1960's Bill Blass Psychedelic Op-Art Print Wool Double-Breasted Mod Coat & Skirt Ensemble
View Similar Items
1960's Bill Blass Psychedelic Op-Art Print Wool Double-Breasted Mod Coat & Skirt Ensemble
About the Item
- Designer:
- Style:Mod (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Wool
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: AU131216309805
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.
- Vintage 1970's Ossie Clark for Radley Pink Celia Birtwell Print Crepe Dress SetBy Ossie Clark, Ossie Clark for RadleyLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA gorgeous Celia Birtwell print silk-crepe Ossie Clark for Radley ensemble that is both timeless and chic. Radley was a British clothing manufacturing company of the 1960's through the early 1980's. The main designer for the company, Raymond "Ossie: Clark, was a leading light in the London swinging sixties fashion era and is now renowned for his romantic flowing dresses. Ossie Clark vintage...Category
1970s English Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1940s Gloria DeHaven Old Hollywood Celebrity Purple Silk Halter PlaysuitLocated in Beverly Hills, CAGloria DeHaven began her career as a child actor with a big part in Charlie Chaplin's 1936 film Modern Times. Years later she was signed to MGM, appearing in such films as Best Foot Forward, The Thin...Category
1940s American Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Vintage 1990's Rifat Ozbek Sheer Green Leopard Print Blazer & Trousers PantsuitBy Rifat ÖzbekLocated in Beverly Hills, CAAn ultra rare and incredible gorgeous Rifat Ozbek sheer green leopard print pantsuit dating back to his 1995 spring-summer collection. Rifat Ozbek is a Tur...Category
1990s Trouser Pant Suits
- Vintage 1958 Jean Desses Haute-Couture Metallic Lame Abstract Print Dress & CoatBy Jean DessèsLocated in Beverly Hills, CAJean Desses couture garments are rare, unique and highly collectible. This exquisite ensemble dates back to when Jean Desses closed his couture house at 17, Avenue Matignon and conti...Category
20th Century French Dress and Coat Ensembles
- Vintage 1971 Pierre Balmain Haute Couture Beaded Blue Velvet Jumpsuit and JacketBy Pierre BalmainLocated in Beverly Hills, CAExquisite Pierre Balmain Haute-Couture dark blue silk-velvet jumpsuit ensemble dating back to his opulent 1971 collection. This iconic designer created a very sculptural quality whic...Category
1970s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1974 Yves Saint Laurent Sequin Black Wool Sweater Le Smoking Pants SuitBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Beverly Hills, CAFirst created in 1966 by famous couturier Yves Saint Laurent, "Le Smoking" tuxedo suit for women was the first of its kind to earn attention in the fashion world and in popular cultu...Category
1970s French Trouser Pant Suits
- Yves Saint Laurent Saharienne Safari Two Piece Skirt Suit Set Pink Pockets 1990sBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in AMSTERDAM, NLVintage Yves Saint Laurent saharienne safari inspired two-piece set in baby pink with wooden buttons and big, workwear pockets. The iconic “Sa...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- Gucci by Tom Ford monogram canvas and leather pant suit, fw 2000By Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in London, GBGucci by Tom Ford; monogram canvas and tan leather pant suit. Flared high-rise pants with leather waist band and zip closure attaching both legs together....Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld brown tweed pleated coat, skirt and hat set, fw 1998By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel brown tweed wool tweed coat, skirt and hat set ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Pleated jacket with spread collar and hook fastenings ▪ Belt with brass...Category
1990s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- NEW F.R.S For Restless Sleepers FRS Gold & Green Silk Dress Robe Coat MBy F.R.S.Located in Switzerland, CHLet F.R.S For Restless Sleepers’ exceptional maximalist approach to pattern infuse your outerwear edit with a healthy dose of luxury by way of this r...Category
2010s Italian Loungewear
- 2015 Chanel Black Boucle Wool and Gripoix Dress SuitBy ChanelLocated in London, GBThis fabulous 2015 Fall/Winter Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld black dress suit has a contemporary feel while still retaining the classic signatures of Chanel t...Category
2010s British Dress and Coat Ensembles
- Adele Simpson Belted Coat and Skirt Set 1960sBy Adele SimpsonLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous coat and skirt set from Adele Simpson in off white, burgundy and black plaid wool. The coat has 2 front flap patch pockets, fold back cu...Category
1960s American Coats and Outerwear