David Emanuel (fashion designer)

David Emanuel
Born (1952-11-17) 17 November 1952
Bridgend, Wales
Nationality Welsh
Education Cardiff School of Art and Design
Harrow School of Art
Royal College of Art, London
Known for Fashion designer
Awards Honorary Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, University of South Wales, Cardiff
Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers
Fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers

David Emanuel (born 17 November 1952) is a Welsh fashion designer who is best known for having designed (along with his then wife Elizabeth Emanuel) the wedding dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1981.

He participated in the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2013 and came runner-up to singer Kian Egan. He is now host of TLC flag ship show Say Yes To The Dress UK (40eps Series1)

Early years

Born and brought up in Bridgend in Glamorgan, South Wales. Speaking Welsh as his first language, Emanuel attended Porthcawl Secondary school where he excelled in music and art. He became head choir boy at his local church, sang in the County Youth Choir, played violin in the County Youth Orchestra and taught himself to play the cello. He was accepted by the Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff, but chose to study design at Cardiff School of Art and Design (1972–75). He went on to study Fashion Design at Harrow School of Art, London (1974–75), where he met Elizabeth Weiner, whom he married in 1976. David and Elizabeth Emanuel studied design together at the Royal College of Art, London (1976–77), the only married couple the College has accepted.[1][2]

Career

David worked for two seasons as an assistant to royal designer Hardy Amies at Savile Row and, aged 25, he launched his own fashion house, Emanuel, in 1977, working in partnership with his wife Elizabeth, with whom he had two children—Oliver and Eloise. They decided to close their ready–to–wear shop, in 1979, so that they could concentrate on the couture (custom made) side of the business, and became a favourite designer of Lady Diana Spencer before her marriage. In 1981, David and Elizabeth Emanuel were chosen to design the wedding dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales. The dress—seen by over 700 million people worldwide—was made of ivory silk, pure taffeta and antique lace, with 10,000 pearls and sequins, and had a 25 ft train.[1][2][3][4][5] Of the dress, Lisa Marsh writes in the Fashion Encyclopedia that "Creations by artists from Botticelli to Renoir and Degas were used as influences, as were photographs of some of the more romantic women in history. The garments seen on Greta Garbo in Camille, Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind, and Marlene Dietrich in The Scarlet Empress were all recreated to some degree."[1] David continued to dress Diana, Princess of Wales after her wedding.[6]

A copy of Diana, Princess of Wales, wedding dress, made by Emanuel, sold at auction in 2005 for £100,000, twice the original estimate. There was some controversy surrounding the auction. The dress' owners, Madame Tussauds, said that it had been made "in case of any hiccup or disaster", and that it had been tried on by Lady Diana Spencer the morning of her wedding. David Emanuel was quoted by the Western Mail, saying "To say it is a direct replica is untrue. There is no such thing. We did not make one. Diana categorically never tried this dress on, on her wedding day or at any other time, and to my knowledge never even saw it. It wasn't even made to her exact measurements, and we, of course, are the only ones who would know that." The copy of Diana's dress had been given to Madame Tussauds after the wedding in 1981 and was placed on display.[7]

David Emanuel has dressed some of the world's most famous women; Dame Shirley Bassey; Shakira Caine; Joan Collins; Faye Dunaway; Lesley Garrett; Catherine Zeta-Jones; Patsy Kensit; Madonna; Jane Seymour; Dame Elizabeth Taylor; Ivana Trump; and Sophie Ward.[1][3][4][5][8][9] The Emanuels opened 'The Emanuel Shop' in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, London, in 1987 and sold collections at Harrods and Harvey Nichols in London, and at Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus in New York. Following his divorce from Elizabeth in 1990, David established the "David Emanuel Couture" label, offering his clients a personal service from his private suite at the Lanesborough Hotel in Knightsbridge, London.[1][2][3]

While continuing to present Fashion TV's "Shop The World" programme and to design couture clothing, David Emanuel designed his first ready to wear bridal collection, for Berketex Brides, in 2008. He recently launched a collection for the UK women's clothing chain, Bonmarche.[4][5] In July 2010 he was made a fellow of the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), having previously studied for a Foundation diploma in the University's 'Cardiff School of Art and Design'.

