Fragrance house

Norell

Norell grew from the work of Norman Norell, born Norman David Levinson in Indiana, who moved to New York in 1919, studied at Parsons and Pratt, and adopted the Norell name. After working for Hattie Carnegie, he partnered with garment manufacturer Anthony Traina, and their first women’s collection appeared in 1941. The Traina-Norell label applied couture-level workmanship to American ready-to-wear, combining meticulous construction with simple, tailored silhouettes, menswear references, jersey dresses, capes, and sequin eveningwear. In 1960, after Traina retired, Norell bought out the investors and the label began appearing solely under his name. He launched a designer-named perfume in 1968, marketed by Revlon. Contemporary fragrance-industry coverage credited the original Norell fragrance with helping shift perfume from an occasional gift to something women bought and used for themselves every day. Revlon sold Norell to Five Star Fragrance in 1999, and a 2017 filing identified Five Star as the brand’s owner. Norell’s influence is documented through museum retrospectives and archival recognition of Norman Norell’s contribution to American fashion and ready-to-wear.