Bill Blass (Q3899)
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American fashion label
- Bill Blass Ltd.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Bill Blass |
American fashion label |
|
Statements
1999
head designer
2007
Creative Director (women’s division)
2007
Creative Director (men’s division)
freelance designer
1970
founder
designer
designer
2009
design director
Gianvito Rossi designed the shoes for Bill Blass this season, and as the pointy, metal-tipped stilettos and to-the-knee boots came to life, Jeffrey Monteiro found himself wanting to inject some of that sexiness into the collection. As always, he said backstage before the show, the starting point was American sportswear, but Fall had a shot of Italian energy, too.The first look out, a fitted black wool coat with indigo satin sleeves and a high collar, was militaristic in its precise cut and no-nonsense rigor. Things didn't loosen up from there. Paneled dresses in sheer jersey and stretch twill led the parade of figure-hugging daywear. Most were spliced and inset with different fabrics in variations of the same shade, like an aggressively sexy sleeveless stretch twill dress in cobalt that had a dark blue satin bodice and a sheer navy top. A lush fox-fur coat with a delightfully huge collar made for a nice contrast with all the sleek shapes, but you wanted to see the peacock green dress underneath, with its hint of side cutouts that started under the bodice. Polished and focused, this was a lineup of sportswear for fashion power players.
15 February 2012
Heritage is key to the Bill Blass brand, and this year's setting, the tony Union League Club, provided the blue-blood mood. (In the elevator on the way up, Karlie Kloss, who closed the show, said approvingly, "I like this place.") The clothes followed suit. Backstage, when pressed about inspiration, Jeffrey Monteiro said that, as always, he turned to the considerable archives when putting together the collection. Stripes stuck out, and Monteiro headed in a nautical direction. "I'm never too literal with a theme," he said, but the maritime bent was strong. The palette was navy and white, with a few head-to-toe looks in red and yellow, and a Bill Blass logo had been tweaked to look like an anchor. It's hard to imagine that insignia looking right anywhere other than a yacht club, and most of these outfits will have to be pulled apart for a life on the street.As for the looks, they ranged from preppy to party (as in cocktail, not house). Well-cut blazers closed with shiny gold buttons, which also ran down one shoulder of a lustrous white cashmere knit. Racerback tanks had long hems like men's dress shirts; in triple-ply georgette, they were elegant layering pieces—much nicer than your average tank, but still sporty. The pair of beaded yellow gowns that closed the show—one a simple T-shirt shape with a low back, the other a slinky column—were bright and easy. They looked gorgeous as they were: no jewels, simple sandals, exactly the kind of modern effortlessness women crave. Although, in the case of the last dress, it could have been the Karlie Kloss effect. That girl looks good inanything.
14 September 2011
For his second outing at Bill Blass, Jeffrey Monteiro gave an intimate presentation at the Monkey Bar. Guests huddled in leather booths, while waiters passed out flutes of bubbly and mini lobster rolls. It was a nice way to end NYFW, to say the least. The setting was almost too intimate, though: Photographers were cat-calling the models as they sauntered by. "There's a beautiful girl," came the cry, or, echoing the soundtrack, "Can I have your ice cream, please?" Perhaps this is what the photo pit always sounds like when you get up close and personal.Where does a designer start when addressing the Blass legacy? Dipping into the house archives, Monteiro found himself drawn to the Fall 1970 collection. There was a definite old-school Blass feel here, but the designer also kept it current with clean lines, light fabrics, and a mostly black and white palette. A raglan tunic with an asymmetric striped pattern was cut in iridescent taffeta, and there was an unexpected slash on the lower back of a simple, ruby cocktail dress. The long looks here were particularly striking. The sharp blazer dress Frida Gustavsson wore had a mid-thigh slit for some sex appeal, and a triple-ply maxi skirt with a trailing feathered hem had broad appeal. Monteiro is starting to lay a new foundation for the house that Blass built.
