Mr. Blackwell: Fashion Critic Behind the Worst Dressed List Dies at 86

Mr. Blackwell was an American fashion designer, critic and television personality. Born Richard Sylvan Selzer on August 29, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York, he appeared as a teen on Broadway in Dead End in 1935.

He created the annual Ten Worst Dressed Women list in 1960, which he released for decades. He also ran the House of Blackwell label, dressing stars such as Jayne Mansfield, and became a TV and radio fixture. In 1968 he hosted a television special on KCOP that was among the first to have a designer present a line.

In 1992 he sued Johnny Carson for $11 million over a joke, but the suit was quickly dismissed. Mr. Blackwell died in Los Angeles on October 19, 2008, at age 86, of complications of an intestinal infection.

Achievements: Created the Ten Worst Dressed Women list (1960).

Birth: August 29, 1922 - Brooklyn, New York.

Profession: Fashion critic and designer.

Interesting Facts: He was born Richard Sylvan Selzer.