen Elizabeth II. It shows a sketch of an orange, most likely silk, evening dress. It is not accessorised with a tiara or gloves, but a fur stole suggesting it may have been designed for a private occasion rather than a formal state occasion.

Due to animal welfare considerations today the use of real fur is widely deemed unacceptable. However, in the 1950's real fur was a common sight and was often used for dress as a trim detail, stole or coat.

Fashion sketches were sent to customers for approval and comment, designs for members of the royal family had to be suitable for royal protocol and use for royal duties.The sketch is signed by Norman Hartnell and marked 'specially designed for H.R.H The Princess Elizabeth - Duchess of Edinburgh' and numbered 14. The sketch was given as a gift by Hartnell to his personal assistant who he had worked with for a very long time and had been kept by the family ever since.

Sir Norman Hartnell is famous for dressing two generations of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, her sister Princess Margaret and their mother, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. In 1977 he became the first person to receive a knighthood for services to fashion. Hartnell's success as a designer significantly raised the profile of British fashion in the mid-twentieth century. His wearable and feminine designs often feature beautiful, embroidered embellishment, and he has been credited with shaping and creating a style for royalty in the twentieth century.