Bill Blass

As a young man, Bill Blass was swept away by an image of American movie legend Carol Lombard wearing a man's tailored jacket and trousers. "Lombard was (the) new thing," he said, "and her style - that wonderfully racy, I don't give-a-damn quality - was the essence of American chic." Also influenced by the work of Norman Norell and Hattie Carnegie, Blass used luxurious fabrics and elements of menswear to create urbane, sophisticated clothes. His "gals," as he called his clients, included New York socialites, First Ladies, and many Hollywood stars. A savvy businessman with prolific licensing agreements, Blass sold his company to its backers in 1999 and died three years later.