Sir Edwin Hardy Amies
KCVO (17 July 1909 – 5 March 2003) was an English fashion designer, founder of the
Hardy Amies label and a Royal Warrant holder as designer to the
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
.
Early life
Hardy Amies was born Edwin Amies on 17 July 1909 in
Maida Vale
Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale is p ...
, London. His father was an architect for the
London County Council
London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...
. His mother was a saleswoman for Madame Gray at Machinka & May, London, and then Madame Durant on Dover Street, London. In his teens, he adopted his mother's maiden name, Hardy—and always cited her as the inspiration for his chosen professional path.
Pre-War career
Amies was educated at
Brentwood School, Essex
, established =
, type = Public SchoolIndependent day and boarding
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Headmaster
, head = M Bond
, chair_lab ...
, leaving in 1927. Although his father wanted him to attend
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, it was then his ambition to become a journalist. His father relented and arranged for a meeting between his son and
R. D. Blumenfeld
Ralph David Blumenfeld (pen-name R.D.B., 7 April 1864 – 17 July 1948) was an United States, American-born journalist, writer and newspaper editor who is chiefly notable for having been in charge of the United Kingdom, British newspaper ''Daily ...
, the editor of the ''
Daily Express
The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
''. His father was mortified when Blumenfeld suggested his son travel around Europe to gain some worldly experience.
Amies spent three years in France and Germany, learning the languages, working for a
Customs Agent
''Customs Agent'' is a 1950 American thriller film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring William Eythe, Marjorie Reynolds and Griff Barnett.Blottner p.263
Synopsis
In Shanghai an American customs agent tries to track down a drug-smuggling out ...
and then as an English-language tutor in
Antibes
Antibes (, also , ; oc, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department of southeastern France, on the French Riviera, Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice.
The town of ...
in France and later
Bendorf
Bendorf () is a town in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the right bank of the Rhine, approx. north of Koblenz.
Structure of the town
The town consists of the following districts:
*Bendorf
*Sayn
*Mülhofen
*St ...
in Germany. Amies returned to England where, in 1930, he became a sales assistant in a
ceramic wall-tile factory. After that, he secured a trainee position as a
weight machine
A weight machine is an exercise machine used for weight training that uses gravity as the primary source of resistance and a combination of simple machines to convey that resistance to the person using the machine. Each of the simple machines (pull ...
salesman with
W & T Avery Ltd. in Birmingham.
It was Amies' mother's contacts in the fashion world, and his flair for writing, that secured him his first job in fashion. It was his vivid description of a dress, written in a letter to a retired French seamstress, that brought Hardy to the attention of the owner of the
Mayfair
Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...
couture house
Lachasse
Lachasse was a British couture firm operating from 1928 until 2006, making it one of the longest surviving high fashion houses in London.
Part of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (IncSoc), it is notable for being a major train ...
on Farm Street,
Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Kent ...
, as the wearer of the dress was the owner's wife. He became managing director, in 1934, at the age of 25. His most notable innovation during this epoch was to lower the waistline of women's suits. He placed it at the top of the hip instead of at the natural waistline, giving a more feminine look.
In 1937, he scored his first success with a Linton
tweed
Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...
suit in sage green with a cerise overcheck called "Panic". "Panic" was to be his debut into the fashion bible ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', photographed by
Cecil Beaton
Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theat ...
. By the late 1930s, Hardy was designing the entire Lachasse collection – succeeding
Digby Morton
Henry Digby Morton (1906–1983) was an Irish fashion designer and among the leading names of British couture in the period from 1930-50. He was also among the pioneers of ready-to-wear fashions in the 1950s. Successful on both sides of the Atlan ...
.
His second celebration creation was "Made in England", a biscuit-coloured checked suit for the Hollywood ingénue
Mildred Shay
Mildred Helen Shay (September 26, 1911 – October 15, 2005) was an American film actress of the 1930s whose affairs, marriages and glamorous social life became a popular subject for gossip columnists. At five-feet tall, Shay was dubbed the "Pocke ...
. He left Lachasse in 1939 and joined the
House of Worth
The House of Worth was a French fashion house that specialized in haute couture, ready-to-wear clothes, and perfumes. It was founded in 1858 by English designer Charles Frederick Worth. It continued to operate under his descendants until 1952 and c ...
in 1941.
