Bill Blass: An American Designer
A homegrown, internationally renowned women's apparel designer, Blass died this past June at 79. This loving overview, based on an Indiana University Art Museum exhibition, showcases decades' worth of Blass's work in 227 illustrations (190 in full color). Graceful lines, unexpected fabrics, sophisticated ensembles and witty approaches to women's wear are all captured in wide-angle and close-up shots: an abstract floral, painted velvet balmacaan (a jacket that is long enough to be an above-the-knee skirt) looks as fresh today as in 1994, as does a white, double-faced, wool gabardine coat with printed twig motif from 1967 featured on the book's cover. Besides the beauty of the designs, the book itself makes quite an impression: the contemporary shots are perfectly lined up and reproduced; the text is nonintrusive, smoothly fonted and spaced; and period shots of Jacqueline Kennedy, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Reagan and others lend moments of delightful surprise. The foreword by Blass and two brief essays on his contributions to the development of a U.S. postwar style are followed by 200 pages of glorious fashion photography and sketches, interspersed with quotations from the designer and other notable taste makers-a fitting tribute.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.