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))
31 comments
I Worked for Gene in the early 2000’s. Gene was an incredibly talented designer with a unique personality. She was there for me when I was wrongfully let go from LA Dye and print. A company my father ran. When he retired, his partners thought they would just take my accounts. Gene stepped in and hired me as her sales manager. What a ride it was with her. I truly loved that woman for her taking me in and believing in me. So many stories about her and I hope she is still alive and enjoying life.
One of my first purchases in the mid 80s when I got my first job was one of her luscious wrinkle denim big Shirts! It looked like your basic button down long sleeve shirt, but it was huge oversized styling and this amazing quality soft denim. Mine was white and I loved it. I would kill to still have it! No idea what happened to it.
So excited to have found this post! I was a teenager in the 80s and had a few Bis items that I loved – especially a khaki set of the prairie skirt with a button top. Scouring eBay now to find something…anyone have any insight on the sizing?
My father worked for Gene & Bert in the 80’s, maybe even before that. As a little girl he would take me to the Bendix building and I was so in awe with her and her talent for fashion. At my dad’s funeral, she made sure no one wore black, only colorful colors. Wish I would of kept her pieces as well. My favorite was her signature jacket, the wrinkle denim.
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.