Fashion icon Mr. Blackwell has died at the age of 86.The inventor of the world famous Worst Dressed List passed away yesterday, after suffering complications from an intestinal infection, according to his long time publicist Harlan Boll. His death comes more than two months after he collapsed at his Los Angeles California home in August, and fell into a coma. He regained consciousness a few days later and was put on antibiotics to treat an unspecified illness.The former Hollywood star whose real name was Richard Sylvan Seltzer, began his career as an actor in the 1930s and appeared in the original 1935 Broadway production of Sidney Kingsley’s Dead End. He spent some time as a Hollywood agent before discovering his eye for fashion and becoming a designer in the 1950s. Mr. Blackwell came about when his clothing line was launched in the late 1950s, and he went on to make a name for himself by styling clients including former First Lady Nancy Reagan in his House of Blackwell creations.The brand folded in the 1980s and Blackwell turned his hand to being a Television and radio personality before becoming a fashion journalist. He produced articles for Globe magazine and had various articles featured in newspapers and lifestyle magazines across the country.But it was his Worst Dressed List that he became most noted for, and his scathing reviews have been published every year since its inception in 1960.In his latter years, Blackwell suffered from ill health and was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy in 2001.He is survived by his long term partner Robert Spencer.
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