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Man's Jacket Textile Detail

Bill Whitten

FIDM MUSEUM & GALLERIES

FIDM MUSEUM & GALLERIES
Los Angeles, United States

In 1974, the Los Angeles Times stated Bill Whitten (d. 2006) was “one of Hollywood’s hottest, hippest clothes designers” who “believe[d] men should be allowed to be peacocks.” His hand-made suits sold for astronomical sums—between $500 and $800 at his Santa Monica Boulevard factory, called Workoom 27. Whitten had a strong celebrity following, including singers Neil Diamond (b. 1941), Michael Jackson (1958-2009), and Elton John (b. 1947). Worn by radio mogul Richard Wolfe (b. 1933), this jacket meshes “haphazard” hippie handwork with precision mitered tailoring found in suits of the 1940s.

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  • Title: Man's Jacket Textile Detail
  • Creator: Bill Whitten
  • Manufacturer: Bill Whitten, Designer
  • Date Created: 1970/1974
  • Location Created: Los Angeles, California
  • Provenance: Gift of Richard M. Wolfe
  • Type: Blazer
  • Photographer: Benjamin Shmikler
  • Rights: © FIDM Museum & Library, Inc. Image made available for limited non-commercial, educational, and personal use only, or for fair use as defined in the United States copyright laws. Users must cite the author and source of the image as they would material from any printed work, and the citations should include the URL “www.fidmmuseum.org”. For publication or press requests, visit http://www.fidmmuseum.org/about/rights-and-reproductions/ or email imagerights@FIDMmuseum.org.
  • Medium: Wool suiting & mercerized cotton floss
  • Object ID: 2011.1146.15
FIDM MUSEUM & GALLERIES

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