Born 1922 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, American fashion designer Bill Blass was the recipient of many fashion awards, including seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Lifetime Achievement Award (1999).
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| Fashion designs by Bill Blass in the 1960s |
Blass’s clients, many of whom were also his friends, included Happy Rockefeller, Brooke Astor, Nancy Kissinger, Jessye Norman, Gloria Vanderbilt and Patricia Buckley.
Blass, longtime a heavy smoker, died of throat cancer in 2002, ten days away from his 80th birthday. Take a look at these vintage photos to see beautiful designs by Bill Blass in the 1960s.
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| Marilyn Ambrose in wool monk dress with leather thong belt by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, Wool Bureau Inc. ad, Vogue, September 1, 1960 |
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| Anne St. Marie in pink doubled chiffon sleeveless top and slim skirt by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, coiffure by Coiffures Americana, photo by Bert Stern, Vogue, May 1961 |
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| Dorothea McGowan in silk suit of tobacco, pink and black, sleeveless jacket tops pink bodice and black skirt by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Emme, jewelry by Hattie Carnegie, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, February 1, 1961 |
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| Pia Kazan in pale, shimmery Paisley dress and jacket in gray, beige and sand with a sand colored belt by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Lilly Daché, photo by Karen Radkai, Vogue, April 15, 1961 |
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| Jean Shrimpton in civet print shirtwaist dress of silk organza by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Sally Victor, photo by Karen Radkai, Vogue, April 15, 1962 |
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| Nena von Schlebrugge in nubby textured wool two-piece with white mink neckline and hat, by Bill Blass, photo by Horst P. Horst, 1962 |
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| Model in romantic shirtwaist dress of beige and blush lace by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, car is Thunderbird Limited Edition Landau, Vogue, February 15, 1963 |
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| Brigitte Bauer in suit of pink and yellow tweed, with pink linen overblouse and jacket lined in the same pink, by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Halston, bracelets by Marvella, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, January 15, 1964 |
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| Jennifer O'Neill wearing a plunder of jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels and brocade dress dripping with bugle beads by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Bert Stern, Vogue, November 1, 1964 |
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| Wilhelmina in beautiful floral print silk dress with flowing back panel by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Henry Clarke before the statue of Rama in the Gallery of the Gods, India, Vogue, December 1, 1964 |
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| Agneta Frieberg in wool plaid suit with gold buttons and pleated skirt by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, matching crocheted beret by Halston, photo by Louis Faurer, Harper's Bazaar, September 1965 |
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| Birgitta af Klercker in brilliant peonies on a slender toga of rippled blue silk closed with a single button in back over pink silk taffeta pants by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, November 15, 1965 |
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| Jean Shrimpton in dress by Bill Blass, earrings by Van Cleef & Arpels for Revlon ad, 1965 |
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| Mirella Petteni in flared beige paisley coat over pale beige jersey dress by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, pill box with dotted pink silk scarf by Halston, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, February 15, 1965 |
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| Agneta Frieberg in polished cotton pinafore in pointilistic, crayon-colored dots by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Louis Faurer, Harper's Bazaar, May 1966 |
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| Agneta Frieberg in silken smock printed with hollyhocks by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, matching beanie by Emme, shoes by Capezio, photo by Louis Faurer, Harper's Bazaar, May 1966 |
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| Alberta Tiburzi in sparkling dress of silver discs by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, necklace of silver streamers by Paco Rabanne, Kenneth Lane earrings, photo by Hiro, Harper's Bazaar, December 1966 |
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| Benedetta Barzini in ciré coat of burnished paisley by Bill Blass, chin-strapped white leather helmet by Halston, photo by Irving Penn, 1966 |
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| Marisa Berenson in a one-shoulder silk chiffon by Bill Blass, earrings Mimi di N, shoes Stanley Philipson, photo by Bert Stern, 1966 |
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| Marisa Berenson in strapless silk chiffon by Bill Blass, earrings Mimi di N, shoes Stanley Philipson, photo by Bert Stern, 1966 |
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| Wilhelmina in an unbelted shaft of oyster wool-jersey by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Halston, bracelets by KJL, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, March 1, 1966 |
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| Wilhelmina in double-faced wool, yellow backed with white jacket, over small yoked dress by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Halston, bracelets by Napier, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, February 1, 1966 |
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| Wilhelmina in pale blue double-faced twill coat by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Halston, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, March 1, 1966 |
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| Editha Dussler in bold-print short wool coat in yellow, black, orange and red over matching dress with black jersey top by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Irene of New York, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, February 1, 1967 |
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| Editha Dussler in brilliantly colored silk print dress with flared sleeves and flared hem by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, January 1, 1967 |
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| Editha Dussler in vividly colored silk print Rajah coat by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, January 1, 1967 |
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| Marisa Berenson in vivid plumage-printed coat on flattened wool fleece by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, hat by Halston, Phoenix pantyhose, coiffure by Suga of Kenneth, photo by Irving Penn, Vogue, August 15, 1967 |
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| Mirella Petteni in wild purple and yellow checked double-faced wool coat over yellow sleeveless dress by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Hiro, Harper's Bazaar, January 1967 |
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| Model in white, silk-crêpe slip of a dress veiled by a lace coat with ice-white stripes and snow-rose scallops by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Neal Barr, Harper's Bazaar, December 1967 |
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| Sharon Tate is wearing a dress by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by David McCabe, New York, Harper's Bazaar, 1967 |
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| Beate Schulz in white nylon and spandex stretch satin bathing suit by Bill Blass for Roxanne, Vogue, January 1, 1968 |
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| Françoise Leroy in paisley silk brown-on ivory tunic and ivory-on brown pants, scarf-sashed by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Henry Clarke, mexico, Vogue, December 1, 1968 |
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| Lucy Angle in Empire evening coat, cut short in primary green and white polka dots over an Empire white lace dress by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by Neal Barr, Harper's Bazaar, January 1968 |
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| Susan Blakely (left) and Josyane Leroy in pretty lace-trimmed rosebud cotton shirtdresses by Bill Blass for Maurice Rentner, photo by James Moore, Harper's Bazaar, March 1968 |
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| Princess Ira von Furstenberg wearing a shoulder cape in brown sueded nylon knit, by Bill Blass, photo by Alexis Waldeck, Vogue, November 15, 1969 |