American fashion designer who has worked both under his own name, and also as head designer for Bill Blass Limited from 2003 until his resignation in 2007. He was also well known as an illustrator, though he considered himself first and foremost a fashion designer
If you had designs on acquiring status in late-1970s New York City, you would have likely been spotted around town toting a Bloomingdale’s shopping bag identifiable only by the splashy artwork on its side.
A partial profile of a woman with towering cheekbones rendered in red, black and gray, the illustration was the brainchild of Michael Vollbracht, an artist, illustrator and fashion designer whose work came to encapsulate that heady time.
Mr. Vollbracht’s runway creations drew crowds and reaped accolades. But it’s that bag, stowed in the archive at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, and commanding high prices on eBay, that remains etched in many people’s consciousness, a vibrant expression of its creator, who died on Thursday at 70 at his home in Safety Harbor, Fla.
Roberta Greene, his former publicist and a longtime friend, said the cause was esophageal cancer.
In designing for, and capturing on canvas, the images of clients and admirers like Elizabeth Taylor, Paloma Picasso and Diana Vreeland, Mr. Vollbracht came to symbolize the unfettered giddiness, extravagance and glamour of the late 1970s and early ′80s.
After graduating with a degree in fashion design, I spent several years creating collections for prominent houses. Over time, I became more fascinated with the wearer than the clothes themselves and returned to university to earn an additional degree in human psychology.
Those who didn’t fall for Michael’s clothes were likely to fall for his charm. He was a brilliant, sometimes cutting raconteur, a skill he was later able to translate to Facebook where he posted old snapshots and the stories behind them. His words also enhanced his masterwork, a dream book titled Nothing Sacred, featuring portraits of stars and accompanying anecdotes penned in his own wonderfully expressive calligraphy. Often executed with a palette knife, his paintings literally conveyed their messages in broad strokes. They communicated efficiently and stylishly without superfluous bagatelle, much like Michael himself, who had a great appreciation for the good life, but lived modestly and with finesse.
Nothing Sacred
Clothing and art by Michael Vollbracht