Second World War
At the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, with his language experience, Amies was called to serve in the
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
(SOE). He was commissioned as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
from Officer Cadet Training Company on to the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
General List
The General Service Corps (GSC) is a corps of the British Army.
Role
The role of the corps is to provide specialists, who are usually on the Special List or General List. These lists were used in both World Wars for specialists and those not allo ...
on 18 May 1940. He was transferred from the
General List
The General Service Corps (GSC) is a corps of the British Army.
Role
The role of the corps is to provide specialists, who are usually on the Special List or General List. These lists were used in both World Wars for specialists and those not allo ...
to the
Intelligence Corps on 15 July 1940. Amies suspected that SOE's commander
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Colin Gubbins
Major-General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins (2 July 1896 – 11 February 1976) was the prime mover of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in the Second World War.
Gubbins was also responsible for setting up the secret Auxiliary Units, a commando ...
did not regard a dressmaker as suitable military material; but his training report stated:
This officer is far tougher both physically and mentally than his rather precious appearance would suggest. He possesses a keen brain and an abundance of shrewd sense. His only handicap is his precious appearance and manner, and these are tending to decrease.
Posted to
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, Amies worked with the various Belgian
resistance group
A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objectives ...
s and adapted names of fashion accessories for use as code words, while he organised
sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
assignments and arranged for agents to be parachuted with radio equipment behind enemy lines, into the
Ardennes
The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...
. Amies rose to the rank of
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
, but outraged his superiors in 1944 by engaging famed photographer
Lee Miller
Elizabeth "Lee" Miller, Lady Penrose (April 23, 1907 – July 21, 1977), was an American photographer and photojournalist. She was a fashion model in New York City in the 1920s before going to Paris, where she became a fashion and fine art ...
and setting up a ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' photo shoot in Belgium after
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
.
In 1946, he was knighted in Belgium, being made an Officer of the
Order of the Crown on 17 September 1948 by the
prince regent
A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch regnant, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness ...
of Belgium.
Amies was an integral part of
Operation Ratweek, an assassination project developed by
SOE to eliminate
double agent
In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organi ...
s and Nazi sympathizers in Belgium. In 2000, a
BBC 2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
documentary entitled ''Secret Agent'' named Amies as one of the men who helped to plan the killing of dozens of Nazi
collaborators, but Amies disclaimed all knowledge of the matter.
Amies was quirky, yet conservative; for example, having his
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
uniform tailored on
Savile Row
Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...
. Years later, Hardy recalled that
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 191211 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963 he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring which had divulged British secr ...
was in his
mess
The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
; and, on being asked what the infamous spy was like, Hardy quipped, "He was always trying to get information out of me—most significantly the name of my tailor."
Hardy Amies Ltd: № 14 Savile Row
In late 1945,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
,
Countess of Jersey, who had been a client during his tenure at Lachasse, financed Hardy Amies' move to 14 Savile Row. The following January, Amies established his own
couture fashion house business: Hardy Amies Ltd. Although
Savile Row
Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...
is the home of English
bespoke
The word ''bespoke'' () has evolved from a verb meaning 'to speak for something', to its contemporary usage as an adjective. Originally, the adjective ''bespoke'' described tailor-made suits and shoes. Later, it described anything commissioned t ...
tailoring, the Hardy Amies brand became known for its classic and beautifully tailored clothes for both men and women. Hardy's business quickly took off in the postwar years when customers, who had been deprived of couture for the preceding years, snapped up his elegant, traditional designs. Hardy was quoted at the time as saying, "A woman's day clothes must look equally good at
Salisbury Station as the
Ritz Bar". Amies was Vice-Chairman of the
Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers
The Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (also known as IncSoc, Inc Soc and ISFLD) was a membership organisation founded in 1942 to promote the British fashion and textile industry and create luxury couture to sell abroad for the war ...
(1954–56) and chairman (1959–60).
Starting in 1946, the fashion house was located at 14 Savile Row. It changed ownership several times over the course of its history. In 1950, Amies established a ready-to-wear boutique with suits, sweaters, coats and accessories.
