#26. Four Giants in American Fashion: Trigère, Norell, Galanos and James

Four Fashion Designers considered the most influential to American Fashion. 1958 Sharland for New York Times

This stunning black and white photograph featured the four giants in American fashion alongside their creations:  Charles James, James Galanos, Pauline Trigère and Norman Norell. The photograph was in 1958 by Sharland aka (Herta Waitzfelder) for The New York Times.

Since my book is solely devoted to Pauline Trigère, in this blog I chronicle the three male designers from this photograph, note Pauline is the sole female designer.

Charles James was known for his extravagant ball-gowns that are red-carpet worthy.  He was born in 1906 in England, his mother came from a wealthy Chicago family. The family moved back to Chicago when Charles was a late teenager, and he worked at an architectural design department where he acquired the mathematical skills that helped him to create flat patterns on the garments.  At nineteen years old, he opened a milliner shop under the name of “Charles Boucheron”.  In 1928, he moved to Long Island and continued his millinery shop.  He was credited with the “taxi dress”:  so, named because it is “so easy to wear it could be slipped on in the backseat of a taxi.”  Six years later, he moved to Mayfair, London and designed the wedding dress for Cecil Beaton’s sister, Baba.  In 1936, he officially set up the design company under his own name.

Primarily known as a “sartorial structural architect”, his collections were sold at Bergdorf Goodman and Lord & Taylor. Many years later with accolades ranging from Coty Awards and Neiman Marcus Award, Charles was included in this photo with the “Four-Leaf” ballgown which he considered it his best creation. This iconic dress weighted 12 pounds and is supported by an inner rigid structure. There are several versions of this dress at the Met Museum and a variation of this dress in Texas.

James Galanos was born in 1924 in Philadelphia of Greek parents.  Commonly known as "Jimmy Galanos", he was the youngest designer to win the Coty Fashion Award in 1954 at age 30, while Pauline won her first Coty award at age 41.

Galanos and Trigère had a joint party in 1959, when both were inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame and they held a grand celebration together. Pauline and Galanos were good friends and there were several correspondences found between them which showed their friendship. One letter Jimmy wrote on the stationary from The Plaza Hotel reads:

"Dear Pauline-

Thank you for such an enjoyable evening and dinner last evening. You are terrific! You look wonderful and thank you for your kind wishes.

Keep well, and keep in touch, Love, Jimmy Galanos."

Another note reads:

"Dear Pauline: Sorry I had to miss your big evening but had to be in S. Francisco.

I know it will be wonderful and that you should be honored very much.

You are the best and you are so deserving of it all.

Love and all the best wishes, Jimmy Galanos."

In the political arena, Galanos was considered Nancy Reagan’s favorite designer. Nancy met Galanos when she was working as an actress in Hollywood.  Subsequently Nancy wore Galanos to Ronald Reagan’s inaugural ball as governor of California in 1967.  Galanos also dressed the elite of America’s cinema royalty, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Rosalind Russell, Jackie Kennedy, Diana Ross, Marlene Dietrich.

The French couturier Hubert de Givenchy once exclaimed about one of Galanos’s gowns after looking at the inside of the dress: “…we don’t make them this well in Paris !”  Galanos retired after nearly fifty years in the fashion industry.  He was also as verbal as Pauline in stating his opinion.  Eric Wilson, fashion reporter of The New York Times recalled that Galanos once exclaimed in contempt at the state of fashion: “How many women can wear just a patch over their crotch and bra?”

Galanos’s vintage gowns remain highly sought after. He donated the bulk of his collection to Drexel University in 2016, one month before his passing at age 92.

Norman Norell was born in Noblesville, Indiana in 1900 and moved to New York City to study fashion at Parsons School of Design and Pratt of Institute.  He spent twelve years with Hattie Carnegie as a designer, where Pauline worked as a designer briefly as well.  He established his own firm in 1960 on Seventh Avenue.  He had numerous top-tier clients including wealthy socialites, Hollywood stars and wives of major industrialists and politicians.  Norell was the recipient of the first fashion industry critic’s Coty Award, and he was compared as rivals to Parisian fashion firms. Marilyn Monroe’s wedding dress for her marriage to Playwright Arthur Miller was designed by Norell. He mentored younger designers including Bill Blass and Stephen Sprouse. 

Norell was the first American fashion designer to launch his own brand of perfume in 1968. Marketed by Revlon and sold at $50 an ounce, it was very successful and earned Norell enough funds to purchase the shares of his company from silent partners.  On the other hand, Trigère launched her perfume line at 1973, it continued for many years even after her death, until 2004.

Norell lived a quiet life in New York City. Easy-going with a calm demeanor, he suffered a stroke the day before his exhibition opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on October 16, 1962.  He died 9 days later. 

This stunning portrait by Sharland for The New York Times captures the four giants in American Fashion, each represented with their signature garment and the impact they had on the industry. I invite you to read my other blog post on Pauline with Rolex ads.

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