Born On This Day- August 29th... Mr. Blackwell

Mr. Blackwell: “Madonna is a bare-bottomed bore from Babylon". Richard Blackwell, of the Mr. Blackwell’s worst-dressed list, made a name for himself not with his own creations but by going after celebrities on the red carpet. Blackwell said that Camilla Parker Bowles as "the Duchess of Dowdy" & put the newly married Diana, Princess of Wales, at the top of his list in 1982.

But, his regular targets were usually celebrities like Zsa Zsa Gabor & Britney Spears, who he felt had sense of style or glamour. He said his criticism had nothing to do with talent & stated that Meryl Streep: "looked like a gypsy abandoned by a caravan."


Richard Sylvan Selzer, of Brooklyn, started out as an actor but switched to fashion in 1958 when his career was going nowhere.He became famous with the publication of his 1st list in 1960. Although he often admitted he was uncomfortable about appearing so publicly mean, Blackwell also said that he poked fun at celebrity style because fashion designers were not doing their job: they failed to make women look beautiful. While his original intention was to act as a sort of fashion watchdog, Blackwell & his list became a dreaded Hollywood institution. The annual list, released on the 2nd Tuesday in January, became its own kind of fashion moment. I wonder what he would have said about me when I saunter up to the stage to accept my Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor for my turn on Mad Men as Don Draper’s male lover?