For decades, Bill Blass was one of the pillars of New York Fashion. His presence will be felt again this season as auction house Christie’s will hold an online sale (viewings will be held September 8-13) of the designer’s garments and ephemera, most dating to the 1980s and ’90s. Of particular note is a Matisse-inspired sequined jacket from 1988 and a fuchsia column dress from the designer’s last runway collection, for spring 2000. An American sportswear pioneer, Blass was known for “this idea of glamor without fuss,” says Peter Som, who curated the Christie’s sale. Few people are more qualified to do so. Som’s first job out of Parsons was as an assistant designer to Mr. Blass himself, and he became the brand’s creative director in 2007. A charming man, Blass was continually crisscrossing the country doing trunk shows, a model that might be ripe for revival. “Today, where everything’s on a screen, it’s a tap, it’s an add to your shopping cart,” notes Som, “the value of being IRL and really seeing your customer, understanding your customer is priceless.”
Meanwhile, in her new Manhattan space on 29th Street, Reracked Vintage owner Laura Ellner will host a by-appointment exhibition of early Roberto Cavalli pieces from the ’70s and ’80s. The rare pieces have the free-wheeling spirit associated with the designer, but they look nothing like the dazzling numbers that walked the runways in the 2000s. Cavalli got his start working with leathers, developing and patenting a technique of printing on skins that he later licensed to firms including Hermès. Elsewhere, in connection with the ongoing exhibition “Yves Saint Laurent and Photography,” on view until September 28, the ICP has organized a pop-up YSL Vintage Market onsite on Saturday, September 12 from 11 AM to 6 PM.—LBP
Big Things In Store
Polish designer Magda Butrym’s decision to show in New York is a commercial endeavor as much as a creative one. The brand, known for its leather coats, sculptural dresses, and details that take cues from Slavic craft, will open its first stateside store on Mercer Street in SoHo on September 11 (not far from Victoria Beckham’s new digs), just before its runway show on September 13. The move plants a flag in one of Magda Butrym’s most important markets. The designer’s emphasis on the US is in line with the broader luxury fashion industry, which has staked much of its current growth ambitions on American shoppers’ appetites to spend. European megabrands Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, and Moncler staged destination shows stateside earlier this year.—JK
