Blass, Bill (1922-2002)
Dates
- Existence: 1922-2002
Biography
Bill Blass was born William Ralph Blass on June 22, 1922 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Blass attended Parsons School of Design at the age of 17. Roughly around the same time, Blass worked as a sketch artist for David Crystal, a Seventh Ave manufacturer. He served three years in the U.S. army during WWII. After the war, he returned to design, first working as an assistant with Anne Klein and ultimately finding work at Anna Miller and Co. in New York. Bill Blass became the head designer for Maurice Rentner in 1959, LTD, after the firm merged with Anna Miller and Co. 11 years later, Blass became sole owner of Rentner and renamed the company after himself. By this time, Blass had already won acclaim in the fashion industry, winning a Coty award in 1968 for his menswear designs. Bill Blass would go on to win two more Coty Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987 and the Humanitarian Leadership Award in 1996. From 1979 to 1981, Blass served as the honorary president for the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Bill Blass sold his business in 1999 for a rumoured $50 million. Bill Blass passed away at the age of 79 in 2002.
Found in 248 Collections and/or Records:
American Designer Series showings Spring 1965, 1964-1965
Apparel Industry - Bill Blass, 1980-1990, 1980-1990
Five photocopied and pasted articles concerning the apparel firm Bill Blass, including articles from California Apparel News and The Wall Street Journal.
April 11-12, 1998, 1998
This folder contains a column on New York fashion week and color and black and white photos and sketches of ensembles by Bill Blass.
April 23-24, 1994, 1994
This folder contains a column on New York Fashion Week and color photos of ensembles by Bill Blass.
April 30- May 1, 1988, 1988
This folder contains 3 8x10 black and white photographs and 11 copies of 8x10 black and white photographs of designs by Bill Blass, Oscar De La Renta
April 30- May 1, 1994, 1994
This folder contains a column on Armani and soft silhouettes and black and white photocopies of ensembles by Akris and Bill Blass.
April, May, June 1966, 1966
August 1-2, 1987, 1987
This folder contains 11 8x10 black and white photographs of designs by Pauline Trigere, Randolph Duke, YSL, Bill Blass, and Geoffrey Beene.
August 10-11, 1991, 1991
This folder contains a column on Paris couture and black and white photos of ensembles by Bill Blass, Jean-Louis Scherrer, Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, unidentified designers and reproductions of sketches of ensembles by unidentified designers.
BB [Bill Blass] Amazing SP 1999, March-June 1999, 1999
This folder contains press releases, schedules, price and fact sheets, notes, correspondence, and four color 8x10 photographs pertaining to the release of Bill Blass's perfume "Amazing."