Early 1970s Bill Blass Couture Hand Beaded Lion Print Dress w Elaborate Feather Collar z-archive-1920s Plus they needed to be

Plus they needed to be versatile so many of the pieces serve double or triple duty with a quick change of a shoe or bag

You can still buy Fortuny products today but they cannot match the superior quality and they are much more valuable - especially when n original

The waist is seamed and nips in

The shawl or portrait collar is expansive and covers the entire shoulder - in notes for other shawled collared dress The Met comments "A full skirt balances a nipped waist or a portrait collar counteracts a fitted bodice in numerous examples of Dior's work"

Early 1970s Bill Blass Couture Hand Beaded Lion Print Dress w Elaborate Feather Collar z-archive-1920s Plus they needed to beBill Blass launched his label in 1970 when he bought out the Maurice Rentner label and re launched it under his own name. This has a similar feel to a dress I had in the shop a few years back that dated to 1971 and I suspect that this is from that same time period. Blass was arguably one of the most famous of the American designers. His forte was the ability to mix simple styles with unexpected materials in way that was very flattering to the wearer.