 Norell considered his greatest contribution to fashion was the inclusion of simple, no-neckline dresses.Norell was the first recipient of the American Fashion Critics' Award, later known as the Coty Award, the first designer inducted into the fashion industry critics' Hall of Fame, and a recipient of an International Fashion Award from the United Kingdom's "Sunday Times".He is also among the first American fashion designers to be honored with a bronze plaque along New York City’s Seventh Avenue.