Belt

Designer Bill Blass American

1970s–80s

Not on view

An important aspect of Mrs. Kempner's style was her elegant simplicity. Though she had important examples of JAR, Verdura and others, and an extensive collection of costume jewelry from Chanel, Saint Laurent and Kenneth Jay Lane, she was not one to gild the lily, preferring instead to place a few pieces as accents. That did not preclude jewelry of visual authority, however, as a number of large sculptural pieces attests. On rare occasions Mrs. Kempner did resort to a lavish layering of necklaces, often turquoise or coral, to dress up a white shirt and pants. More typical was her incorporation of distinctive belts with prominently articulated closures as a kind of body jewelry. This not only highlighted her lifelong 27 inch waist, but also served to emphasize her fashion drawing proportions by demarcating her torso and establishing the exaggerated length of her legs.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Belt
Design House: Bill Blass Ltd. (American, founded 1970)
Designer: Bill Blass (American, Fort Wayne, Indiana 1922–2002 New Preston, Connecticut)
Date: 1970s–80s
Culture: American
Medium: Metal
Credit Line: Gift of Thomas L. Kempner, 2006
Object Number: 2006.420.193
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

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Evening ensemble, Bill Blass Ltd. American, (a,b) wool, plastic<br/>(c,d) leather<br/>(e) synthetic pearls<br/>(f,g) silk, leather<br/>(h,i) plastic, glass, American — Evening ensemble
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Ensemble, Bill Blass Ltd. American, leather, synthetic fiber, lamé, American — Ensemble
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Evening dress, Bill Blass Ltd. American, silk, American — Evening dress
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