Skirt
ca. 1955 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This patchwork skirt was handmade in the 1950s. The maker used fabrics originally created for the London-based couturier Norman Hartnell. They were probably offcuts or fabric samples from his workrooms. Many of the patches are printed or woven dress-silks, but cotton, wool, and even lurex patches appear, documenting the broad range of luxury textiles used by couturiers.
The maker's father was part of the high-end London fashion market. He owned R. L. Salmon Ltd, a London-based dress manufacturer which had exclusive rights to reproduce Jacques Heim's Paris collections between 1957 and 1969. He would have been well-positioned to acquire the fabric samples used to make this skirt.
The maker's father was part of the high-end London fashion market. He owned R. L. Salmon Ltd, a London-based dress manufacturer which had exclusive rights to reproduce Jacques Heim's Paris collections between 1957 and 1969. He would have been well-positioned to acquire the fabric samples used to make this skirt.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Patchwork of dress silks, satin, cotton, wool and lurex lined with taffeta |
| Brief description | Patchwork skirt, made by Naomi Salmon, probably made in London, ca. 1955 |
| Physical description | Full skirt entirely made up from multi-coloured blocks, mostly of dress silks, but including cottons, woollens, satins and green lurex. Each length of patches gradually get wider towards the bottom. Lined and mounted on a rich sea-green iridescent taffeta with the same fabric flounce around the inside of the hemline. Some discolouration to the lining, particularly where black patches are on the outside. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Naomi Robins. |
| Object history | Made by Naomi Salmon in the 1950s from dress silks and fabrics used by the house of Hartnell. |
| Production | Miss Salmon made this skirt using dress silks made for and used by Norman Hartnell. |
| Summary | This patchwork skirt was handmade in the 1950s. The maker used fabrics originally created for the London-based couturier Norman Hartnell. They were probably offcuts or fabric samples from his workrooms. Many of the patches are printed or woven dress-silks, but cotton, wool, and even lurex patches appear, documenting the broad range of luxury textiles used by couturiers. The maker's father was part of the high-end London fashion market. He owned R. L. Salmon Ltd, a London-based dress manufacturer which had exclusive rights to reproduce Jacques Heim's Paris collections between 1957 and 1969. He would have been well-positioned to acquire the fabric samples used to make this skirt. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.134-1998 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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