User:AnnieZhou11/Bill blass

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Fashion Career

After the war, Blass returned to New York, and was promptly hired as Anne Klein's assistant. However, he was soon fired; allegedly, Anne told him that while he had good manners, he had no talent.^[1]

Design Style

Blass is largely credited with creating the relaxed, elegant look that American fashion favored in the late 20th century. In a time period where international attention was solely focused on French fashion, Blass was able to create designs that would eventually shift the focus onto American fashion as well. Inspired by European fashion designers like Coco Chanel, Blass modernized womenswear by allowing them comfort while still maintaining a sense of glamour; he would create designs typical of sportswear, but create them using luxurious fabrics. His signature style consisted of feminine ruffles, luxury materials such as mink or cashmere, and sharply-cut, simple silhouettes.^[2]

Blass's looks would incorporate Golden Age Hollywood’s glamour with sportswear, taking sportswear silhouettes, and creating them with luxurious materials such as mink, silk, and cashmere, or blending pieces traditionally found in sportswear with dramatic ball skirts. Blass was the first American to incorporate fabrics traditionally only found in menswear, such as pinstripes and houndstooth, into womenswear. His clothing was always very wearable, a characteristic that set him apart from his contemporaries, as most of them were focused on creating fantastical clothes.^[1]

Versaille 1973

During November 1973, at the Palace of Versailles, five American fashion designers, one of whom was Bill Blass, faced off against five French designers who were at the time considered to be the best of the best: Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Emanuel Ungaro, Pierre Cardin, and Marc Bohan of Christian Dior, in a battle of fashion shows. The event is often credited as the event that put American fashion in the international spotlight.^[1]

Quotes

“When in doubt, wear red.”^[3]

“Fashion can be bought by anybody; style takes discernment, it has to do with individuality.”^[3]

“Sometimes the eye gets so accustomed that if you don't have a change, you're bored. It's the same with fashion, you know. And that, I suppose, is what style is about.”^[3]

“Simplicity is the soul of modern elegance.”^[3]