16 February 2011
Jeffrey Monteiro has the not-so-enviable task of raising the Bill Blass brand from the dead. But if there was ever a time to revive the label, it's now, when classic, all-American sportswear is the hot topic and even a designer like Balmain's Christophe Decarnin is putting Blass-isms on the runway—gold pinstriping, anyone?By the looks of his 27-piece collection, Monteiro, who's previously worked for Jane Mayle and Derek Lam, has absorbed the storied house's codes. Working in the late designer's favorite colors—black, white, navy, and red—he turned out fresh takes on both day and evening dresses. In the former category: a sheath in nubby cotton inset with silk; in the latter, a draped to-the-floor number in diagonal microstripes. As for Monteiro's suits, they're hardly your typical lady-who-lunches variety. One raffia stripe jacket cut close to the body was shown with red and orange shorts. His Wednesday morning Lincoln Center competition, the retail heavyweights Tory Burch and Michael Kors, highlight just how much work Monteiro will have to do to raise the Blass profile, but these were promising first steps.
14 September 2010
Jeffrey Monteiro must have felt daunted, as the fifth design director to take the reins at Bill Blass since its namesake designer retired in 1999. You wouldn't know it by his assured first collection for the brand. "I wanted to take his signatures and develop them for the modern woman," said Monteiro, who previously spent time at Derek Lam. To that end, he incorporated classic Blass touches like rounded collars (seen here on everything from a slim gray shift to a sheer sequined tee) and double-faced fabrics (namely a cotton that resembled neoprene on a tailored coat-dress). While a wool pencil skirt that had been slashed at the knees felt like an experiment gone awry, Monteiro caught something of Blass' knack for versatile, unfussy chic with a draped gold lamé mid-calf evening gown that could easily transition from a holiday fête in the city to a beachfront affair. With a Lincoln Center presentation planned for September, the young designer will need to keep his nerve as his foray into modernizing the storied brand moves to a bigger stage.
10 June 2010
"I wanted color, I wanted happy—and a little bit of quirkiness," said Peter Som of his Resort collection for Bill Blass. The strong outing focused on the signature of the house: ladylike American dressing. For day, that meant secretary skirts with bow blouses and printed dresses with cashmere sweater coats. Evening was an exercise in simple elegance. A silver-striped gown was inspired by a Breton shirt, and a gray jersey T-shirt gown was the essence of effortless chic.
9 June 2008
For his debut at Blass, Peter Som played with "a mix of luxurious opposites": masculine/feminine, high/low, day/evening. So, to a remix of Depeche Mode's 1990 proto-emo hit "Enjoy the Silence," models marched in jaunty outfits inspired by original Blass lookbooks from 1969 and 1970. "I was fascinated by the clothes, but also by the photographs, which are beautiful in themselves and tell so much about a place in time," Som said. There was a refreshing splash of woman-power appeal in the trouser suits and sharp tuxedos, which traded punches with a cadre of cocktail dresses dramatized with elaborate beading, feathers, and eyelash fringe. Although Som said he pictures the Blass woman as a bit more pragmatic than the woman who wears his own Peter Som label, this collection tilted more toward dressing up than dressing down. No, it wasn't the Second Coming, but it was a promising first go.
6 February 2008
"My starting point was Mr. Blass' sketchbooks circa 1969-1970," said Peter Som, at the presentation of his first collection for the fabled American house. Som stayed true to the founder's focus on sportswear, especially when it came to coats. A plaid stadium number was worth cheering for, as were a glamorous broadtail and silver fox topper and the subtle shaved-corduroy minks. Menswear touches borrowed from sailors, waiters, and bankers mingled with sequined cocktail dresses and hammered satin gowns. "I wanted to update Blass classics with luxury and whimsy," the designer explained. So far, so good.
12 December 2007
The revolving doors at Bill Blass haven't quite stopped spinning—although Peter Som has been named as Michael Vollbracht's successor, his first collection will be for pre-Fall. The clothes shown today at the Celeste Bartos Forum in the New York Public Library were the work of the design team of Prabal Gurung, Ana Carolina Coelho, and Tyler Rose. For this interim effort, the trio dug into the house's archives and honed in on the party dresses they found there. Some of the results simply looked liked dusted-off versions of the originals, while others—like a chiffon frock with embroidered scallops, a shantung gown with a sweetheart neckline, and a flounced-hem L.B.D.—had a bit more appeal. The stage is set for Som's entrance.
