DIAMONDS RIVETTED INTO CORONATION GOWNS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 78, 19 April 1937, Page 5

DIAMONDS RIVETTED INTO CORONATION GOWNS

It does not matter if the Paris dress shOws are hardly over. Enthusiasm in London is reserved for coronaf.on robes and gowns in the graad ma:#ner, usually the ones which are kej>€ for the last dramatie half-hour at every show, aays a London writer. They are the ones which designers believe to be inost fitted to a palace 's spiendour, and it is interesting to notice how closely most of the designers — even those wh6 showed their interpretation of Coprt gowns at shows several months ago — have kept to the four designs which were approved finaily by the King and Queen a day so ago. These four gowns, designed by Reville, will set the standard for the dresses and trains to be worn at the Coronation Courts at Buckingham Palace on May 5 and 6, and at the Palace of Holyrood, Edinburgh, in July, The original designs, delieately coloured, are now being shown at the Lord Chamberlain 's Office at St. James 's, Palace. Like most of the gowns shown by other designers, Reville 's four lovely gowns are distinguished by exquisite embroideries in sequins or pearls. Quite prosaically, their intricate loveliness will add to all the extra employment which has already been created by the coronation. Some of them, experts say, will take five or six girls several weeks to f inish. Victor Stiebel, who had a private view of his spring collection, including coronation robes and dresses, this week, showed some really lovely coronationgowns. He is firm in saying that they will be white or off-white, and prefers to use materials with a matt surface, such as panhe velvet, the matt sido of heavy satin or exquisite lace, wheu he emphasises the design by picking up the motif with shimmering sequins oi beads. Some peeresses have brought him their own diamonds to have worked into the dresses which they will wear at the ceremony at the Abbey. They are rivetted into the material. Appliqued quilting, fitting because of its fine handwork, sequins or silver and gold threads are embroidered into the lovely front panels. He is concentrating on a slim line, with a slight flare from the kneesj or clever draping in front to break the long line from the throat to the sweeping hem. Like .Stiebel, Reville and Hartnell, English designers are concentrating on fine embroideries for Court gowns as well as coronation robes. At his special Press view, Norman Hartnell showed the most glamorous of debutantes ' f rocks--— clouds of white tulle embroidered all over with little silver feathers, whieh were grouped together just like the Prinee.of Wales's feathers which -the manuequin wore on her f air hair. Reville *s four ' 'approved7' gowns ali have sleeves, or other tiny wisps of tulle which- just veil the shoulders. For an older woman, as lovely gown of gold brocade, woven 'with peony-like fl'owers, is suggested. The long train of the samo material is lined with gold lame, and a great clustcr of crystal f lowers is caught across the deop V of the neckline. Reville *s chiffon frock, the colour of a pink pearl, seemed to have been blown together instead of being pufc together, stiteh by stitch, patiently. Its train and tiny pleated eape sleeves are embroidered with mother-of-pearl sequins, matching the roses sewn on the gown, which is given an extraordiharily becoming line by - breaking the embroidery diagonally at the knees, to introduce a plain band of chiffon, then a band of sequins, and then the fluted hem. Most people waitod until these designs were approved to order their gowns. This year a special effort will be made to persuade people to adhero to the approved designs. Eccentricities in colour or design will not be encouraged. The dignity of Courts, designers say, demand the dignity and grace of traditional style. Pastel pinks and blues, whites, and off-whites, the dignity of satin, the mystery of chiffon, the grace . pf long, flowing .linos will be more in keeping than the vivid colourss and audacious patterns which we' are eertainly going to see in other evehing frocks.