Joan Vass (1925-2011) was an American knitwear designer and founder of the company bearing her name.
Early life and career
Joan Isabel Kaplan was born in New York City on 19 May 1925.
[ She studied philosophy and history of art at Vassar and the ]University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, writing her thesis on Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard ( , , ; 5 May 1813 – 11 November 1855) was a Danish theologian, philosopher, poet, social critic, and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on ...
.[ While at Wisconsin, she met and married her husband, the ]Abstract Expressionist
Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...
painter and sculptor Gene Vass (1922-1996).
The couple moved to Buffalo after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, where Gene had his studies supported by the G.I. Bill
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...
and the pregnant Joan sat as an artist's model for students.[ In 1959, the Vasses lived in Rome, Italy, as Gene had been awarded the ]Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
, before returning to New York in 1960 and becoming part of the first group of creatives and intellectuals to originate the loft apartment
A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to large ...
community in SoHo, Manhattan
SoHo, sometimes written Soho (South of Houston Street), is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and has also been known for its variet ...
.[ Their home at 159 Mercer Street was accessible only by the building's original industrial ]freight elevator
An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They are ...
.[
Vass worked for the publishing companies ]Walker & Company
Bloomsbury Publishing plc is a British worldwide publishing house of fiction and non-fiction. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. Bloomsbury's head office is located in Bloomsbury, an area of the London Borough of Camden. It has a U ...
and Harry N. Abrams
Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (HNA), is an American publisher of art and illustrated books, children's books, and stationery.
The enterprise is a subsidiary of the French publisher La Martinière Groupe. Run by President and CEO Michael ...
as an editor of art books, wrote for ''Art in America
''Art in America'' is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world in the United States, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It i ...
'', and was a fund-raiser and assistant curator
A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...
for the Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
before launching her fashion business in the mid-1970s.[ Around the same time as she started her business, Joan and Gene separated. They were divorced in the late 1980s and Gene died in 1996.]
Fashion
Joan Vass did not train in fashion design, and was inspired to take up knitting after the actress Cynthia Harris
Cynthia Lee Harris (August 9, 1934 – October 3, 2021) was an American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for her roles in the television series '' Edward & Mrs. Simpson'' and the sitcom ''Mad About You''.
Life and career
C ...
recommended it to her.[ She employed local women to make her original designs up for her in the ]cottage industry
The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...
manner.[ Vass explained that her intention was to enable older women to support themselves through their own skills, and that her workers chose their own times, some working full-time and others fitting in the work as and when they could, such as while on the bus to their other employment.][ Her first merchandise was knitted hats and scarves, followed by sweaters, and a couple years later in 1977, she launched her own label.][ Following an introduction to Geraldine Stutz, the president of ]Henri Bendel
Henri Bendel, Inc. (pronounced BEN-del), established in 1895, was a women's department store based in New York City which in its later history sold women's handbags, jewelry, luxury fashion accessories, home fragrances and gifts. Its New York Ci ...
, Vass's knitwear became more widely known and was seen on magazine covers modeled by the likes of Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Leni Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she playe ...
and Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also know ...
.[ She was awarded a ]Coty Award
The Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards (awarded 1943–1984) were created in 1942 by the cosmetics and perfume company Coty, Inc. to promote and celebrate American fashion, and encourage design during the Second World War. In 1985, the Coty Awa ...
in 1979 for "contribution to the international status of American fashion".[ Other awards Vass received were the Prince Machiavelli Prix de Cachet award in 1980 and the ]Smithsonian Institute
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
's Extraordinary Women in Fashion award in 1978.
As she became more successful, Vass signed up with a South Carolina wholesale manufacturer Signal Apparel, which allowed her to sell her clothes in 400 stores across America, making multi-million pound sales.[ In addition to unique sweaters marketed as "O.O.K." (one of a kind), some of her most successful designs were a top based upon ]Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
's singlet in ''A Streetcar Named Desire
''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of person ...
'' and a James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
inspired watch cap
A knit cap is a piece of knitted headwear designed to provide warmth in cold weather. It usually has a simple tapered shape, although more elaborate variants exist. Historically made of wool, it is now often made of synthetic fibers.
Found a ...
called the 007.[ She insisted on producing garments in classic styles and repeated designs, and regularly reissued designs rather than offering them solely for one season.][ Her work used natural fibers such as wool and cotton, and was known for being unstructured, quirky, and being constructed with ]selvage
A selvage (US English) or selvedge (British English) is a "self-finished" edge of a piece of fabric which keeps it from unraveling and fraying. The term "self-finished" means that the edge does not require additional finishing work, such as hem ...
s.[
Although her business was widely successful and her designs were popular with clients including ]Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...
, Ali MacGraw
Elizabeth Alice MacGraw (born April 1, 1939) is an American actress and activist. She gained attention with her role in the film ''Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She gained an ...
, and Brooke Hayward
Brooke Hayward (born July 5, 1937) is an American actress and model. Her memoir, '' Haywire'' was a best-seller.
Early life and education
Born in Los Angeles, Hayward is the eldest of three children born to agent turned film, television, and s ...
, Voss maintained it as much as possible as a family affair.[ She worked from home, one of the first designers to do so, with an unlisted phone number, before opening business in West 25th Street and eventually moving to 105 East 29th Street.][ Her three children were all involved in the business, with her son Jason trying to negotiate licensing deals and other agreements, her daughter Sara handling public relations, and her adopted son Richard Mauro having responsibility for ''Joan Vass U.S.A.''.][ Vass had a reputation for being outspoken and contrary, such as wearing black clothing when most people were wearing ]Emilio Pucci
Don Emilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento (; 20 November 1914 – 29 November 1992) was an Italian aristocrat, fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company are synonymous with geometric prints in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Early l ...
's vibrant psychedelic prints.[ She was an active member of the ]Council of Fashion Designers of America
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessory des ...
, describing herself as an "old crone" due to her confrontational presence at meetings, although she had the respect and agreement of fellow members such as former CFDA President 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 ...
.[
Vass retired in 2006, the same year that Global Sourcing and Design began its purchase of the Joan Vass company.][ In Spring 2007 Global launched the sublines ''Joan Vass Signature'' and ''Joan Vass Studio'', and Vass's high end label closed.][ The acquisition of Joan Vass by Global was completed in 2010.][
]
Later life and death
Vass died in her sleep at home on 6 January 2011 following a fall several weeks earlier.[ She was survived by her three children.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vass, Joan
1925 births
2011 deaths
American women fashion designers
American fashion designers
American women curators
American curators
People from New York City
Knitwear manufacturers