Robin Neatherton's lectures...

So today I went to Robin N's lectures, she covered the fitted gown, but not the actual fitting I heard that it takes 9 hours to do the fittings for it. The Burgundian v-neck gown, the Greenland gowns, Sideless surcoats and images of Saints in artwork.

I have to say that the artwork was great, I was not impressed that she read from a script, that she didn't have her artwork references with her AND she did not cover WHY she chooses to construct her fitted gowns the way she does. I do agree with her that the major technical advances were the set-in sleeves and a front closure in gowns, but that the dress was made in 4 panels, fitted to the body, sewn and then the excess cut away? I just don't think so, not convinced yada yada.

She also has a VERY narrow artistic focus and when we asked her what she thought of a particular book of woodcuts from Germany that showed something similar and may hold an answer to a question she posed, she had never heard of them. She also declared that she never looked at Spanish or Italian artwork from the time period. So basically if it wasn't English, French or Flemish, she didn't want to discuss it.

She is very opinionated, determined and sure she's right, even though she kept declaring that her way wasn't the only way.

My Baroness was not impressed. Neither was I. Sorry to say, but she doesn't have all the answers that one would hope she would have had after 20 some odd years of making these dresses.

At least I can now say I have been to one of her lectures and make my own opinion of her methods.