As a vintage seller with an interest in many decades I come across unfamiliar labels every week. Some pique my curiosity more than others. When I saw this new-to-me label in a denim wrap top, I knew it deserved some digging into. This piece also came with a little provenance from the original owner, and I knew it had been a special purchase when she picked it up on a trip to Paris in the early 80s.
My initial searches led me to wonder if this could be a line by French designer Dorothee Bis (more on her in a later blog maybe!). But it didn't quite add up. Then, through cross-comparing some other BIS listings I had found online I realized the critical piece of information my label was missing: the designer's name: Gene Ewing!
ah-hah! This opened up access to a lot more information!
Gene Ewing grew up in North Carolina where her mother had been a hat designer. Her education included time at the Sorbonne in Paris, and an internship at Balenciaga in Spain. She eventually made her way west to New York, then LA and began designing under the Label BIS Gene Ewing with her manufacturing partner and husband (her 4th!) in 1976.
"Her first big success in sports clothes was the prairie skirt." And you can definitely see that western, easy-going So-Cal influence in many of her designs. The label grew through the 80s and by '89 was doing $40 million-a-year in volume. She is quoted as saying "I don't want to do a billion-dollar volume like Liz Claibourne or Ralph Lauren. There comes a point where you have to stop. After $100 million, I couldn't be original anymore. A billion-dollar volume is staggering."
(for the record I share her POV on this, definitely stopping when we, mcgee hits 100 mill. gotta stay fresh)
read more from this story/interview here.
I didn't have much success finding original BIS ads showcasing the clothing, but her pieces come up here and there for resale around the internet. I love Ewing's breezy, feminine designs, and especially her use of denim and corduroy. The quality of construction is fantastic. I would be thrilled to have this jumpsuit, or this red skirt set!
(skirt image via LadyBirdVintageLA (sold), jumpsuit images via Objects without Meaning (sold), skirt set image via PinnacleVintageCo, (unavailable))
27 comments
Thank you for researching this designer. I have a beautiful turquoise silk skirt of this label from my mom, and just feel so drawn to it. Quality construction, fabulous to the touch, and elegant style. I love that she was self-aware enough to resist the temptation of revenue and stick to her originality.
I was OBSESSED with this tencel material. I would love for someone to start making clothes with that tencel material again. BIS was the best clothes I ever owned!!! I wish I had some today. Why I sold all of mine, I’ll never know. 🥲🥲
During the 80s in Colorado Springs, I bought Bis @ a great boutique. In 2016, I donated her peach linen blouse & culotte set w/faggoting wish I still had, but was a chore to iron. Kept a white Bis shirt that shows no sign of wear!
Hello, I picked up a denim jacket of Gene Ewings today at a thrift shop. It is a large oversized almost trench denim with glitter designs all over it. Some of the commentors had worked for her, does anyone remember there being glitter in her designs? Or is this something someone did after the fact….
Was “cleaning” out a container of old clothes & found a piece of BIS. Showed it to my husband & said it was probably 40 years old. He said it looked too new to be that old-quality way back then. Can’t wait to wear it out next trip to town.