In 2018, the company went into administration for a second time and was attempting to sell its assets in 2019. The Savile Row store was closed in March 2019 and the space taken over by
Hackett London
Hackett Limited is a British Multichannel retailing, multi-channel retailer of clothing for men and boys, with a broad range of apparel and Fashion accessory, accessories. It was founded in 1983 in London, England. As of June 2019, the company h ...
in June as its flagship store.
The Label is continuing to prosper in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. The brand is run by Austico apparel and has an online presence. Their products are available at Hardy & Harper, David Jones and other private retailers across Australia.
Commercial success
Amies was successful in business by being able to extract value from his designs, while not replicating his brand to the point of exploitation. In 1959, Amies was one of the first European designers to venture into the
ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...
market when he teamed up with
Hepworth & Son to design a range of menswear. In 1961, Amies made fashion history by staging the first men's ready-to-wear
catwalk
A fashion show ( French ''défilé de mode'') is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fa ...
shows, at the
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 188 ...
, London. The
runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...
show was a first on many levels, as it was both the first time music was played and that the designer accompanied models on the catwalk.
Menswear designing
In 1959, Amies was one of the first women's couturiers to design for men. He used to be more conservative than other menswear designers. His designs were characterized by an emphasis on youthful and rich-looking clothing. He signed numerous licensing agreements to produce popular garments in various countries.
Sports
Amies also undertook design for in-house work wear, which developed from designing special clothes for the England
1966 World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the eighth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in England from 11 July to 30 July 1966. The England national football team defeated West Germany 4-2 in the ...
team, the
1972 British Olympic squad,
and such groups as the
Oxford University Boat Club
Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the rowing club for male, heavyweight oarsman of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century.
The Boat Race
The club races agai ...
and the
London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...
. In the mid-1970s, he ventured into interior design, including designs for
Crown Wallpaper
Crown Wallpaper, also known as the Crown Wallpaper Company, was an agglomeration of wallpaper manufacturers in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain ...
.
Films
In 1967, Amies was commissioned by director
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
to design the costumes for ''
2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968). Amies' work was seen in a handful of other films of the 1960s: He dressed
Albert Finney
Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' (1960) ...
in ''
Two for the Road'' (1967),
Tony Randall
Anthony Leonard Randall (born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg; February 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Felix Unger in a television adaptation of the 1965 play ''The Odd Couple'' by Neil Sim ...
in ''
The Alphabet Murders
''The Alphabet Murders'' is a 1965 British detective film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Tony Randall as Hercule Poirot. It is based on the 1936 novel ''The A.B.C. Murders'' by Agatha Christie.
Plot
Albert Aachen, a clown with a unique ...
'' (1965),
Joan Greenwood
Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'', and also app ...
in ''
The Amorous Prawn
''The Amorous Prawn'' or ''The Amorous Mr. Prawn'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Ian Carmichael, Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker. The film was based on a 1959 farcical play by Kimmins.
In the United St ...
'' (1962), and
Deborah Kerr
Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
During her international film career, Kerr won a G ...
in ''
The Grass is Greener
''The Grass Is Greener'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Jean Simmons. The screenplay was adapted by Hugh Williams and Margaret Vyner from the play of ...
'' (1960).
Queen Elizabeth II
Amies is best known to the British public for his work for
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
. The association began in 1950, when Amies made several outfits for the then-Princess Elizabeth's
royal tour of Canada. In 1955, the queen appointed him as one of her three official dressmakers.
He established the monarch's crisp, understated style of dress. "I don't think she feels clothes which are too chic are exactly very friendly," he told one
fashion editor
A fashion editor is a person that supervises the process of creating, developing and presenting content for the fashion department of a magazine, Web site, newspaper or television program.
The work of a fashion editor can be quite varied and may h ...
. "The Queen's attitude is that she must always dress for the occasion".
Knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in 1989, Amies held the warrant until 1990, when he gave it up so that younger designers could create for the Queen, although the House of Hardy Amies was still designing for her under Design Director Jon Moore until 2002.
''ABC of Men's Fashion''
Having written a regular column for ''
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' on men's fashion, in 1964, Amies published the book ''ABC of Men's Fashion''. Amies's strict male dress code included commandments on everything from socks to the summer wardrobe.
