Hartnell: Old Cut, New Colour

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31117, 21 July 1966, Page 2

Hartnell: Old Cut, New Colour

(Special Crspdt. N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, July 20. Norman Hartnell, couturier to the Queen, stuck rigidly to the “safe and steady” road when he produced his autumn collection for 1966 this week. Hartnell hardly budged from last year’s designs. Hemlines rose no higher than the knee, coats were wide, loose and unexciting, and dresses retained that “Hartnell elegance’ geared primarily to the dowager duchess.

Although cut was unenterprising, colour was used to great advantage. The collection was a kaleidoscope of pinks, reds, emerald greens and the ever-dynamic black and white. One younger ensemble was “taxi” a black cocktail dress with a white fringed panel around the waist A long pink satin dress with black velvet bodice was topped with a fantastic “bit of nonsense” contrived from white peacock feathers. Hartnell always produces very extravagant evening wear.

Brilliant lame cocktail dresses were worn beneath velvet coats. Slim-fitting sheaths were topped with seethrough lace boleros. And the most striking effect was achieved with a citroncoloured evening coat —with black collar, black velvet dress beneath—and black and citron striped turban. The show finished on a traditional Hartnell note with a series of long evening dresses encrusted with sequins, diamonds and crystals. The last model disappeared in “passing shower”—a ball gown with bell-sleeved bodice of “ice-blue raindrops” which tinkled all the way down the catwalk.