Playbill

Oleg Cassini (Designer) Obituary
Oleg Cassini, the fashion designer of Russian heritage who outfitted First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and also designed costumes for Broadway, died March 17, 2006, on Long Island at age 92. The pillbox hat, the cloth coat, the Nehru jacket and the brightly-colored men's shirt were all looks popularized by the Paris-bred Russian designer, who settled in the U.S. in the 1930s.

Mr. Cassini was one of the major post-World War II celebrity designers: He had taste, wasn't afraid of TV cameras ("The Tonight Show," "The Mike Douglas Show") and had a reputation as a playboy.

The film actress Gene Tierney was his wife — they were married and divorced twice, and had two daughters — and he was enlisted in the 1940s and '50s to design her costumes in such films as "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and "The Razor's Edge." Mr. Cassini reportedly had a long romance with Grace Kelly before she married the Prince of Monaco.

According to the Internet Broadway Database, Mr. Cassini had four Broadway credits: Garson Kanin's 1962 play Come on Strong starring Carroll Baker ("Miss Baker's Wardrobe by Oleg Cassini"); the 1960 Ira Levin play Critic's Choice ("costumes Provided by Oleg Cassini"); Fay and Michael Kanin's 1954 comedy His and Hers starring Celeste Holm ("Miss Holm's clothes by Oleg Cassini"); and the 1948 musical As the Girls Go ("costume design by Oleg Cassini").

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