The Changing Face of Fashion: Style in a Turbulent World

The Lecture

From Downton to Gatsby: Jewellery and Fashion from 1890 to 1929

For the series and film Downton Abbey, Andrew was commissioned to make many jewels for the main characters, and this inspired him to create a talk based on this unique period. Jewellery and Fashion are often seen as two entirely separate and distinct fields of design, but this is very far from the case. In his talk, Andrew guides you through the extraordinary decades and events between 1890 and 1929, where the great couturiers collaborated with the finest of jewellers to produce jewels and clothes of outstanding quality and glittering opulence. Along with this, he illustrates the clients and patrons who commissioned the jewels and shows how they were worn with their sumptuous gowns.

The Glamour Years: Jewellery and Fashion from 1929 to 1959

In this talk which follows on from ‘Downton to Gatsby’, Andrew shows how the Great Depression and the Second World war had such an extraordinary impact on fashion and jewellery design with the rise of cinema and Hollywood. From the likes of Marlene Dietrich to Grace Kelly, he guides you through the various screen goddesses, how they were portrayed and what they gave to such dazzling effect. He also shows that with the development of advertising, labour saving devices and leisure time, people had more opportunities to enjoy themselves and spend money on the finer things in life, as well as how the political events of the time influenced design and what was worn. He also shows how the Belle Epoque and Art Deco styles did not end at the outbreak of the Second World War, but combined, to flower again with Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’.

The Speaker – Andrew Prince

Andrew Prince has had a passion for jewellery since he was a small child. His passion for jewellery grew when, in 1984 on his first ever visit to Bond Street, Andrew viewed an exhibition by Castellani and Giulianoe at Wartski & Co’s.  In August 1987, two weeks after his 16th birthday, Andrew started work in London’s Bond Street, working for The Antiques Roadshow expert Ian Harris. He then joined the renowned contemporary jeweller Elizabeth Gage and worked with her on the design and production side. Andrew realised that beautiful jewellery didn’t require expensive stones, and that it was the elegance of the design and the quality of the workmanship that truly mattered. Private commissions then started to trickle in. In 2002, the V&A commissioned a collection of jewels to accompany the resplendent Tiaras, Past and Present exhibition which became one of their most popular exhibits. The exposure gained by the show then led to Andrew’s jewellery appearing in film. He has since made tiaras and jewellery for films and television including Mrs Henderson Presents, The Young Victoria, and Downton Abbey.