5 September 2007
Things are looking up at Bill Blass. Angelina Jolie wore clingy, spicy-red Blass on the cover of the JanuaryVogue, and the company celebrated the launch of the new Blass fragrance during fashion week.Did the Fall collection live up to the moment? For the most part, yes. Michael Vollbracht didn't reinvent the wheel, but he was in good form and the energy was up, up, up, with Johnny Dynell's remix of Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing" bounding from the loudspeakers.Having struck gold with Jolie's red jersey, it isn't surprising Vollbracht put out more knit dresses for autumn; one, a burgundy-and-camel color-block worn by Freja Beja Erichsen, had a timely eighties vibe. (A quick gripe here, however: Some of these knits would have worked better if they had hit someplace other than over the knee; andallof them would have worked better worn with something other than matronly flesh-colored tights. Odd legwear has been a problem at too many shows this week.) Still, there was plenty for the retailer and the customer to crave: a forest-green corduroyed-mink coat, a sable-lined silk anorak, and a pinstriped suit with just the right insouciance. A strapless black satin evening gown would be perfect for opening night at the American Ballet Theater.Vollbracht's best effort, though, was a series of slithery mermaid dresses, done according to a technique borrowed from the great American master Norman Norell, who made a hit with his liquid sequined mermaids in the fifties (worn to memorable effect by Marilyn Monroe). Literally, thousands of sequins were sewn into place, by hand, à la Norell. The sterling level of craftsmanship really showed.
5 February 2007
In the audience to witness Michael Vollbracht show what was by far his most accomplished collection for Bill Blass were fans like Sigourney Weaver, Liza Minnelli, and Janet Jackson. Not only were the spring clothes eminently wearable—for both the loyal customer and a younger one—but they also respected the tradition of the house. "To thine own self be true—and to Bill Blass," Vollbracht quipped.The designer looked for truth in his materials, which for spring included matte jersey, linen, and organza. "The fabrics rule, and I let the cut do the rest," he explained. The result? Neat, fresh looks for day, like sandy-colored jersey suits and dresses (paired with snazzy patent-and-steel shoes from the house's new collection). White-on-white dresses featured intricate embroidery, as did some of the gala evening numbers, including one that was embellished with feathers. The jersey story continued. Stand-outs included columnar raspberry and lavender gowns with open backs that looked modern and that expressed, as the collection did overall, a strong vision of American chic.
11 September 2006
The Vadim wives who inspired last season's show were nowhere to be seen at Bill Blass today, but socialites young and old were on hand to watch Michael Vollbracht "channel," as he says, the spirit of the label's namesake. Vollbracht and Blass must have had a long conversation, because there were a lot of clothes (55 looks) on the runway. There were (way too literal) Tippi Hedren-style suits with ungainly belts, numerous coats (many in double-faced cashmere or shearling), a series of LBDs and, of course, event-friendly evening gowns (the best a red chiffon halter dress). Unfortunately most of the looks were shown with nude stockings, which, as one attendee was heard remarking, "instantly add 20 years."Vollbracht closed the show with a very pretty bridal gown, an old-fashioned gesture that referenced a once-common tradition. Perhaps he should revive another, and show in a gilt-chaired salon setting instead of the circus atmosphere of the tents. It might do service to the clothes, better showing the fabrics and the craftsmanship that go into making, say, the hand-woven Lesage-beaded ivory gown Inguna Butane wore. Sometimes such things get lost in the fast-paced atmosphere of Bryant Park.
