After thirty years in the
design world, Bill Blass
is tops in his field and
the empire he owns.
BILL
•
BLASS •
AMERICAN
MASTER
■ BY CARLA SCHWARTZ
Blass
perfumes
debut this
fall.
60 STYLE
Blass
designs
linens for
Spring-
maid Co.
ill Blass is an American
master of design. For thirty
years, he has been success-
fully designing clothes.
Vogue magazine referred to him as an
icon of American style in a retro-
spective article titled "Million Dollar
Blass." The Bill Blass name is on auto-
mobiles, sheets and fragrances as well
as haute couture clothing: this savvy
businessman has made his name syn-
onymous with fashion and style.
The fall 1990 collection is no excep-
tion for the 67-year old designer. The
clothes are fresh and spunky — not
an easy combination to accomplish,
especially for someone who's been
cranking out fashions as long as he
has. One example is a sexy strapless
two-piece cocktail suit in black-and-
white houndstooth with red accents
and rhinestone buttons.
Blass does not believe the 1990s
herald a different approach to de-
signing. "People have a mistaken idea
because we are going into a new
decade, there should be a great rev-
olution," explains Blass who was inter-
viewed for Style magazine when he
toured the Detroit area branch stores
of Saks Fifth Avenue. But, he adds, "It
isn't the moment for a great transfor-
mation of silhouette or great extreme
in clothes."
Some of the styles Blass highlights
in his fall collection include the tail-
ored jacket and a slim, strapless shift
dress in gray flannel or wool tweed.
All the skirts are short and slim for
day. The coats are fingertip length
and have a windbreaker design. His
runway models sport short hair with
a shorter skirt length. On an unusual
note, he shows no accessories with
the collection. "There has been an
abundance of accessories," says
Blass.
His youthful windbreaker designs
clearly denote his expertise as a
designer who can take an ordinary
jacket and make it special. The sporty
windbreakers are in bright, bold
colors. His evening windbreakers are
in satin, and lined with contrasting
satin or wool. He even has the aud-
acity to show lame windbreakers and
blousons. One jewel-toned wind-
breaker has a citrus green lining, and
is worn with an emerald satin skirt.
Blass is a master at playfully mixing
patterns. He designs a fly-away bal-