Test

Testing 123 Link

Test

Testing 123 Link

Header

“Norman Norell” State Historical Marker

Will Be Dedicated in Noblesville, Indiana

On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, Hamilton County Historian David Heighway and representatives from the City of Noblesville, the Hamilton County Historical Society, and the Indiana Historical Bureau, will unveil a new Indiana state historical marker commemorating Norman Norell. A Hamilton County native, Norell (born Norman Levinson) was one of the nation’s leading fashion designers during the post-World War II period. The dedication of the new historical marker will take place at 4:15 pm along 8th St. between Cherry St. and Maple Ave. in Noblesville, Indiana. Due to COVID-19, this program is not open to the public, but will be livestreamed through the Hamilton County Historical Society’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/hamiltoncountyhistory for all those interested. A larger public program will take place later this year to commemorate Norell and the historical marker. Follow @in_bureau for details on that program this summer.

The text follows for the state marker entitled “Norman Norell, 1900-1972 / Dean of American Fashion”:

Fashion designer Norman (Levinson) Norell was born near here. The Levinsons settled in Noblesville in 1857 and opened a men’s clothing store. They relocated to Indianapolis in 1907, where theater productions inspired Norell to study art and fashion illustration in New York. He designed for stage and screen then entered the field of wholesale women’s clothing in 1924. Norell founded the Traina-Norell (1941) and Norell (1960) fashion houses. He introduced new designs, including the chemise dress, under WWII restrictions and emerged an American fashion industry leader. He applied couture techniques to wholesale clothing. His designs were worn by icons Jackie Kennedy, Judy Garland, and Marilyn Monroe. He is buried in Crownland Cemetery.

The new state historical marker is the eighth to be installed in Hamilton County and the first in the state to examine Hoosier contributions to the fashion industry. See the Indiana Historical Bureau’s webpage for a full listing of markers by county: https://www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/find-a-marker/.

State historical markers commemorate significant individuals, organizations, places, and events in Indiana history. For over 100 years, the Indiana Historical Bureau, a division of the Indiana State Library, has been marking Indiana history. Since 1946, the marker format has been the large roadside marker, which has the familiar dark blue background with gold lettering and the outline of the state of Indiana at the top. Nearly 700 of these markers have been installed over the years.

For more information about the Indiana Historical Marker Program and other resources about Indiana, visit the Indiana Historical Bureau’s website at http://www.IN.gov/history or call (317) 232-2535. For more information about the marker dedication ceremony commemorating Norman Norell, please contact Hamilton County Historian David Heighway at [email protected].

Event Details