Vintage Bill Blass Boxy Snakeskin Button Front Jacket
View Similar Items
Vintage Bill Blass Boxy Snakeskin Button Front Jacket
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: medium-large (US)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Snakeskin Button & loop closure Fully lined rayon
- Condition:
- Seller Location:West Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: el/jaf1stDibs: LU28415590542
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.
- Leni Hoch Art to Wear Verdigris Crinkled Metallic Silk Open Front CoatLocated in West Palm Beach, FLLeni Hoch art to wear verdigris crinkled metallic silk, open front coat. Sheer bias cut crinkled metallic silk in a greenish coppery colour. Rolled narrow shawl collar coat/jacket, w...Category
1990s American Single-Breasted Jackets
- Oscar de la Renta Black Linen Button Front Full Sleeve Hip Pocket Jacket 1980sBy Oscar de la Renta ActiveLocated in West Palm Beach, FLOscar de la Renta heavy black linen button front, full sleeve jacket with patch pockets from the 1980s. Jewel neck jacket has a deep curved yoke neckline front & back, long full ragl...Category
1980s American Single-Breasted Jackets
$495 Sale Price28% Off - Ungaro Red Printed Silk Jacquard V Neck Button Front Jacket 1980sBy Emanuel UngaroLocated in West Palm Beach, FLUngaro red printed silk jacquard V neck button front jacket from the 1980s. Bright abstract flower print in yellow, black, white blue & pink on red, scattered with jacquard circles. ...Category
1980s Hong Kong Cropped Jackets
- Romeo Gigli Black Dot Velvet Notched Lapel Patch Pocket Jacket Winter 97/98By Romeo GigliLocated in West Palm Beach, FLRomeo Gigli white dot, black velvet notched lapel, patch pocket jacket, inverno/winter 1997/98. Cotton velvet jacket in black with small white dots. The jacket has notched lapels and...Category
1990s Italian Single-Breasted Jackets
- Christian Dior Black Princess Seam Tuxedo Jacket Black White Velvet Lapels 1990sBy Christian DiorLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChristian Dior princess seam tuxedo style jacket with leopard velvet collar, facings & cuffs. Black wool crepe jacket, fitted, elongated hip length silhouette, angled besom front po...Category
1990s American Single-Breasted Jackets
- Issey Miyake Pleats Please Black Funnel Neck Hidden Zipper Front Long Jacket 3By Pleats Please, Issey MiyakeLocated in West Palm Beach, FLIssey Miyake Pleats Please black funnel neck, hidden zipper front long jacket. Long sleeve jacket has ribbed cuffs, closes at the front with a chunky zipper that is hidden with a sid...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Jackets
- Leitmotiv unworn green fashion award 2016 ecofur - ecoleather sequined jacketBy leitmotivLocated in Capri, ITLeitmotiv unworn green fashion award 2016 ecofur - ecoleather sequined jacket totally made in italy in size mCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Jackets
$256 Sale Price49% Off - Rochas Black & White Long Jacket w/ Aqua Stitching & Lace Cutout Bottom - 6By RochasLocated in West Palm Beach, FLRochas Black & White Long Jacket w/ Aqua Stitching & Lace Cutout Bottom - 6. This unique jacket is in excellent condition. It features aqua stitching throughout its black and white...Category
Early 2000s French Jackets
- Gold Gilet Oriental Bustier with PearlsLocated in Amsterdam, NLTraditional oriental handmade vintage bustier/gilet We offer more exclusive vintage items, view our frontstore Details: Gold fabric decorated with faux pearls no buttons, no label ...Category
20th Century Unknown Coats and Outerwear
$530 Sale Price23% Off - Off-white raw silk and gold lurex jacket with branded buttons ChanelBy ChanelLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FROff-white raw silk and gold lurex jacket with branded buttons.No lining but piping inside on the seam. SIZE 38 (M)Category
Early 2000s Italian Jackets
- Pale green and off-white tweed jacket with double zip Gianni Versace CoutureBy Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRPale green and off-white tweed chevron jacket with double zip. Zip on the pocket as well. Shoulder pad. Branded lining ( Medusa pattern) SIZE MCategory
1990s Italian Jackets
- Evening single breasted jacket in flower brocade and sequin neckline Marc JacobsBy Marc JacobsLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FREvening single breasted jacket in flower brocade and sequin neckline. Decorative button and snap underneath. patchwork of differents fabrics. Branded lining "MJ". Tiny tulle ruffle a...Category
2010s American Dinner Jackets