Coty Award winner, John Kloss, studied architecture before deciding to study fashion design at the Traphagen School of Design in New York. In the late 50’s he apprenticed in Paris with American couturier, Bob Bugnand.
Though he is better known for his 1970s body skimming lingerie and fluid jersey evening gowns, his ultra modern clothing from the early to mid 1960s is especially fabulous . Like works of abstract art, his designs incorporated sculptural silhouettes, with generous use of graphics and colorblocking. These earlier creations are rare and collectible. The pink and yellow minidress pictured below sold at auction in England recently for 750 pounds!
Here’s a cool advertisement for Frigidaire(no pun intended!) from the January 1966 issue of McCall’s Magazine. They used models wearing John Kloss’s futuristic designs to showcase their space age state of the art frost free refrigerator.
1966 John Kloss designs used to advertise Frigidaire refrigerator
Before it was sold at a Kerry Taylor Auction this past September, this John Kloss mini dress, circa 1965, was included in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s 2006 “Swinging 60s Exhibition”
John Kloss mini dress circa 1965
Here are three more John Kloss designs from the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
John Kloss dress 1967
John Kloss evening dresses 1967
Tags: 1960s, fashion designers, john kloss, vintage fashion