Bill Frank Whitten
Bill Frank Whitten (October 4, 1944 – April 8, 2006) was a Hollywood fashion designer who designed stage clothing and high-end fashion for musicians and celebrities.
Whitten started out in 1974 in a custom shirt business called Workroom 27 on the second floor of a building on Santa Monica Boulevard. Neil Diamond was the first person to discover him and to start to advocate for his custom-designed clothes.[1] At the height of his business, Whitten had a factory with 50 employees making stage clothing for 20 groups including the Commodores, the Jacksons,[1] and Edgar Winter. In 1990 he opened a store, Bill Whitten, on Melrose Avenue.[2] He died on April 8, 2006 of cancer and is buried in Los Angeles.[3] Bill Whitten is the brother of artist Jack Whitten.[4]
References
- 1 2 Robinson, Gaile. "Whitten Time : Fashion: For a long time Bill Whitten designed in obscurity while his rock music creations stole the spotlight, but no more". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ↑ Louie, Elaine. "Style Makers; Bill Whitten; Designer and Retailer". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ↑ "Billy Frank Whitten". Find a Grave. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ↑ "'I Am Black, Angry, Tired of Teaching, Tired of Being Poor': Jack Whitten's Newly Published Journals Reveal a Long, Painful Road to Recognition". artnet News. 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2018-08-10.