Man Behind Celeb Worst-Dressed List, Mr. Blackwell, Dies At Age 86
Posted October 20, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The man behind the annual celebrity worst dressed list, Mr. Blackwell, has died of complications relating to an intestinal infection. He was 86.
Richard Blackwell’s list was eagerly anticipated each year, not just for who was included but for the critic’s biting remarks. A little known designer, Blackwell first started blasting celebrity fashion faux pas in 1960, sparking the trend later embraced by Joan Rivers and others.
Among his frequent targets over the past few years, Britney Spears, of whose outfits he once noted, “Her bra-topped collection of madonna rejects are pure fashion overkill.”
Madonna was also a victim of Blackwell’s barbs – he once referred to her as “The Bare-Bottomed Bore of Babylon.” Here are a few of his other criticisms from over the years:
Barbra Streisand: “She looks like a masculine Bride of Frankenstein.”
Christina Aguilera: “A dazzling singer who puts good taste through the wardrobe wringer.”
Meryl Streep: “She looks like a gypsy abandoned by a caravan.”
Sharon Stone: “An over-the-hill Cruella DeVille.”
Lindsay Lohan: “From adorable to deplorable.”
Patti Davis: “Packs all the glamour of an old, worn-out sneaker.”
Ann Margret: “A Hells Angel escapee who invaded the Ziegfeld Follies on a rainy night.”
Camilla Parker-Bowles: “The Duchess of Dowdy.”
Bjork: “She dances in the dark – and dresses there, too.”
Born Richard Sylvan Selzer in 1922, Blackwell’s childhood was troubled, and he admitted in his autobiography ‘From Rags to Bitches’ that he turned to theft and prostitution.
Aside from fashion design, Blackwell had acting ambitions of his own at one point, but it was the annual list that finally made him a household name.
He noted most of the women he criticized he admired for their creative talent.
“The list is and was a satirical look at the fashion flops of the year,” he said in 1998. “I merely said out loud what others were whispering. … It’s not my intention to hurt the feelings of these people. It’s to put down the clothing they’re wearing.”
Mr. Blackwell’s worst-dressed, year by year:
1960: Anna Magnani
1961: Debbie Reynolds
1962: Zsa Zsa Gabor
1963: Zsa Zsa Gabor
1964: Barbra Streisand
1965: Princess Margaret
1966: Mia Farrow
1967: Barbra Streisand
1968: Julie Andrews
1969: Queen Elizabeth
1970: Sophia Loren
1971: Ali MacGraw
1972: Raquel Welch
1973: Bette Midler
1974: Helen Reddy
1975: Caroline Kennedy
1976: Louise Lasser
1977: Farrah Fawcett
1978: Dolly Parton
1979: Bo Derek
1980: Brooke Shields
1981: Barbara Mandrell
1982: Diana Spencer (Princess Diana)
1983: Joan Collins
1984: Cher
1985: Princess Stephanie of Monaco
1986: Meryl Streep
1987: Lisa Bonet
1988: Sarah Ferguson
1989: LaToya Jackson
1990: Sinead O’Connor
1991: Julia Roberts
1992: Madonna
1993: Glenn Close
1994: Camilla Parker Bowles
1995: Howard Stern
1996: Dennis Rodman
1997: Spice Girls
1998: Linda Tripp (Clinton scandal figure)
1999: Cher
2000: Britney Spears
2001: Anne Robinson (“Weakest Link” host)
2002: Anna Nicole Smith
2003: Paris Hilton
2004: Nicollette Sheridan
2005: Britney Spears
2006: Paris Hilton, Britney Spears (tie)
2007: Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham
Fashion critic Mr. Blackwell attends the 17th Annual Night Of 100 Stars Oscar Gala held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on February 25, 2007 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Chad Buchanan/Getty Images)