6 February 2006
"There's a lack of communication between you and me," blasted the disco soundtrack at Bill Blass, and perhaps it was a more prescient statement than intended. This disconnect has been a persistent problem for the past few seasons, and creative director Michael Vollbracht has struggled to find a balance between revisiting the rich Blass legacy and establishing his own identity. For spring, Vollbracht took a few forward steps, showing a retail-ready collection of fine proportions (neat bodices over fuller skirts) that was young and fresh, but not so much so as to alienate his more mature customers. Whatwasoff-putting were the cutesy runway antics of three blond models who vamped shamelessly for the cameras before swaying back down the catwalk hand-in-hand in Bardot-evoking gingham dresses. It's doubtful that Mr. Blass would have approved.
12 September 2005
The mood at a Bill Blass show is traditionally one of uptown appropriateness. But for fall, both the guest list (Janet Jackson and Dr. Ruth Westheimer, suggesting all kinds of wardrobe-malfunction scenarios) and the soundtrack (heavy on the Scissor Sisters) indicated that Michael Vollbracht was heading in a new direction.Backstage, Vollbracht's muse, Karen Bjornson, spoke about the collection's shorter, more youthful proportions, and the designer extolled the virtues of his "narrow and long" silhouette, which were evident in the strong opening segment—a natty (rainbow) pinstripe suit and trim snakeskin pieces were particularly strong. One of Vollbracht's white cashmere toggle coats would look great on a stroll up Museum Mile, especially if accessorized with one of Carlos Falchi's big Mongolian bags, which added zip to tweedy daytime looks. Evening highlights included a short, beaded black slip dress, a full-skirt LBD with V-neck and bows at the hip, and a long, crepe silk gown with embroidered bodice.There were, however, a lot of misses along the way: Karen Elson, in a gazar shirt and taffeta ball skirt of epic proportions, looked like a character who had strayed from the pages of a fifties etiquette book. And, with no consistency of ornamentation, the finale seemed aimless—a dress parade in search of a theme, like characters in search of an author.
7 February 2005
Big changes at Bill Blass this season. Gone were the drawn-out presentations and runway antics of the past two seasons, replaced by a briskly paced show whose models strode the catwalk at a businesslike clip. It made looking at the clothes much easier, and there was improvement there, as well—a trimmer silhouette, a little more skin, a lighter hand. But despite the improvement, the collection still hasn't found its soul.Michael Vollbracht, now in his third season as Blass's creative director, opened with a lacy strapless sundress accented with a brown grosgrain ribbon—not earth-shattering, but certainly pretty. Such dresses were the collection's strength, from a demure white piqué A-line dress to refreshingly sexy bra-topped gowns. To his credit, Vollbracht has made Blass a regular on the red carpet in the past year, and this season's crop of telegenic eveningwear will certainly appeal to all-powerful celebrity stylists. But unless they're done young and tongue in cheek, those blocky wool crepe suits with prim cuffs and collars will come off more prissy than polished. Vollbracht is moving in the right direction, but a dose of unbridled passion would add a welcome edge to the house of Blass.
8 September 2004
In his second season as the designer for Bill Blass, Michael Vollbracht showed that he’s resolutely—some might say obstinately—devoted to the house’s heritage as a refuge of elegant sportswear. Emphasis on heritage: Vollbracht’s fall collection was almost a time capsule of Blass circa 1980, shown in a theatrical, dragged-out runway presentation that once again included some of Blass’ former house models, and clocked in at almost 80 looks.Vollbracht has said from the start that he’s interested in dressing chic older women, the ones he feels fashion is neglecting. Nonetheless, modern business means appealing to a younger clientele and also catering to Hollywood’s insatiable appetite for glamorous gowns. At times, Vollbracht scored: A light butter-yellow wool crepe suit, or a rust corduroy jacket over a swingy kilt, had timeless cross-generational appeal. Other times, he missed: Too many of the double-faced wool and cashmere fabrics were tailored into long, boxy jackets that harked back to the old power-dressing days. Eveningwear was also a divided affair. A simple black chiffon halter dress with gold spangles creeping up from the hem was as pretty as could be, but a loose silk kimono jacket printed with a giant tiger (designed by Vollbracht, a gifted illustrator) needed to be tamed.Vollbracht worked with Blass himself, so his firsthand knowledge of the great designer’s aesthetic can’t be questioned. But if he really wants to do justice to a great legacy, a little less reverence might help.
