Gina Fratini
Fashion designer whose unashamedly romantic gowns were much loved by royals and celebrities
GINA FRATINI, who has died aged 85, was a British fashion designer whose name became synonymous, over more than 20 years, with romance and fairy tale; best known for her ball gowns, she created romantic confections which used silk and organza seemingly by the acre and lace and ribbons by the mile. Her devotees included members of the royal family and international celebrities.
The Daily Telegraph’s former fashion editor Hilary Alexander observed in 1986 that Fratini designs “look as if they were made for a cross between a Dresden shepherdess, Lady Caroline Lamb and Queen Guinevere”. But fashion, for Gina Fratini, was simply “what you look good in”. When she launched her first collection in 1964 (taking the role, not only of designer, but pattern cutter, machinist, model and salesgirl), her unashamedly romantic designs countered the stark, short functionalism of the mid-1960s fashion scene with femininity, fantasy and extravagance.
“I design for a woman with romance in her soul,” she explained. “I love using masses of fabric because it is soft and pretty and peasanty.” Elizabeth Taylor wore a tie–dyed kaftan by Gina Fratini to marry Richard Burton (for the second time) on the banks of a river in Africa in 1975. Raquel Welch chose Gina Fratini as her personal costume designer for the film Bedazzled (1967).
Gina Fratini’s first royal client was Princess Margaret, who chose a Fratini grown of white organza with a blue and green border print for an official portrait by Lord Snowdon in 1969. Two years later Princess Anne wore Gina Fratini for an official 21st birthday portrait by Norman Parkinson. Princesses Alexandra and Michael, and the Duchess of Kent, were also fans.
The ultimate seal of approval, however, was given by Diana, Princess of Wales, who, among other things, wore a Gina Fratini fairytale cream silk gown to the State Opening of Parliament in 1984, and took the dress on Royal tours of Canada and Australia. In 1990 she chose a striking oneshoulder Gina Fratini (for Norman Hartnell) white silk chiffon gown trimmed with sequins and beads for a startlingly sexy official portrait by Terence Donovan.
“To the best of my knowledge,” observed the Telegraph’s Jean Scroggie in 1974, “Gina Fratini has never designed an ugly dress, a severe dress or a dreary dress. She is the happy, laughing, effervescent designer who just can’t help producing romantic pretty dresses, fluttering with ribbons and ruffles, awash with lace, pin-tucked and pleated, gently, sweetly printed.”
She was born Georgina Caroline Eve Butler on September 22 1931 in Kobe, Japan, the daughter of the Hon Somerset Butler (son of the 7th Earl of Carrick) and his wife Barbara, and grew up in India where her father was government controller of rice and grain. She attended school in Simla, but returned to Britain aged 17 to study at the Royal College of Art.
It was 1947, a year after the foundation of the college’s fashion and design department, headed by Madge Garland (Lady Ashton), former fashion editor of Vogue. During her last year at the college Gina Fratini became fascinated by Katherine Dunham’s Dance Company, then performing in London, and when she heard that one of Dunham’s protegées needed a dresser, she volunteered. This led to a job with the troupe, touring the world, assisting in the design of costumes and sets.
Two years later in London she met and married the graphic designer Renato Fratini. She gave up design work to become a housewife, but found that friends kept asking her to make them dresses. Soon she found herself back in business and in 1964 she founded her company. From then until the Gina Fratini label was wound up in 1989, she produced some two collections a year. Some of her gowns from the 1970s are held in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s costume collection.
In 1989 she wrapped up her business, partly due to what she called “brown envelope phobia”. Afterwards she worked for a time as a guest designer for Norman Hartnell.
Gina Fratini’s marriages, first to David Goldberg, secondly to Renato Fratini, and thirdly to the Scottish actor and comedian Jimmy Logan, were dissolved. In later life she found happiness with the actor Anthony Newley, who had shot to fame as the Artful Dodger in David Lean’s Oliver Twist. She had known him from the 1950s and he died in her arms in 1997. She had no children but was fond of her five godchildren.
Gina Fratini, born September 22 1931, died May 25 2017