When, in July 2009, the Hardy Amies Designer Archive was opened on
Savile Row
Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...
, the
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
reissued the book.
He stated, "A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them."
In 1974, Amies was entered into the ''
Vanity Fair''
International Best Dressed List
The International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time. The American magazine '' Vanity Fair'' is currently in charge of the List af ...
Hall of Fame.
Later life
In May 1973, Hardy Amies Ltd. was sold to
Debenhams
Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish ...
, which had already purchased Hepworths who distributed the Hardy Amies line. In 1981, Amies purchased the business back. In May 2001, Amies sold his business to the Luxury Brands Group and retired at the end of the year, when Moroccan-born designer Jacques Azagury became head of couture.
In November 2008, after going bankrupt,
the Hardy Amies brand was acquired by Fung Capital, the private investment arm of
Victor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
and
William Fung
William Fung Kwok Lun OBE JP () (born 21 February 1949) is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman who is the group managing director of Li & Fung Group, one of the largest trading companies in Hong Kong.
Early life
Fung was born in 1949 in Hong ...
, who together control the
Li & Fung
Li & Fung Limited is a Bermuda-incorporated, Hong Kong-based supply chain manager. In 2020, it was reportedly struggling to turn its century-old business around for years.
On 13 February 2017, it was removed from the blue chip index: Hang Sen ...
Group.
Honours
* He received the
1939–1945 Star
The 1939–1945 Star is a military campaign medal instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces for service in the Second World War. Two clasps were instituted to be worn on the medal ribbon, Battl ...
, the
France and Germany Star
The France and Germany Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British Commonwealth forces who served in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany and adjacent sea areas between ...
, the
Defence Medal and the
War Medal A war medal is a military decoration awarded in time of war, as opposed to a service medal. It may refer to, for example:
*War Medal (Norway)
*Campaign medal
*Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
*British War Medal, British Empire medal for servi ...
for service with the
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
* Knight Commander of the
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(KCVO) awarded 17 June 1989.
* Commander of the
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(CVO) awarded 10 June 1977.
* He was made an Officer of the
Order of the Crown by the
Kingdom of Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the ...
awarded 17 September 1948.
* He received the Queen Elizabeth II Version of the
Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal
The Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal is a civil decoration awarded by the British monarch to servants of the royal household for long and faithful service.
History
The Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal was establish ...
for 20 years of service to the
British Royal Family.
Personal life
Initially discreet about his
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
, Amies became more candid in his old age and, when speaking of
Sir Norman Hartnell, another renowned dressmaker to the Queen, he commented: "It's quite simple. He was a old queen and I'm a old queen."
Amies and his partner, Ken Fleetwood, Design Director of Hardy Amies Ltd, were together for 43 years until Fleetwood's death in 1996. Amies died at home in 2003, aged 93. He is buried in the village churchyard at
Langford, Oxfordshire
Langford is a village and civil parish in West Oxfordshire, about northeast of Lechlade in neighbouring Gloucestershire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 349.
Archaeology
In 1943 a set of ring ditch enclosures was excavated ...
.
[Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Location 1102). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.]
Notes
References
External links
Hardy AmiesOfficial website
Hardy Amiesdesigner profile at
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
Hardy Amies Style Advicearticle at
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
Hardy Amies' Guide to Men's Fashionreviewed inside The Guardian
at the
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
Hardy Amiesdesigner profile at the
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
Hardy Amiesobituary at
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
*
Further reading
* ''Here Lived…'', Cambridge, 1948.
* ''Just So Far'', London, 1954.
* ''The ABC of Men's Fashion'', London, 1964.
* ''Still Here'', London, 1984.
* ''The Englishman's Suit'', London, 1994.
* ''Hardy Amies''. Michael Pick. ACC Publications, 2012.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amies, Hardy
People from Maida Vale
English fashion designers
Intelligence Corps officers
British Special Operations Executive personnel
LGBT people from England
LGBT fashion designers
Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
1909 births
2003 deaths
British Army personnel of World War II
Officers of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Menswear designers
20th-century English businesspeople
British Army General List officers
Gay military personnel
20th-century LGBT people
Fashion designers from London