Arnold Scaasi, who has died aged 85, was the New York couturier renowned for his opulent gowns and for dressing socialites, the grander movie stars and four of America’s first ladies.
The Canadian-born designer revealed that Barbara Bush was known as “eight” by her husband, as she had only four toes on each foot, that Mamie Eisenhower never wore a bra, and that the “greatest mistake” of his life had been refusing to give free clothes to Jackie Kennedy when she entered the White House.
“The funny thing is that I hate gossip, but everything I reveal is true,” Scaasi declared in 2004, soon after the publication of his book Women I have Dressed (and Undressed!).
His designs — rich in detail, whether feathers, beads, sequins, embroidery or trim — were not everyday wear, but apparel to suit the social diary of his clients, known collectively as “the Scaasi girls”. They included Elizabeth Taylor, whose body he scanned (unsuccessfully) for scars from liposuction, Joan Crawford, Aretha Franklin (Scaasi disclosed that she feared flying) and Ivana Trump.
One of Scaasi’s best-known designs was the sheer, sparkly black trouser suit with an oversized Peter Pan collar worn by Barbra Streisand in 1969 as she collected the Oscar for best actress (shared with Katharine Hepburn). Patches were strategically placed under the suit and over Streisand’s breasts yet, when photographed, it looked transparent.
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He also rescued Laura Bush from fashion disaster when in 2001 her husband became president. Bush’s dowdy wardrobe was quickly upgraded to snappy, sassy suits in tomato reds, greens and turquoises.
Out of loyalty to the Bushes, Scaasi (Isaacs — his birth surname — spelt backwards) did not wish to dress Hillary Clinton, but when they met she told him one of “the prettiest gowns” she owned was a ruffled black Scaasi ready-to-wear number.
Scaasi filled his three homes with art by Picasso and Monet as well as oriental and modern sculptures.
He could occasionally be waspish. In 1958 he said: “American women lack the innate good taste of European women. Designers have to trick American women into being stylish.”
— The Times