9 February 2004
There’s been more than the usual amount of drama at the House of Blass this year. In February, one day after they’d shown the Spring line, house creative director Lars Nilsson and his design partner Herve Pierre Braillard were fired. Two weeks later, Blass management appointed Michael Vollbracht, an illustrator and sometime designer—and perhaps more importantly, a close friend of the late designer’s—as the new name behind the label.Vollbracht’s mission is to retain Blass’s fabled, and faithful, customers, while also bringing in the next generation of ladies-in-waiting, and he made his ties to the old days clear by putting some of Blass’s favorite former models, like Pat Cleveland and Diane Dewitt, on the runway. This fall, he’s hitting the road as the house ambassador, with trunk shows lined up in Chicago, Palm Beach, and Houston.The spring collection he showed is sure to appeal to the loyalist camps around the country. Blass classics, like cashmere sweaters paired with taffeta skirts, lightweight wool suits in navy or eye-catching pink, and taffeta clutch coats over slim skirts, can’t fail to please, while airy chiffon evening dresses offer just the right amount of flutter for formal events. Some of Vollbracht’s reiterations looked more clunky than classic on the runway, and their appeal to the younger crowd remains to be seen. But as Blass himself said, “timing is everything,” and Vollbracht may just turn out to be right on target.
15 September 2003
Lars Nilsson continues to put his imprint on the house of Bill Blass, merging his own intellectual and artistic impulses with the spirit of one of America’s most influential design names.In the two years since Nilsson became the house’s creative director, he’s made it clear that he loves sophisticated color combinations and traditional handcrafts, using them to give new life to the elegant sportswear that Blass’s customer craves. For fall, he put some dazzling hues on the runway, starting with a group of piney-green separates that included a dyed sable coat. He sent out a scarlet satin shirt and wool skirt that radiated its own heat and a creamy ivory jacket cut like a duffel coat worn over honey-colored suede trousers. The handwork showed up on an inky blue coat, embroidered with silver and worn over a navy satin skirt and black cashmere sweater.Nilsson showed a few looks that echoed the founder's delight in irreverent juxtapositions: a motorcycle jacket cut in black satin, for example, or a simple hip-length sweater worn with a chiffon and lamé skirt for an easy nighttime look. There were prime examples, too, of the American designer tradition that sees no shame in luxurious practicality; a black cotton twill parka with a black sable hood, for example, or a navy velvet jacket that works for daytime or as an evening piece.
10 February 2003
In his fourth season as creative head at the house of Bill Blass, Lars Nilsson has established a few of his favorite things. The Swedish-born, Paris-trained designer loves folklore-inspired patterns, handcrafted details and—in an industry that consistently returns to black—vivid color. Part of the challenge for him at Blass is to incorporate these elements into the label’s tradition of sparely elegant sportswear.There were moments when Nilsson achieved just the right balance: a bold chevron sweater, a creamy silk taffeta shirtdress, a simple white shirt paired with an A-line skirt embroidered in heavy silver bars. He used whispery silk seersucker to make pretty blouses and a pouf-sleeve shirtdress that will look great rippling in the spring breezes. But some of the looks he sent out, like a hip-length navy pinstripe blazer with emphatic shoulders, or elephant-leg trousers, seemed out of step in a season where pants are cut lean and jackets are generally short and swingy.There’s no question, though, that Nilsson knows how to delight the eye: He closed his show with a torrent of tropical-toned evening wear, from flamingo pink to hibiscus red, that's sure to have all his customers yearning for their summer vacations
18 September 2002
With two well-received collections behind him, Bill Blass designer Lars Nilsson is still being scrutinized by the arbiters of style. After all, the fashion industry is full of one-season wonders. And Mr. Blass, although retired, is still very much a name that matters to his devoted clients (who eagerly await his biography, due out next month).Part of the liveliness that Nilsson has injected into the Blass label comes from his delight in color and pattern. For Fall, he was inspired in large part by the traditional textiles and handcrafts of the Amish and his native Sweden, which he worked into the Blass tradition of well-tailored sportswear. Nilsson took a leaf pattern and turned it into a colorful, oversize print for silk satin, and showed a sweeping, fur-trimmed white coat with a ladder of black stripes. There were shapely wool suits, a luxuriously cozy embroidered cashmere anorak and, for evening, a series of lovely dresses, including a rainbow-hued, hand-tinted velvet number.Though Nilsson leaned a little too heavily on his traditional sources this time around, he continues to bring a new spirit—and a new sense of buzz—to the hallowed house of Blass.
