Vintage 1979 Bill Blass Red Crepe Beaded Metallic Trompe L'oeil Draped Dress
View Similar Items
Vintage 1979 Bill Blass Red Crepe Beaded Metallic Trompe L'oeil Draped Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 40 in (101.6 cm)Bust: 36 in (91.44 cm)Waist: 28 in (71.12 cm)Hip: 38 in (96.52 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Silk, Crepe, Beadwork, Embroidery
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3094146961
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 Halston Couture Red Metallic Sheer Knit Long-Sleeve Dress GownBy HalstonLocated in Beverly Hills, CAGorgeous Halston Couture metallic lurex knit dress ensemble dating back to the mid 1970's. Throughout most of the seventies he epitomized the glamour, as well as the decadence of the...Category
1970s Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1970's Embroidered Patchwork Cotton Maxi Dress Worn By Zsa Zsa GaborLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA vibrant, early 1970's Joann Lopez designer embroidered cotton dress straight from Zsa Zsa Gabor's wardrobe. This dress dates back to the h...Category
1970s American Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1969 Rudi Gernreich Cross Your Heart Empire Red Navy Knit Mod Maxi DressBy Rudi GernreichLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA fearless designer, Rudi Gernreich’s body conscious garments dazzled the fashion world with originality and vision. Gernreich held a futurist view of fashion that resulted in innova...Category
1960s American Maxi Dresses
- Vintage 1970 Courreges Hyperbole Orange Wool Space-Age Sleeveless Mod Mini DressBy André Courrèges, CourrègesLocated in Beverly Hills, CAVibrant and rare-to-find bright orange André Courrèges dress dating back to the early 1970's. Courreges launched his Space-Age collection in 1964. The ...Category
1970s French Mini Dresses
- Vintage 1973 Givenchy Haute Couture Orange Dotted Silk Carwash-Hem Caftan GownBy GivenchyLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA gorgeous Givenchy numbered haute couture vibrant orange polka-dot silk gown ensemble dating back to his 1973 spring-summer collection. This rare four...Category
1970s French Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1960's Bob Bugnand Red & Orange Floral Flocked Satin Strapless GownBy Bob Bugnand for Sam Friedlander, Bob BugnandLocated in Beverly Hills, CABreathtaking and ultra rare Bob Bugnand for Sam Friedlander designer dress dating back to the late 1960's. Bob Bugnand worked as the chief designer for Jacques Heim and Robert Piquet...Category
1960s Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld red cashmere wool and faux fur dress, fw 2010By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel red cashmere wool knee-length dress ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Faux 'fantasy' fur skirt and sleeves ▪ Funnel neck backed with brown lambskin leather ▪ Two front pockets...Category
2010s French Day Dresses
- Christian Dior by John Galliano red wool crepe dress with mink fur trim, fw 1999By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior winter dress ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Red wool crepe ▪ Ribbed wool trim ▪ Mink fur collar with knot detail ▪ Large wood buttons at ...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Azzedine Alaïa red ribbed knit fishtail dress. Sculpted figure. Circa 1990By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Bilbao, ESAlaïa ribbed knit fishtail evening dress with nude knit underdress and zip fastening at the rear. Spring-Summer Mid 1990 Alaïa is revered for his indepe...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Cocktail Dresses
$1,929 Sale Price20% Off - Alexander McQueen Fucsia viscose dressBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Capri, ITAlexander McQueen Fucsia viscose dress McQueen adjustable flared dress totally made in italy size 40 composition: viscoseCategory
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Lanz Original Vintage Dress 1960s Hot Pink Tweed Sleeveless FringeBy LanzLocated in Portland, ORThis is a simply perfect hot pink classic late 1960’s vintage sleeveless tweed dress with a beautiful double hemline. This Lanz Original dress has pretty fringe, a 20” back zipper an...Category
1960s American Day Dresses
- 1980s Vintage Red Vakko Suede Peplum Strapless DressBy VAKKOLocated in Portland, ORThis is such a fun vintage red dress! This Vakko suede peplum evening dress has a sweetheart bust and a pointed peplum at the waist. .The dress is fu...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
This Two-Piece Beaded Gown by Puerto Rican Designer David Fernandez Is the Embodiment of 1970s Glam
On the Met Gala red carpet, this vintage ensemble would bring the heat.
Madonna Wore the Same Plunging Azzedine Alaïa Design on the Cover of ‘Cosmo’ in 1987
The gold silk stunner was part of a knockout collection that changed the trajectory of Alaïa's then-troubled brand.