Designer Bill Blass Died
Designer Bill Blass died at his Connecticut home on June 12. He was 79. The cause of death was cancer. Blass got his start in the fashion business in 1939, rising to international fame with his eponymous couture label, which was worn by first ladies, celebrities, socialites and businesswomen. A founder of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Blass served as the group’s honorary president in the early 1980s and was twice honored by he group, receiving a lifetime achievement award in 1997 and being named Dean of American Fashion in 2000. He retired in 1999 after releasing his Spring 2000 collection.