11 February 2002
Lars Nilsson, now in his second season at Bill Blass, hit a home run with a collection that is sure to put the venerable fashion house firmly back on the map.How does a Swedish-born, Paris-trained designer interpret classic American style? By staying true to Blass' legacy of simple sophistication. With witty references to masculine tailoring, Nilsson went for high-waisted trousers, immaculately cut striped blazers, and pale glen-plaid suits. The designer also demonstrated his acuity with color, via floral coats and skirts, a cravat-printed shirtdress, breezy jackets, and dresses stamped with a bold "vegetable tree" motif.The evening statements, however, were the real newsmakers. Using humble, homespun fabrics like cotton piqué and linen, Nilsson whipped up extraordinary gowns and sweeping ball skirts. Erin O'Connor's final ensemble neatly encapsulated the theme of understated chic: An unassuming pale-blue linen jacket, worn with a painstakingly embroidered sunflower skirt to the floor, looked like a million bucks.
9 September 2001
Passing the torch in a venerable fashion house is a dangerous game. Expectations from clients, buyers and critics run high when legendary shoes are to be filled. When Bill Blass retired last year, Steven Slowik was handed the reigns and faced with a daunting Catch-22: Stay true to Blass' consummately conservative roots but innovate enough to spark some precious fashion buzz. Slowik missed the target by a long shot in the single awkward and unflattering collection he designed at Blass, and was promptly shown the door.So this January, with only a month before the Fall 2001 shows, Bill Blass Ltd. found itself flying without a pilot and pulled up one of its staff designers, the Swedish-born and Paris-trained Lars Nilsson, to put together a collection. And in a few short weeks, Nilsson pulled together a robust collection of unmistakably Bill Blass clothes: bold red cashmere coats, pinstripe suits and trim satin trenchcoats. The core of Nilsson's style is conservative enough to fit the Bill Blass image, with plush fabrics and familiar shapes, but the Swedish designer keeps it all looking current with minimal embellishments and sleek tailoring.
14 February 2001
Newly-appointed Bill Blass designer Steven Slowik had a tall order to fill today: create a collection that lived up to Bill Blass' legacy of classic elegance, while attracting Park Avenue's younger generation of socialites.Slowik took his first steps toward that lofty objective by reworking some Blass favorites: The show opened with a limpid white suit and a cotton and chiffon dress that were both very promising. There were also a couple of comfortably chic masculine suits with feminine accents like visible hints of the jackets' lining on the lapel. Having said that, Slowik still has quite a way to go. His kimono dresses were not particularly flattering; large orchid prints on a suit and dress looked overdone; and the sequined evening looks were too long and shapeless for a young girl, and too decorated for a more mature client. In short, many of the clothes were neither here nor there.
20 September 2000
The audience gave an enthusiastic standing ovation at the end of Bill Blass' historic final presentation. It was a well-deserved send-off for a true master of American fashion, who has decided to retire after decades of designing glorious American sportswear. His swan-song offered plenty of Blass favorites: floral organza strapless dresses, embroidered sweater and skirt sets and clean, sophisticated suits in black and ivory. There were also some fun, youthful twists in his farewell collection, including zebra-print column gowns, beaded hot pants, and bold tops and skirts in vivid shades of aqua, red and pink. It was a fitting finale for one of this country's best designers.
15 September 1999