Bill Blass

Retirement and death In 1999, Blass sold Bill Blass Limited for $50 million to Michael Groveman and retired to his home in New Preston, Connecticut. Blass, a longtime heavy smoker, was diagnosed with oral/tongue cancer in 2000, not long after he began writing his memoir. His cancer later developed into throat cancer, resulting in his death on June 12, 2002, ten days away from his 80th birthday.

Quotes "The beauty of being able to draw, or paint, from an early age is that you never feel trapped, least of all by your immediate circumstances."

"When in doubt, wear red."

"Fashion can be bought by anybody; style takes discernment, it has to do with individuality."

"Sometimes the eye gets so accustomed that if you don't have a change, you're bored. It's the same with fashion, you know. And that, I suppose, is what style is about."

"Simplicity is the soul of modern elegance."

Publications Dining in Manhattan Cookbook: A Collection of Gourmet Recipes for Complete Meals from Manhattan's Finest Restaurants, with Joan G. Hauser (1983) Bare Blass, edited by Cathy Horyn (2002)