Vintage Bill Blass 1970s Purple + Brown Grecian Inspired Silk Jersey Belted Gown
View Similar Items
Vintage Bill Blass 1970s Purple + Brown Grecian Inspired Silk Jersey Belted Gown
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: Small / Medium (US)Shoulder to Hem: 60 in (152.4 cm)
- Style:Grecian (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:San Diego, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6623813133
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.
- Halston IV 1970s Rare Novelty Fish Print Black and White Vintage 70s EnsembleBy Roy Halston Frowick, HalstonLocated in San Diego, CARare HALSTON IV 1970s black and white novelty fish print three piece jersey ensemble ! Top features an asymmetrical neckline on the front and back. Skirt is a flirty easy fit with an...Category
1970s American Skirt Suits
$1,387 Sale Price25% Off - NWT Stella McCartney Gunmetal Pewter Racerback Empire Bubble DressBy Stella McCartneyLocated in San Diego, CAAmazing brand new with tags STELLA MCCARTNEY liquid gunmetal/pewter racerback bubble dress! So much intricate detail went into the creation of this beauty. Empire waist that features...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Cocktail Dresses
- 1990s Bill Blass Vintage French Dove Gray Off Shoulder Silk Jersey Evening GownBy Bill BlassLocated in San Diego, CABeautiful vintage 90s BILL BLASS off-the-shoulder Grecian evening dress! Perfect French Grey color compliments nearly any skin tone. Soft silk je...Category
1990s American Evening Gowns
- Beautiful 1970s Hand Crochet Pink Rose Bell Sleeve Chic Boho 70s Vintage DressLocated in San Diego, CASuch a beautiful early 1970s pink / rose colored hand crochet boho dress! Features a tie waist, so can fit an awesome array of sizes! Soft cotton and rayon crochet blend. Bell sleeves look fantastic on. Flower crochet...Category
1970s American Cocktail Dresses
$636 Sale Price20% Off - Avant Garde Ruben Panis Vintage Metallic Space Age Gown Detachable Bow BeltBy Ruben Panis for Elizabeth Arden, Ruben PanisLocated in San Diego, CAThe most AMAZING vintage Ruben Panis for ELIZABETH ARDEN metallic Avant Garde one-shoulder gown. Features original bow belt--looks great with or without belt-two completely different...Category
1980s Italian Evening Gowns
- Marc Jacobs New Gray and White Denim Flower Size 0 / 2 Fit n' Flare Corset DressBy Marc JacobsLocated in San Diego, CAChic brand new MARC JACOBS grey and white flower printed cotton denim dress! Features allover flowers printed throughout. Has a 1960s / 60s mod vibe that is effortlessly stylish! Cor...Category
2010s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Elaborately Beaded French FLapper Dress, c.1920sLocated in New York, NYElaborately Beaded French FLapper Dress, c.1920s Indigo knee-length gauze Flapper dress with intricate beading of art deco style motifs in shades of indigo, blue and silver. Featurin...Category
1920s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- 1990s Masaki MatsushimaBy Masaki MatsushimaLocated in Austin, TXMasaki Matsushima grey wool dress, high slit. Condition: Excellent Made in Paris Size 2 / US 6Category
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
$1,800 - CHANEL pink black cashmere STRIPED SLEEVELESS KNIT Dress 38 S 11CBy ChanelLocated in Zürich, CHChanel (Sample) sleeveless embroidered knit dress in black, ivory and rose cashmere (100%) with a round neck. Embroidery is cotton (100%). Unlined. Opens with black faux pearl button...Category
2010s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1950s Zenith Original Cocktail DressBy ZenithLocated in London, GBA pretty dove grey vintage cocktail dress by Zenith Original. The dress has a scoop necklline, front and back and as a built in petticoat with frill at...Category
1950s British Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage Long Blue Kimono with Rose DetailLocated in London, GBA vintage kimono from Kyoto dating from the 1980s. It has flowers on a blue background and is lined in cotton. Measurements: Length 63'' bust up to 46''Category
1980s Japanese Evening Dresses and Gowns
- La Perla "Peacock Feathers" Two-Way Pullover Silk Jersey Tapered DressBy La PerlaLocated in New York, NYLa Perla wonderfully whimsical elegant "Peacock Feathers" silk jersey pullover form-fitting dress can be worn two ways if desired. One can wear this wonderful dress as is, ...Category
1990s Italian Chemises