Bill Blass Vintage Black Jeweled Lace Cocktail Dress w/Bow Size 6/8
View Similar Items
Bill Blass Vintage Black Jeweled Lace Cocktail Dress w/Bow Size 6/8
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:Martha
- Dimensions:Bust: 32 in (81.28 cm)Waist: 29 in (73.66 cm)Hip: 34 in (86.36 cm)Shoulder to Hem: 38 in (96.52 cm)
- Style:American Designer Collection (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Little to no use.
- Seller Location:Palm Springs, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: 1123221stDibs: LU2817216265022
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.
- St John Couture Modern Silk Dress with 3D Shimmy Sexy Dangling Sequins Size 2.By St. JohnLocated in Palm Springs, CAWhat a showstopper! Modern, slim looking evening dress from St John Couture. Celebrity owned. Worn once. The dress has a v-neck and beautifully cut to ...Category
2010s Chinese Chemises
- Carmen Marc Valvo Chic Gunmetal Metallic Cocktail Dress Hand Beaded Trim Size 4By Carmen Marc ValvoLocated in Palm Springs, CAWhat a beautiful chic dress. Designed by Carmen Marc Valvo, this evening chemise is perfect for party or coctails. A european textered metallic in shades of gunmetal and silver is em...Category
2010s Chinese Chemises
- Lillie Rubin Vintage Black Silk Hand Beaded Chemise Cocktail Dress Size 8By Lillie RubinLocated in Palm Springs, CASuch a chic dress made for Lillie Rubin Salon by Jeet , hand-beaded in India. The long sleeve high neck bodice is beaded with the most amazing, intricate bugle beads in a work or art...Category
1980s Indian Chemises
- St John Evening Zebra Knit Zip Front Dress with Silver Beading Size 2 NWTBy St. JohnLocated in Palm Springs, CASuch a beautiful modern sexy dress from St. John Evening label. St. John Evening was created for the upper end level of St. John to compete with Italian and French designer labels with imported fabrics and many with embellishments, like this beauty. This new with tags dress was celebrity owned and never worn. What makes the dress so modern and unique is it has a front zip. Two ways. You can go as low or as high as you want. The celebrity stylist picked this to wear with black leggings...Category
2010s Chinese Chemises
$938 Sale Price24% Off - J. Mendel Paris Collection Wine Color Draped Beaded Chic Cocktail Dress Size 6By J MendelLocated in Palm Springs, CAAn Uber chic cocktail dress design by J. Mendel Paris. The dress is all silk in the most lovely color of a deep port wine. The short dress has so many highlights going for it. From t...Category
2010s American Cocktail Dresses
$460 Sale Price20% Off - Theia Glamour Black Long Sleeve Evening Dress with Full Irredescent Skirt Size 4Located in Palm Springs, CAA beutiful chic and modern long evening dress. Would be perfect for a dress up Holiday cocktail party as we.. Theia designed a beautiful black knit bodice. Open crew neck to add a pe...Category
2010s Chinese Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Adolfo Tropical Silk Jersey Strapless Dress with Half CapeletBy AdolfoLocated in New York, NYAdolfo strapless dress with bold green, indigo and white tropical floral print. Wonderfully tailored, with fitted bodice and draped open tulip front slit above the knee for movement...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Valentino Boutique Black Beaded Silk Chiffon Evening Gown Size US 6By ValentinoLocated in New York, NYLuxurious Valentino Boutique black silk evening gown with tiered ruffles, sweeping hemline and hand beaded and embroidered bodice. Two ruffles at bodice are hand beaded with tiny jet...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Badgley Mischka Beaded Black Silk Lace Evening Gown Size US 10By Badgley MischkaLocated in New York, NYBadgley Mischka glamorous black silk lace evening gown, size US 10. Gown features hand beaded and embroidered lace with glass jet beading, and neckline with glass jet beads along cu...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Gowns
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Textured Leather Bubble DressBy Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueenLocated in Berlin, BEIncredible Alexander McQueen textured leather dress with the most amazing dramatic silhouette. This high-quality dress has the most incredible round silhouette - It is made from a textured leather and features a round neckline with beautiful seam-line details, large round puff...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses
- SAINT LAURENT BY HEDI SLIMANE 2014 Black Leather Mini DressBy Hedi Slimane for Yves Saint Laurent, Saint LaurentLocated in Berlin, BEThe most incredible leather mini-dress by Saint Laurent from 2014, designed by Hedi Slimane. This exceptional sleeveless mini dress is made from a soft lamb leather and features gor...Category
2010s French Mini Dress
- LILLIE RUBIN Black Cocktail Halter Dress Sexy Size 8 Rhinestones Silk & VelvetBy Lillie RubinLocated in Lakewood, COKnock out gorgeous 1990s Lillie Rubin black cocktail halter dress in silk taffeta and velvet. The very low back and large bow detailed with rhinestones gives this dress a sexy, but ...Category
1990s Evening Dresses