60s Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner Mod Houndstooth Dress with Chain Belt
View Similar Items
60s Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner Mod Houndstooth Dress with Chain Belt
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Length: 39 in (99.06 cm)Bust: 38 in (96.52 cm)Waist: 32 in (81.28 cm)Hip: 37 in (93.98 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Houndstooth
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU493347813
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 Junya Watanabe Black & White Gingham Parachute Dress 2003By Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons, Comme des GarçonsLocated in Los Angeles, CAResurrection Vintage is excited to offer a vintage Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garcons sleeveless black and white gingham check parachute dress featurin...Category
Early 2000s Japanese Day Dresses
- MORPHEW COLLECTION Blue & White Cotton Red Butterfly Kaftan Made From Vintage JBy MorphewLocated in New York, NYMORPHEW COLLECTION Blue & White Cotton Red Butterfly Kaftan Made From Vintage Japanese Kimono Fabric MORPHEW COLLECTION is made entirely by hand in our NYC Ateliér of rare antique ma...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Kaftans
- Vintage Fernando Sanchez Cream Silk Bohemian Maxi Dress 1970sBy Fernando SanchezLocated in West Palm Beach, FLVintage Fernando Sanchez cream silk bohemian maxi dress from the 1970s. Beautiful dress, the fabric is translucent, great worn with a belt (belt ...Category
1970s American Kaftans
$550 Sale Price26% Off - Vintage 1920s Blue and White Cotton Day DressLocated in London, GBA pretty and easy to wear vintage cotton day dress from the 1920s. In a blue and white print, the dress has a gathered collar with white trim and tie at the neck. It has a tie back ...Category
1920s British Day Dresses
- Michael Kors Collection Size 6 / 8 Navy Blue and White Gingham Puff Sleeve DressBy Michael KorsLocated in San Diego, CAChic MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION navy blue and white gingham checkered puff sleeve nautical dress ! 98% Cotton 2% Spandex. Features allover navy blue and white gingham throughout the e...Category
2010s Italian Cocktail Dresses
$796 Sale Price20% Off - VERSACE OFF WHITE METAL HARDWARE EMBELLISHED LEATHER Dress 44 - 10By VersaceLocated in Montgomery, TXVERSACE Off white Leather Dress Gold-tone hardware Back zipper Sleeveless Knee length Content: 100% leather armpit to armpit 18" wai...Category
2010s Italian Cocktail Dresses