Victor Edelstein (born 10 July 1946) is a British former couturier best known for his fashion designs for

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

, in the 1980s. In 1989 he was described as the English equivalent to

Oscar de la Renta Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo (22 July 1932 – 20 October 2014), known professionally as Oscar de la Renta, was a Dominican fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo, he was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. De la Renta ...

, and "the master of the English thoroughbred look". He now works as a painter.

Early career

Edelstein was born in North London to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family. In 1962 he began working as a trainee designer for

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. As well as Alexon and Salvador, he worked for Nettie Vogues, Clifton Slimline, and Biba. In 1970 he launched his own label although it was short-lived. He then went on to spend three years working for the London branch of

Christian Dior S.A. Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior, is a French multinational luxury goods company that is controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH. , Dior controlled around 42% of the shares and 57% of t ...

under the direction of Jorn Langberg, before re-establishing his label in 1978. In 1982, Edelstein decided to focus exclusively on

haute couture (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term ''haute couture'' generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the ...

, and also designed for the theatre and ballet.

Clients

Edelstein's workroom was based at Stanhope Mews West, London. His most famous design is probably the ink-blue velvet gown he created in 1985 for

, to wear to the

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, where she danced with actor

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. This dress, on both occasions it sold at auction, set world record prices for a dress worn by Diana (£137,000 ($222,500) in 1996, and £240,000 ($362,424) in 2013). In addition to Diana, his clients included the Duchess of Kent, the Princess of Hanover,

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, the Countess of Snowdon,

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's wife Anne, and Lady Nuttall, who commented that Edelstein's workroom was the only place her husband liked to accompany her when clothes-shopping. In the late 1980s, his prices were often around the £2,400 to £2,500 mark for an evening dress, with his clients typically buying three or four outfits each season (an evening gown, a suit, and one or two dinner dresses).

Later years

Edelstein closed his fashion house in 1993, explaining that there was no longer a market for luxurious custom-made clothing. Since then, he has established himself as an artist, exhibiting his work throughout Europe and the United States. His portrait of Judith Martin, the American etiquette authority known as 'Miss Manners', was commissioned by her husband as a 70th birthday present for her, and now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, Washington. His wife, Annamaria Succi, is also a painter.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edelstein, Victor British people of German-Jewish descent English fashion designers English Jews English male painters Jewish fashion designers Jewish painters Living people 1946 births 1993 disestablishments in England 1977 establishments in England Painters from London 21st-century English male artists 21st-century English painters