Bill Blass Black Silk Lace Slip-Style Cocktail Dress w Gathered Net Flounce Hem
View Similar Items
Bill Blass Black Silk Lace Slip-Style Cocktail Dress w Gathered Net Flounce Hem
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 4-6 (US)
- Style:Boudoir (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Gresham, OR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU502482361
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.
- Torso Creations Pink Purple & Green Silk Caftan W/ Open Back Embroidery TrimBy Torso CreationsLocated in Gresham, ORTorso Creations Pink Purple & Green Silk Caftan W/ Open Back, Embroidery, Purple Velvet Ribbon and Sequin Trim. Fashioned from vintage sari fabric in the s...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Caftans
- 1940s Kamehameha Graphic Figural Print Rayon Dress in Polynesian StyleBy KamehamehaLocated in Gresham, ORA fabulous and rare 1940s Kamehameha Polynesian styled mid-century graphic figural print rayon dress or caftan in chartreuse, magenta, black and cobalt blue. Solid magenta lining on ...Category
1940s American Loungewear
- Torso Vintages Black Velvet & Sequin Formal Playsuit w Organza & Lace CorsageBy Torso CreationsLocated in Gresham, ORTorso Vintages Black Velvet & Sequin Formal Playsuit w Organza & Lace Corsage: Puffed structured shoulders, cummerbund waist and a dramatic petal corsage...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Bodysuits
- Torso Creations 2-Piece Apron-Front Sari Caftan w Mirrored and Embroidered BeltBy Torso CreationsLocated in Gresham, ORTorso Creations 2-Piece Apron-Front Sari Caftan w Mirrored and Embroidered Belt: Silk sari is ombre from mauve to silver gray. Deco-patterned lame fabric trim. Sari has open side sli...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Caftans
- 1950s Merry Widow Bustier Embellished W/ Appliqué By Torso CreationsBy Torso Creations, WarnerLocated in Gresham, ORA 1950s Warner Merry Widow, strapless, embellished by Torso Creations with silk cut-out and applied dogwood floral sprays. Size 36Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Bras
- 1940s Traditional Silk Kimono in Stylized Ginko Print Of Green Orange & BlackLocated in Gresham, ORA 1940s traditionally-styled silk kimono: knee-length with a stylized ginkgo leaf print in an olive green persimmon and black colorway. Traditional contrasting silk lining in top hal...Category
1940s Japanese Loungewear
- Vintage 1940s Black Velvet Evening Dress or Hostess GownLocated in Portland, ORThis vintage early 1940s black velvet gown by Kamore was originally designed to be a hostess gown or luxurious loungewear for the 40's woman who entertai...Category
Mid-20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1980s Yves Saint Laurent YSL Rive Gauche Black Lace Corset & Chiffon SkirtBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Toronto, OntarioLate 1980's Saint Laurent Rive Gauche corset and skirt ensemble. Corset a has black lace overlay on top of a flesh colored lining. Corset lacing at the front is adjustable to your bo...Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- 1960's Lucie Ann Cream Gown w Black Lace OverlayLocated in Toronto, OntarioAmazing black lace over nylon lingerie/gown from the famous Lucie Ann of Beverly HIlls. This piece may have originally been worn as lingerie but is has been modified by the original ...Category
1960s American Babydoll Dresses
- Prada by Miuccia Prada black lace evening ensemble, fw 2008By Prada, Miuccia PradaLocated in London, GB▪ Prada evening skirt suit ▪ Designed by Miuccia Prada ▪ Black 3D Swiss lace ▪ Cropped halter vest ▪ Pencil skirt with removable lining ▪ Technical fabric peplum belt...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Christian Dior Velvet Velour Vintage 50s 60s 70s 80s Robe Medium Large DressBy Christian DiorLocated in PARIS, FRVelvet evening dress by Christian Dior! Probably from the 60s! Velvet fabric with ornament at the collar and the sleeves. EXCELLENT condition. Extra closure with the inner cords. ...Category
1950s Evening Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche cocktail dress in printed satin Fall Winter 1985By Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Toulon, FRAutumn Winter 1985 Collection France Beautiful silk satin printed cocktail dress by Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche inspired by the 1930s/1940s pyjamas and ...Category
1980s French Negligees