Joan Vass

[1][4] Joan Vass did not train in fashion design, and was inspired to take up knitting after the actress Cynthia Harris recommended it to her.

[4] Following an introduction to Geraldine Stutz, the president of Henri Bendel, Vass's knitwear became more widely known and was seen on magazine covers modeled by the likes of Farrah Fawcett and Candice Bergen.

[4][5] As she became more successful, Vass signed up with a South Carolina wholesale manufacturer Signal Apparel, which allowed her to sell her clothes in 400 stores across America, making multi-million pound sales.

(one of a kind), some of her most successful designs were a top based upon Marlon Brando's singlet in A Streetcar Named Desire and a James Bond inspired watch cap called the 007.

[4] Although her business was widely successful and her designs were popular with clients including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ali MacGraw, and Brooke Hayward, Voss maintained it as much as possible as a family affair.

[4] Her three children were all involved in the business, with her son Jason trying to negotiate licensing deals and other agreements, her daughter Sara handling public relations, and her adopted son Richard Mauro having responsibility for Joan Vass U.S.A..[4] Vass had a reputation for being outspoken and contrary, such as wearing black clothing when most people were wearing Emilio Pucci's vibrant psychedelic prints.