AFTER 55 years in the dress business, Arnold Scaasi announced on Monday that he is hanging up his shears and closing his made-to-order dress business.
Never mind that, for all intents and purposes, Mr. Scaasi has long been removed from the heavy action of Fashion Week, or that he is perhaps more broadly known today for selling costume jewelry on HSN and for criticizing Michelle Obama’s style. From his perch at 16 East 52nd Street, where he kept about 18 employees, the designer (who dressed five first ladies during his career) had continued quietly making custom gowns, about 20 each month, for a coterie of devoted clients.
Barbra Streisand wearing Scaasi in 1969 with her Oscar for "Funny Girl"
