Acid-tongued
fashion critic Mr. Blackwell, whose annual worst-dressed
list was the thorn in the side of Hollywood celebrities from
Meryl Streep to Britney Spears, passed away over
the weekend. He was 86 and is survived by his
partner of more than 60 years, Robert Spencer.
Acid-tongued
fashion critic Mr. Blackwell, whose annual worst-dressed
list was the thorn in the side of Hollywood celebrities from
Meryl Streep to Britney Spears, passed away over
the weekend. He was 86.
Blackwell died of
an intestinal infection Sunday at Los Angeles’s
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his publicist Harlan Boll
confirmed to the Associated Press Monday. He is
survived by his partner of more than 60 years, Robert
Spencer.
Considered to be
the first of the fashion critics, Blackwell began his
career as a little-known dress designer before issuing his
first scathing critique of Hollywood stars in 1960.
An Associated
Press collection of some of his most famous quotes finds
him skewering everyone from princess of pop Spears to
esteemed actress Streep to 1960s teen icon
Ann-Margret.
Of Spears, he
wrote, “Her bra-topped collection of Madonna reject
are pure fashion overkill.” He suggested that
Sharon Stone looked like “an over-the-hill
Cruella DeVille.”
In recent years
appearing on Blackwell’s worst-dressed list seemed to
become a goal for certain celebs. Despite never holding back
with his fashion critiques, Blackwell admitted it was
a double-edged sword. He told a Los Angeles
Times interviewer that most of the women he put
through the wringer were people he genuinely admired.
"The list is and
was a satirical look at the fashion flops of the
year," he said in 1998. "I merely said out loud what others
were whispering. ... It's not my intention to hurt the
feelings of these people. It's to put down the
clothing they're wearing."
But his history
of fashion don’ts isn’t without a few
surprises. Diana, Princess of Wales, topped the list
in 1982. Blackwell sued Johnny Carson in the early
’90s for suggesting he’d added Mother Teresa
to his list of worst-dressed celebs. Blackwell said
the comment had exposed him to hatred and ridicule.
Blackwell was
hospitalized back in August, according to the Associated
Press. At that time he had been in and out of consciousness.
(The Advocate)
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