Flash: Mr. Blackwell in critical condition
Filed under: CELEBRITY STYLE, Celebrity
Bad news. Word is going round that actor, fashion designer, and über-critic Richard Blackwell is in the hospital today, and things are not looking so good. Apparently, he fell seriously ill on Tuesday, when he was taken to an LA area hospital and has been unconscious ever since. His partner Robert Spencer declined to give any details about which hospital was treating Blackwell, or his condition.Richard Blackwell's career spans all from his days as a child actor to his rise to prominence as a designer with his line House of Blackwell, worn by A-listers such as Jayne Mansfield and Nancy Reagan.
Mr. Blackwell was also an innovator when it came to biting cynicism and cruel fashion commentary, so we certainly owe him a debt of gratitude. His famous "Worst Dressed" lists basically ushered in the modern era of celebrity-slamming. Awesome. They also laid the groundwork for multitudes of 'top 10' imitators from Letterman to Styledash (hey, that's us).
[via PerezHilton]
Bill 8-10-2008 @ 7:21PM
If Mr. Blackwell was that knowledgeable about style, then why did his own design house fail? To me, he always came across as some nasty, bitchy, narcissistic old queen that liked to criticize others.
Style really is a matter of personal choice. And, while he may not have agreed with someone else's fashion selections, who is he to criticize them for it?
Reply
Andrew Von Fursenburg 8-16-2008 @ 6:41PM
HAHAHA I was thinking the same thing. Big style icon and his own house went under. So much for his "style."
His ideas were stuck in the 60's and he has no real eye for style, except for what he likes or doesnt like. The problem with him is that most of what he wrote was mean spirited.