Bill Robinson (1948 – 16 December 1993,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

. He was known for his "pioneering soft-shouldered jackets with slim waists, arresting combinations of just-off colors, and zippers going up the fronts of his vests."

Early life and education

Robinson was born and raised in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and was a graduate of

Parsons School of Design Parsons School of Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhatt ...

Career

Before having his own label, Robinson worked for Anne Klein, Valentino,

Stan Herman Stan M. Herman (born September 17, 1928) is an American fashion designer. He was President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a position he held until 2006 at which time Diane von Fürstenberg took over the position. He is al ...

, Leo Narducci,

Gloria Vanderbilt Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During the 1930s, she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her mother ...

Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...

(chief menswear designer), and Yves St. Laurent.

Personal life

Robinson's companion was Leo Chiu.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Bill 1948 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American LGBT people American fashion businesspeople American fashion designers LGBT fashion designers Menswear designers People from Philadelphia