Vintage Bill Blass Black Velvet Gold Metallic Halter Strapless Evening Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: small (US)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 24 in (60.96 cm)Hip: 34.5 in (87.63 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Boca Raton, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7309832262
Bill Blass
Venerated designer and philanthropist Bill Blass helped define style for women of means during the late 20th century and inspired generations of fashion industry professionals and enthusiasts all over the world.
Blass designed garments that saw a playful mingling of notes both subdued and bold, and his clothes were comfortable, easy to wear and sexy. The Indiana native was influenced by the likes of Coco Chanel and became famous for refined, simple looks that appealed to prominent women such as Brooke Astor and Gloria Vanderbilt.
Blass didn’t endeavor to produce showstoppers — he worked with quality materials, and his modern designs boasted meticulous tailoring. He glamourized sportswear with chic lines and dramatic colors, and by way of subtle, graceful ruffles or a tasteful application of sequins, he introduced modest flair to his day dresses and evening dresses. Vintage Bill Blass clothing is just as relevant today as it was during the height of his career.
Blass, who spent his spare time sketching red-carpet looks in his school notebooks as a kid, left home at 17 and moved to New York City, where he trained at the McDowell School of Fashion. After finishing design school, he joined the U.S. Army and fought in World War II. When the war was over, Blass returned to Manhattan. In 1946 he joined the fashion house Anna Miller and Co., where he worked as a design assistant for Anna Miller and her brother Maurice Rentner.
Anna Miller and Co. merged with Maurice Rentner, Ltd. in 1959, and Blass became the company's head designer. There he quickly built a name for himself and was soon a staple of the postwar fashion scene, impressing even the fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar at the time, Diana Vreeland. Blass expanded into designing menswear and was the first couture designer in America to create a collection for men.
In 1970, Blass gained ownership of Rentner and renamed the company after himself. Blass employed a licensing-based business strategy, and soon his name marked a full array of accessories and apparel, including Bill Blass jeans, watches, home furnishings, eyewear and luggage. Blass's renown and success expanded considerably, as fashion bearing his name became more accessible than it had ever been.
Throughout his life, Blass made considerable contributions to the AIDS care center at Cornell Medical Center and to the New York Public Library. In 1962, he became a founding member of the Council of Fashion Designs of America (CFDA) trade association, which promotes American designers around the world. The CFDA presented Blass with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and he was the first recipient of their Humanitarian Leadership Award in 1996.
Find vintage Bill Blass fashion on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Boca Raton, FL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- 1930s Black and Blue Batik Floral Print Strappy Sleeveless Maxi Dress / GownLocated in Boca Raton, FLA stunning 1930s taffeta maxi dress. I love the blue batik floral print against the black background. The multiple thin straps from the shoulders and down to the mid back are sexy a...Category
1930s Unknown Day Dresses
- Bob Mackie Attributed Black Beaded Sequins Dress, 1980sLocated in Boca Raton, FLFor decades sequins have been a go-to option to stand out and therefore have represented the bold, and larger-than-life. From the 1920s flapper to Norell reintroducing the craze in t...Category
1980s Unknown Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Leonard Paris Angel Sleeve Caftan Dress, 1970sBy LeonardLocated in Boca Raton, FLLeonard is a glowing example of the blending of art and fashion. With one-of-a-kind prints that reflect the skilled hand of an artist, Leonard fashions draw inspiration from the prints and motifs of the textile letting that aspect of the garment to speak volumes. In line with the Middle Eastern and Japanese influences of the time, this vintage 1970s caftan dress has a stately and exquisite aura. The bodice of this dress, at an empire waist, is made from a chiffon with a watercolor abstract floral print in tonal greys, bone, and accents of vibrant red spots. A sharp V-neckline is bordered like a frieze as the chiffon cascades over the shoulder into a divine, billowing angel sleeve...Category
1970s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1970s Leonard Paris Silk Chiffon Angel Sleeve Caftan Maxi Dress DocumentedBy LeonardLocated in Boca Raton, FLA flurry of mini white polka dots tumbles down onto dramatic black angel sleeves in this wonderful Leonard Paris dress from the Seventies. Cut from...Category
1970s French Maxi Dress
- Vintage Mary Mcfadden Couture Black Pleated Sheer shoulder Column GownBy Mary McFaddenLocated in Boca Raton, FLAn accomplished designer, Mary McFadden studied in New York and Paris, worked at Dior, and served as the editor of Vogue South Africa among other positions and awards. She started he...Category
1990s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vintage 1920s Black White Silk Dot Magenta Pom Pom Draped DressLocated in Boca Raton, FLThe cultural changes ushered in by the Roaring Twenties were reflected in the fashions of the time, which favored youthful and slender silhouettes free from restrictive shaping unde...Category
1920s Unknown Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white striped trainBy Roland KleinLocated in Austin, TX1980s Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white train. Acetate fabric. 34" bust, 26" waist, 40" hips, 48" front length - 54 1/2" ba...Category
1980s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Long asymmetrical evening dress with sequin embroideries and tulle Gai MattioloBy Gai MattioloLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRLong asymmetrical evening dress with sequin embroideries and tulle ajouré. NEW with tag. Zip on the left side. Shorter in the front than in the back. Fabric composition: 56% rayon, 4...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses
- UNWORN Gucci by Tom Ford FW 2004 Black Silk & Tassle Evening Gown Dress 40By Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Switzerland, CHRARE COLLECTOR'S ITEM STUNNING PIECE BY TOM FORD FOR HIS FINAL COLLECTION IN FALL 2004 FOR GUCCI Seen on the runway show, in the AD campaign and in many editorials One of the key...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Gowns
- Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci F/W 1996 Black Jersey Dress Gown w Pony Hair Belt 42By Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Montgomery, TXVintage Runway Tom Ford for Gucci Black Jersey Dress Gown F/W 1996 Collection Designer size - 42 Black Jersey, Fully Lined, Slip-on Style. Black Pony Hair Belt...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- 1970s Vintage fluid black dress in sheer jerseyLocated in Milano, ITFluid black dress in sheer jersey with lurex copper profiles and belt. Deep V neckline. Wide shoulder straps. Size IT:40 Size USA: 6 Waist: 66 cm Length: 152 cm Bust: 80 cmCategory
1970s American Evening Dresses
- Iconic Tom Ford for Gucci SS 2003 Japanese Cherry Blossoms Mini Stretch Dress SBy Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Montgomery, TXIconic Tom Ford for Gucci Japanese Cherry Blossoms Mini Stretch Dress S/S 2003 Runway Collection Designer size - S Measurements: Length - 37", Bust - ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses