Bill Blass Limited

Bill Blass Limited is a fashion house founded by American designer Bill Blass. It is known for its highly priced, beautifully cut womenswear, notable for its inventive combinations of patterns and textures. Among its honors were seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded to designer Bill Blass in 1999.

History

Designer Bill Blass began his New York fashion career in 1946. In 1970, after two decades of success in menswear and womenswear, he bought Maurice Rentner Ltd., which he had joined in 1959, and renamed it Bill Blass Limited. Over the next 30 years he expanded his line to include swimwear, furs, luggage, perfume, and chocolate. His fame and income grew, and by 1998 his company had grown to a $700-million-a-year business. In 1999 Blass sold Bill Blass Limited for $50 million and retired to his home in New Preston, Connecticut.

Aesthetic

In a time when other designers were designing clothes which were known more for being a work of art, designer Bill Blass set his line apart by designing clothing which any women could wear day or night. According to Ellin Saltzman in the New York Times, "He took American sportswear to its highest level … giving it a clean, modern, impeccable style… He, probably more than any designer knew his customer and understood her."citequote

Bill Blass today

Bill Blass Limited’s head designer is currently Michael Vollbracht, who began working with Blass in 1999. Recent Bill Blass collections have received favorable critical reviews. [ [http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/F2007RTW/review/BILBLASS Bill Blass Fall 2007 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com: Runway Review ] ]

In February 2007 Bill Blass Limited was acquired by NexCen Brands. Nexcen Brands announced on February 15, 2007 that they had completed a $54.6 million cash and stock acquisition of the company.

In July 2007, the new owners of Bill Blass, NextCen Brands, announced that Peter Som will be designing the women's wear collection. The men's will be designed by Michael Bastian.

References

External links