Bill Blass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Blass
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| Born |
William Ralph Blass
June 22, 1922 |
| Died | June 12, 2002 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Parsons School of Design |
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Label(s)
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Bill Blass Limited |
| Awards | Coty Award seven times; Fashion Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award, 1999 |
William Ralph Blass (born June 22, 1922 – died June 12, 2002) was a famous American fashion designer. He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Bill Blass won many awards for his designs. These included seven Coty Awards. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
Contents
Early Life and Dreams
Bill Blass grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His father, Ralph, was a traveling salesman. His mother was Ethyl Blass.
Even in school, Bill loved fashion. He filled his school books with drawings of clothes. These designs were inspired by Hollywood movies. When he was fifteen, he started making and selling evening gowns. He sold them to a New York company for $25 each.
By age seventeen, he had saved enough money. He moved to Manhattan to study fashion. At eighteen, he won an award from Mademoiselle magazine. He spent his earnings on fancy clothes and meals.
Serving His Country
In 1943, Blass joined the Army. Because he was smart and talented, he joined a special unit. This was the 603rd Camouflage Battalion. Their job was to trick the German Army. They made the Germans believe the Allies were in fake places. They used things like dummy tanks to do this. Bill Blass served in important battles. These included the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhine River crossing.
Fashion Career Begins
After the war, Bill Blass started his fashion career in New York in 1945. He was helped by Baron de Gunzburg. In 1970, he bought a company called Maurice Rentner Ltd. He had worked there since 1959. He then changed its name to Bill Blass Limited.
Over the next 30 years, he made his fashion line bigger. He designed swimwear, furs, luggage, perfume, and even chocolate. In 1967, he was the first American designer to create a men's clothing line. This part of his business grew a lot. It included everything from ties and socks to suits.
His women's high-fashion collections were not always profitable. But they helped make his brand famous. By the mid-1990s, his company was very successful. Many famous people were his clients and friends. These included Happy Rockefeller and Gloria Vanderbilt.
Bill Blass Cars
From 1975 to 1992, Bill Blass worked with the Ford Motor Company. He designed special editions of their Continental Mark cars. Each year, the car's inside and outside colors were updated. One popular design was in 1979. It had a nautical (sea-themed) look. Small anchors were part of the car's design.
Awards and Honors
Bill Blass won many awards for his fashion work. He won three Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards. In 1968, he won a Coty Award for his men's wear. The Council of Fashion Designers of America gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. He also received their Humanitarian Leadership Award in 1996. He was named to the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List.
Giving Back
In 1994, Bill Blass gave $10 million to the New York Public Library. Because of his generous gift, a room in the library was named after him. It is called the Bill Blass Public Catalogue Room.
Retirement and Legacy
In 1999, Bill Blass sold his company, Bill Blass Limited. He then retired to his home in New Preston, Connecticut. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2000. He passed away on June 12, 2002, just before his 80th birthday.
Bill Blass loved art and old artifacts. In his will, he gave half of his money to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He also gave them several important ancient sculptures.
Famous Sayings
"The beauty of being able to draw, or paint, from an early age is that you never feel trapped, least of all by your immediate circumstances."
"The secret of living is not staying too long. I have learned when to leave the party."
See also
In Spanish: Bill Blass para niños
