Bill Blass Lace Tuxedo
View Similar Items
Bill Blass Lace Tuxedo
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 2 (US)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 25 in (63.5 cm)Hip: 35 in (88.9 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Jacket length: 25.5 inches pant length: 39 inches.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU442552273
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.
- Yves Saint Laurent Cut Velvet Tunic and Pant EmsembleBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent, black, cut velvet, long sleeved, tunic with a solid velvet, wide leg pant. Tunic is extra long, having a jeweled neckline, with a cut velvet body and a band of so...Category
1980s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Givenchy Couture Velvet Dinner SuitBy GivenchyLocated in New York, NYGivenchy Couture, black velvet, dinner suit having a gold, flecking on the velvet, creating an optical effect. Jacket is fitted with a v neckline and gold...Category
1970s Skirt Suits
- Galanos Satin Tunic and Wide Leg Pant EnsembleBy James GalanosLocated in New York, NYGalanos, black, satin back crepe, pyjama top and pant ensemble. Top is smock like, with a high, square neck line and ends below the hip, having full sleeves that gather above the wri...Category
1970s American Pajamas
- Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Pastel Tone Liberty Print EnsembleBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent, Rive Gauche, liberty print, cotton chintz, smock top and single tiered skirt ensemble in a pale nude tone, with small pastel colored...Category
1970s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Yves Saint Laurent Chinese Collection Tunic and Pant EnsembleBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent, Rive Gauche, navy and yellow, patterned, Chinese collection, tunic and pant ensemble. Tunic has a jewel neckline, with a side butto...Category
1970s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Geoffrey Beene Tweed Skirt Suit with Tulle ScarfBy Geoffrey BeeneLocated in New York, NYGeoffrey Beene, black and white wool tweed, skirt suit, having black stitching trompe-l'oeil details at the collar and waist. Jacket closes with a tie at the waist, center front Skirt has the same black top stitching detail as the jacket . Jacket has a raglan sleeve. Suit comes with a tulle rectangular scarf...Category
1980s American Skirt Suits
- GLORIA SACHS Couture 1980s Two Piece PAISLEY FUR Suit Skirt Jacket Wool 10By Gloria SachsLocated in Asheville, NCGloria Sachs, Iconic Suit, Vintage 1980's, 100% Pure Wool (Soft), Made in USA, Union Tag, Fully Lined. Jacket - Quilted, Five Wooden/Clay Round Buttons, Shoulder Pads, Two Pockets, ...Category
1980s Skirt Suits
$596 Sale Price25% Off - Vintage PIERRE CARDIN Paris Couture 1960s Two Piece Ensemble Skirt Jacket 38By Pierre Cardin Paris, Pierre CardinLocated in Asheville, NCPierre Cardin, 100% Wool, 1960's Couture, Made in France, Asymmetrical Layered Design, Two Faceted Buttons, Pleated Skirt, Metal Zipper, Slit on Back of Skirt, Vintage 38 Measuremen...Category
1960s French Skirt Suits
$909 Sale Price30% Off - S/S 1996 Thierry Mugler Sculptural Runway Museum Skirt Suit EnsembleBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Concord, NCOwn a piece of fashion history with this extraordinary documented Thierry Mugler Spring Summer 1996 skirt suit. Black and white jacket with a large folding ...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- Celine runway monogram set, SS 2000By CelineLocated in London, GBMy Runway Archive presents this Super iconic two piece worn on the runway and in the campaign fronted by Gisele for the Celine SS 2000 collection. M...Category
Early 2000s European Twin Sets
$1,534 Sale Price20% Off - YVES SAINT LAURENT BY TOM FORD S/S 2002 Runway Sheer Silk Two-PieceBy Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Berlin, BEThis leopard print two piece was the opening look for Yves Saint Laurent’s Spring Summer 2002 Rive Gauche collection by Tom Ford. This elegant two-piece consists of a high waisted silk pencil skirt and a zip up sleeveless silk top in a classic leopard print. This safari inspired set features beautiful details such as the YSL logo on the right side of the front of the bodice, and also embossed on the zipper. The bodice features a deep V neckline, multiple pockets on the front and drawstrings at the sides, the back features a transparent panel...Category
Early 2000s French Twin Sets
- Bob Mackie Velvet Ensemble with Gold Embroidered EagleBy Bob MackieLocated in New York, NYStunning and rare 1980s Bob Mackie creation. Mackie is a heavily collected designer known for his theatrical, often heavily beaded pieces that he designed for stars like Cher, Liza M...Category
1980s Dress and Coat Ensembles