Media

The 'Diana' dress was a defining moment in David Emanuel's career. His profile soared and he became a household name. As well as allowing them to arrange licensing agreements for items such as perfume, linens and sunglasses, David's opinion on fashion and trends was often sought and he has been interviewed by the main journalists and talk show hosts in Britain and by some in the United States such as Barbara Walters, Jane Pauley, Merv Griffin and Joan Rivers.[1][2]

David became a television presenter, creating the ABC Television character the Frock Doctor—visiting the homes of members of the public to advise on, and restyle their wardrobe. HTV broadcast a 75-minute documentary profile (24 February 1994) of Emanuel in the series Slice of Life and in 1995, David produced and presented a ten-part fashion series for the same company, which established him as a television presenter and executive producer. He has appeared regularly as a fashion consultant on magazine programmes including the BBC show Summer Scene, Swank—co-presented with actress Margi Clarke—Designed by Emanuel and, more recently, Fashion TV's Shop The World which has run since 2003 and been syndicated across the United States and 39 other countries. David Emanuel has hosted several other television style shows; The David Emanuel Fashion Show; The Make-Over Show; and The David Emanuel Ultimate Make-Over-Show.[2][3][10]

Cookery programmes marked a departure from fashion for Emanuel. He hosted the Out to Lunch series, where he cooked for celebrity guests, and Cooking with David Emanuel, lunch at his home in Windsor, Berkshire and Ladies who Lunch—a chat show over lunch. He also writes a weekly 'Style' column in the Western Mail, the national newspaper of Wales.[2][3][6][11]

A fluent speaker of Welsh, David hosted the BBC 2 programme on the National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru). As a guest of Peter Karrie, on The Peter Karrie Show, David sang The Queen of Disguise, before being interviewed with one of his clients, the actress Joan Collins. BBC Wales invited David to be a guest at their 75th Anniversary Concert where he sang three songs in Welsh before an audience of four thousand people.[2]

Design

David Emanuel's wardrobe and set design portfolio includes:

As well as designing sets and costumes for ballet, film, concert, music videos, ad campaigns, theatre and television productions, David has completed commissions to design a complete range of uniforms and accessories for Virgin Airways, in 1991, and the Britannia Airways flight attendant uniforms, in 1999.[1]

He is at present a designer for a range of women's clothes at the Bon Marche shops across the country...this year's [2013–14] predominant colour being blue. The range bearing his name includes smart trousers, tops, dresses, evening wear etc. and is very popular-bringing affordable design to many who would not be able to have their 'own designer'.

Written works

Co-authors David and Elizabeth Emanuel:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "David Emanuel and Elizabeth". Fashion Encyclopedia website. Advameg, Inc. 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Seamus Lyte Management Ltd – Television Agent $who". Seamus Lyte Management Ltd website. Media Wales Ltd. 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "BBC – Wales – David Emanuel". BBC Wales website. BBC Wales. 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "David Emanuel Biography". Beketex Brides website. Beketex Brides. 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 "2008 April – The Junction". The Junction website. The Junction. 4 April 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 "David Emanuel". Bridal Network website. Bridal Network Inc. 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  7. ↑ "Diana's copy wedding dress goes under the hammer for £100,000". WalesOnline website. Media Wales Ltd. 8 December 2005. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  8. ↑ "From Westminster Abbey to BHS store in Cardiff". WalesOnline website. Media Wales Ltd. 9 April 2005. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  9. ↑ "BBC News:Entertainment:Showbiz:Zeta Jones to appear in court". BBC News website. BBC News. 16 January 2003. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  10. ↑ "BFI-Film & TV Database>DAVID EMANUEL (1994)". BFI website. British Film Institute. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2008.
  11. ↑ "David Emanuel from HarperCollins Publishers". HarperCollins website. HarperCollins. 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
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