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LouiePart 1 - Exclusive Interview with Iconic Designer Gloria Smythe (Mrtimer Dunn)
September 18th 2007 16:24
Gloria Smythe – an Iconic Australian Designer, Author, Illustrator and Design Teacher.
Part 1 – Trade Patternmaker to the Royal Family
Literally unknown among the plethora of Australian Designers who today mark their name to luxury brands and perfumes, 79 year old Gloria Smythe (Mortimer Dunn) is one Australian who stands testimony to the female emancipation of our time and is an aspirational role model to all women in this country.
In 1952 following the completion of her Art Scholarship and five years teaching Design at East Sydney Technical College, Sydney born Gloria Smythe sailed alone to London and visited the major Art Colleges and London couturier. The British Council had organized for Gloria to view all the London Fashion collections. She worked hard, studied at the London School of Fashion and joined Horrockses Fashion as an Assistant and Patternmaker
to the Head Designer, John Tullis. Horrockses Fashions were renowned for their cotton dresses but their workroom did justice to collections of Resort wear, Daywear, Evening Wear and Haute Couture. From 1952-1956 in her elegant workroom in the Earl of Suffolk’s former house in Hanover Square, Gloria assisted John Tullis through pattern making to create dresses for the Queens tour of Australia and Nigeria, for the Duchess of Kent and Princess Alexandra’s Canadian tour and for Princess Margaret’s Caribbean tour.
In her pursuit of excellence Gloria was inspired by the classic designers of the periods. Dior, Jacque Fath, Belanciaga and Chanel were of particular interest, as was the Interstoff textile festival and her cultural visits to the many museums and art galleries as she traveled the world. Gloria states, “The Interstoff Textile and Gaido Garment Trade Show were the ones I looked forward to the most.”
It was Gloria’s designs that were photographed by London photographers Norman arkinson and John French and seen in the pages of Vogue and Harpers Bazaar.
Gloria had met English journalist and photographer, Bernard Mortimer Dunn in Australia in 1951 and on the Christmas Eve of 1954 they were married in London.
Over the years at Horrockses, Gloria also assisted to develop styles that were synonymous with the Ready to Wear of today that were exported to America, Europe and Australia.
On their return to Australia her career took a twist away from couture and into swimwear and resort wear. Gloria freelanced for some years whilst she was writing her books and continued her passionate work as a teacher at East Sydney Technical College.
In her pursuit of excellence Gloria Smythe has always chosen to share her knowledge with those around her, working as a Teacher at East Sydney Technical College (now the Art School). Apart from the three years Gloria spent in London, she has demonstrated her commitment to the education of our youth since 1947. Gloria shared her love of textiles, weaving and crafts with the students and authored four Fashion texts on patternmaking,
fashion making, fashion design and children’s pattern making. Over the years, Gloria was the only teacher who had worked as a Designer for international companies, both in Australia and overseas.
Gloria states, “I returned to teaching because I wanted to share the experience I had gained overseas with my students.”
It was Gloria who introduced French Drapery and Trade Patternmaking to the curriculum and was the pioneer of the first ever “multisize” patterns in the country. Not realizing she needed to copyright her idea, Gloria’s innovation was adopted in a similar form by the major patternmaking companies and can be seen today all over the world.
Gloria’s traditional Chanel inspired suit, Jackie Kennedy Style Dress and Hollywood Reversible Swimsuit was the innovative lift out in Woman’s Day Magazines in the early 60’s.
Gloria is recognized today in the International Authors and Writers Who’s Who in Cambridge, England.
Part 1 – Trade Patternmaker to the Royal Family
Literally unknown among the plethora of Australian Designers who today mark their name to luxury brands and perfumes, 79 year old Gloria Smythe (Mortimer Dunn) is one Australian who stands testimony to the female emancipation of our time and is an aspirational role model to all women in this country.
In 1952 following the completion of her Art Scholarship and five years teaching Design at East Sydney Technical College, Sydney born Gloria Smythe sailed alone to London and visited the major Art Colleges and London couturier. The British Council had organized for Gloria to view all the London Fashion collections. She worked hard, studied at the London School of Fashion and joined Horrockses Fashion as an Assistant and Patternmaker
Gloria invents the multi-size pattern
In her pursuit of excellence Gloria was inspired by the classic designers of the periods. Dior, Jacque Fath, Belanciaga and Chanel were of particular interest, as was the Interstoff textile festival and her cultural visits to the many museums and art galleries as she traveled the world. Gloria states, “The Interstoff Textile and Gaido Garment Trade Show were the ones I looked forward to the most.”
It was Gloria’s designs that were photographed by London photographers Norman arkinson and John French and seen in the pages of Vogue and Harpers Bazaar.
Gloria had met English journalist and photographer, Bernard Mortimer Dunn in Australia in 1951 and on the Christmas Eve of 1954 they were married in London.
Over the years at Horrockses, Gloria also assisted to develop styles that were synonymous with the Ready to Wear of today that were exported to America, Europe and Australia.
On their return to Australia her career took a twist away from couture and into swimwear and resort wear. Gloria freelanced for some years whilst she was writing her books and continued her passionate work as a teacher at East Sydney Technical College.
In her pursuit of excellence Gloria Smythe has always chosen to share her knowledge with those around her, working as a Teacher at East Sydney Technical College (now the Art School). Apart from the three years Gloria spent in London, she has demonstrated her commitment to the education of our youth since 1947. Gloria shared her love of textiles, weaving and crafts with the students and authored four Fashion texts on patternmaking,
fashion making, fashion design and children’s pattern making. Over the years, Gloria was the only teacher who had worked as a Designer for international companies, both in Australia and overseas.
Gloria states, “I returned to teaching because I wanted to share the experience I had gained overseas with my students.”
It was Gloria who introduced French Drapery and Trade Patternmaking to the curriculum and was the pioneer of the first ever “multisize” patterns in the country. Not realizing she needed to copyright her idea, Gloria’s innovation was adopted in a similar form by the major patternmaking companies and can be seen today all over the world.
Gloria’s traditional Chanel inspired suit, Jackie Kennedy Style Dress and Hollywood Reversible Swimsuit was the innovative lift out in Woman’s Day Magazines in the early 60’s.
Gloria is recognized today in the International Authors and Writers Who’s Who in Cambridge, England.
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