Legacy

“No woman can be
well dressed unless she is comfortable in what
she is wearing.”

- Bill Blass

OUR LEGACY

Established in 1970,
Bill Blass was the first designer to ever break out of the back rooms of anonymity and create a fashion house based on
his own persona.

Bill Blass is one of twenty-eight American designers of distinction featured on Seventh Avenue’s Fashion Walk Of Fame, titled “the hardest working man on Seventh Avenue.” Bill Blass redefined the standard of his profession, revolutionized modern style, and American fashion will never be the same.

As a young child in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Bill Blass gravitated towards the romance of American celebrities. His early influences were the women he saw in Hollywood films and in the pages of Vogue.

These glamorous ladies inspired him to begin sketching designs and eventually study fashion at Parsons School of Design. He sold his designs to a few brands who sold them under their own labels.

He could have easily made a long, lucrative career out of being an anonymous back-room designer, but that wasn’t enough for him.

Bill eventually packed up his sketchpad and moved to New York with a dream. Instead of creating for other labels, he wanted to build his own fashion house. He was the first American designer to brand himself, using his own name and pulling back the workroom curtain at a time when the profession had yet to be glamorized. The NYC elite had never seen anything like it. Stylish, practical and timeless. His clothes were worn by a who’s who list of the City’s high-profile socialites.

Bill Blass is one of twenty-eight American designers of distinction featured on Seventh Avenue’s Fashion Walk Of Fame, titled “the hardest working man on Seventh Avenue.”

As a young child in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Bill Blass gravitated towards the romance of American celebrities. His early influences were the women he saw in Hollywood films and in the pages of Vogue. These glamorous ladies inspired him to begin sketching designs and eventually study fashion at Parsons School of Design.

He sold his designs to a few brands who sold them under their own labels. He could have easily made a long, lucrative career out of being an anonymous back-room designer. But that wasn’t enough for him.

Bill eventually packed up his sketchpad and moved to New York with a dream. Instead of creating for other labels, he wanted to build his own fashion house. He was the first American designer to brand himself, using his own name and pulling back the workroom curtain at a time when the profession had yet to be glamorized. The NYC elite had never seen anything like it. Stylish, practical and timeless. His clothes were worn by a who’s who list of the City’s high-profile socialites.

  • 1987

    He was honored with the CFDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and became the first to ever receive their Humanitarian Leadership Award a few years later.

  • 1994

    Mr. Blass donated a significant
    amount to the New York Public Library and in appreciation of this donation they renamed the Public Catalogue Room of the Central Research Library after him.

simplicity is
the soul of modern
elegance.

THE SUTTON COLLECTION

Bill Blass’s signature Sutton Collection

Suede Sneaker - Lagoon Blue

Shop now
is equal parts stylish and effortless,

Knit Sneaker - wood rose

Shop now
embodying the essence of the Bill Blass fashion house. The timeless design embodying the essence of the Bill Blass fashion house. The timeless

Knit Slip-on - Navy

Shop now
fits the “desk to dinner” design fits the “desk to dinner”

Knit Sneaker - oatmeal

Shop now
lifestyle of a new kind of woman who desires versatility and comfort without lifestyle of a new kind of woman who desires versatility and comfort

Suede Sneaker - Cherry Tomato

Shop now
sacrificing style. without sacrificing style.

Fast-forward

Today, the Bill Blass brand holds true to his vision of style, innovation, quality and practicality. But with a new twist of sustainability.

Our Knit products are made with sustainable, earth-friendly materials such as recycled plastics and paper. We’re dedicated to creating the highest quality shoes and bags without harming the planet. We hold a steadfast commitment to a singular philosophy: If it’s not something Mr. Blass would have put his name on, we won’t make it. We know he’d be proud.

follow us on instagram @billblassusa