Norman Parkinson: Always in Style

Sixty years of fashion photography

North American premiere

Montreal, April 16, 2024. – On view from April 19 to September 2, 2024, Norman Parkinson: Always in Style is the first of two exhibitions devoted to fashion and portrait photography making their North American premieres at the McCord Stewart Museum this spring. With his flamboyant personality and pioneering sensibility, British photographer Norman Parkinson gave new impetus to fashion photography and celebrity portraiture, photographing the 20th century’s most prominent artists and celebrities between the 1930s and 1980s, including Audrey Hepburn, Jerry Hall, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones and Jane Birkin. Norman Parkinson: Always in Style is presented by Holt Renfrew Ogilvy.

The exhibition features 79 of Norman Parkinson’s best-known images, as well as recent discoveries from his remarkable photographic portfolio and a selection of 56 covers of major magazines – Vogue (British and American), Harper’s Bazaar, Tatler, etc. – shot between the 1950s and 1970s. Visitors will also discover several magnificent pieces from the McCord Stewart Museum’s Dress, Fashion and Textiles collection: 10 high-end dresses and ensembles made between the 1930s and the 1970s by French designers Christian Dior, Jacques Griffe, Jean Patou, Louis Féraud and Guy Laroche, Italian André Laug and British designers Digby Morton and Hardy Amies, plus four creations by Quebec milliners Fanny Graddon and Yvette Brillon. The exhibition includes a self-guided tour for families.

Object photograh

Stepping out of photography studios

Norman Parkinson made a name for himself early in his career with his unconventional style. Favouring the outdoors rather than the constrained, formal environment of a photo studio, he set his models in motion in sumptuous, often unsual, settings. The 1939 photograph of model Pamela Minchin, captured mid-air in a Fortnum & Mason swimsuit on the Isle of Wight (England) for Harper’s Bazaar, illustrates this interest in spontaneity. He said of this image: “When I pulled that picture out of the soup it confirmed to me for the rest of my life that I had to be a photographer. I was absolutely amazed by the magic of it.” It was this dynamic style that attracted the attention of the most celebrated fashion magazines, including Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue (British and American) and Town & Country, and earned him international recognition. One of the first fashion photographers to incorporate colour into his practice, he said: “I dream in colour … when you dream in colour … one must photograph in colour.”

“Norman Parkinson would always be seen wearing a Kashmiri wedding cap whenever taking photographs. From the character he created with his unique dress sense, he intrigued his sitters and enticed them to embrace the best versions of themselves, bestowing a touch of magic that relaxed and inspired,” explains exhibition curator Terence Pepper OBE.

Decades of creativity

Much of Parkinson’s enduring success is attributed to his ability to reinvent his style over trends and decades, and to maintain his reputation despite the emergence of new generations of young photographers and models. Between the 1940s and 1950s, Parkinson began a long collaboration with British Vogue, producing images with a narrative character, as seen in Young Velvets, Young Prices (New York, Vogue, 1949), which features four models wearing hats against a backdrop of New York skyscrapers. This period also saw the appearance of images of his muse and wife Wenda Parkinson, who became one of the period’s top models. The 1960s and 1970s were marked by major lifestyle changes, but Parkinson had no trouble keeping up. Throughout the 1960s, Parkinson continued to spot new faces and began working with Queen magazine. In the 1970s, his images helped elevate new models to stardom, including the likes of Jerry Hall and Iman. During this twenty-year period, Parkinson took iconic photographs of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, as well as fashion designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Jean Muir and Zandra Rhodes. In the 1980s, Parkinson was awarded the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II and created a series of portraits for a retrospective organized by London’s National Portrait Gallery.

“I hope that the audience will appreciate the opportunity to witness the significant moments in the career of a photographer who not only played a crucial role in the development of fashion photography in the 20^th century but also excelled as a portrait artist. Throughout his prolific 60-year career, spanning from 1931 until his passing in 1990, while still in action, he demonstrated a remarkable ability to capture and reflect the essence of the era in which he worked,” says Terence Pepper OBE.

From famous models to some of the most influential actors and actresses of their generation, not to mention the crowned heads of Europe, Norman Parkinson immortalized many of the 20th century’s biggest celebrities.

“This is the first of two exceptional summer exhibitions devoted to fashion and portrait photography this year at the Museum. Norman Parkinson: Always in Style highlights fashion’s personality and trends throughout the 20^th century, captured by an artist with an evident love of beauty and constant reinvention. We have no doubt that its aestheticism will appeal to fashion enthusiasts, while captivating the attention of photography buffs,” says Anne Eschapasse, President and CEO of the Museum.

“Holt Renfrew Ogilvy is very proud to be the presenting sponsor of Norman Parkinson: Always in Style at the McCord Stewart Museum,” says Natalie Lord, Divisional Vice President and General Manager, Holt Renfrew Ogilvy. “The McCord Stewart Museum and Holt Renfrew Ogilvy have long enjoyed a successful relationship. We are looking forward to supporting this exciting exhibition for fashion-loving Montrealers and visitors alike.

Exhibition views

Curatorial and production team

A Iconic Images / Norman Parkinson Archive 2024 exhibition in association with Terra Esplêndida and the McCord Stewart Museum.

Curation:
Terence Pepper, Curator
Iconic Images, Co-curator
Project management: Caroline Truchon, McCord Stewart Museum
Conservation: Alexis Walker and Zoë Tousignant, McCord Stewart Museum
Exhibition and graphic design: Stéfanie Vermeersch
Writer, tour for families: Valérie Dezelak

Tracing the history of fashion in the 20th century

From June 14 to July 5, 18 designs by graduating students from Collège LaSalle will be on display on the 5th floor of Holt Renfrew Ogilvy. These creations, conceived as part of MAtv’s documentary series L’histoire de la mode à Montréal – L’habit comme miroir de la société*─ a production in collaboration with designer Jean-Claude Poitras, Collège LaSalle and Le Grand Costumier ─ take a contemporary look at the 1950s to the 2000s, echoing the decades covered by the exhibition Norman Parkinson: Always in Style. Based on public votes, six of these works will subsequently be presented in the Museum’s Entrance Hall, from July 8 to August 18, taking visitors on a journey through the history of Montreal Fashion with a contemporary twist.
* French only

Dowload documents

Press Release PDF
Press Release WORD

Images de presse

Object photographs
Exhibition views
Photo of Norman Parkinson and Terence Pepper