Blass, William Ralph

▪ 2003

“Bill” 

      American fashion designer (b. June 22, 1922, Fort Wayne, Ind.—d. June 12, 2002, New Preston, Conn.), became an icon in the fashion world not only by designing “wearable” clothing with an understated, comfortable elegance that was popular with members of high society but also by moving in that social circle and becoming a celebrity himself. In addition, he was the first American designer of women's fashions to branch out into the field of men's designer wear, introducing options to the serious “gray flannel” look then prevalent, and he increased his renown by licensing his name to a wide range of moderately priced products—including perfume, chocolates, flight attendant uniforms, and jeans—and by making substantial donations to the New York Public Library and supporting and raising funds for AIDS programs. While still in high school, Blass—taking as his design inspiration the glamorous characters who inhabited the films that were a favourite diversion during the Depression—began to sell designs to New York City clothing manufacturers. Following graduation and a second-prize win in a Chicago Tribune design contest, he moved to New York, where he studied for a short time and worked as a sketch artist before enlisting (1943) in the army. When he returned to New York, Blass worked first for Anne Klein and then for Anna Miller, and after Miller retired (1959) and her firm merged with the fashion house of her brother, Maurice Rentner, Blass began to gain recognition. His name soon appeared on the label, and in 1970 he bought the company and renamed it Bill Blass Ltd. Blass ensured his success by paying attention to what his clients really wanted to wear for both everyday activities and social occasions and by expanding into sportswear and thereby paving the way for his large number of licensing deals. In 1999 he sold his $700-million-a-year business for a reported $50 million. Among Blass's numerous honours were Coty American Fashion Critics Awards (1961, 1963, and 1970), Coty Awards for men's wear (1968 [the first such award], 1971, 1982, and 1983), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (1987), the council's first Humanitarian Leadership Award (1996), and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999).

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