Gustave Tassell
fashion designer
- February 4, 1926 · Philadelphia
- June 9, 2014 · Los Angeles
- 88 years
- Alzheimer's disease
About Gustave Tassell
Gustave Tassell, 88, American fashion designer, complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Explore other notable deaths in 2014 or deaths in June 2014.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Gustave Tassell?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Gustave Tassell (February 4, 1926 – June 9, 2014) was an American fashion designer and Coty Award winner.
Early life and career
Tassell was born on February 4, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Lena (née Schiller; 1901–1973) and Samuel Tassell (1896–1963). He took a job in the advertising and display department for Hattie Carnegie, a pioneer in the fashion design world who was well known for both custom-made and high-end ready-to-wear clothes.
Style
Tassell's design sensibility changed little from the 20th to the 21st century—he sought to create forward-looking fashion appropriate for elegant, confident women. He envisioned designs in natural fibers able to serve many purposes, with changing silhouette according to how the garment was buttoned, seamed, or tucked. Tassell aimed to produce affordable clothing with a sense of proportion, grace, and design.
Death
According to Tassell's sister, actress Rebecca Welles, Tassell succumbed to complications from Alzheimer's disease in Los Angeles on June 9, 2014.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Articles & News
Reported coverage of Gustave Tassell; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Gustave Tassell on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Tassell
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 30, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Gustave Tassell's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the birth year of Gustave Tassell's father, Samuel Tassell?
- A.1926
- B.1896correct
- C.1963
- D.1901
Gustave Tassell's father, Samuel Tassell, lived from 1896 to 1963.
Source: Early life and career section
2.Which reference book is mentioned in the biography of Gustave Tassell?
- A.The History of American Fashion
- B.Biographical Dictionary of Designers
- C.The Century of Style
- D.Modern Fashion Encyclopediacorrect
The Modern Fashion Encyclopedia is listed under the references section for Gustave Tassell.
Source: References section
3.On what date was Gustave Tassell born?
- A.April 4, 1926
- B.March 4, 1926
- C.January 4, 1926
- D.February 4, 1926correct
Gustave Tassell was born on February 4, 1926.
Source: Early life and career section
4.In which city was Gustave Tassell born?
- A.Boston, Massachusetts
- B.Los Angeles, California
- C.New York City, New York
- D.Philadelphia, Pennsylvaniacorrect
Gustave Tassell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Source: Early life and career section
5.What was the name of Gustave Tassell's mother?
- A.Rebecca Tassell
- B.Lena Tassellcorrect
- C.Hattie Tassell
- D.Sarah Tassell
Gustave Tassell's mother was Lena Tassell, born Lena Schiller.
Source: Early life and career section
6.For which fashion pioneer did Gustave Tassell work in the advertising and display department?
- A.Claire McCardell
- B.Hattie Carnegiecorrect
- C.Christian Dior
- D.Coco Chanel
Gustave Tassell took a job in the advertising and display department for Hattie Carnegie.
Source: Early life and career section
7.What was the name of Gustave Tassell's sister who confirmed his cause of death?
- A.Lena Tassell
- B.Sarah Carnegie
- C.Rebecca Wellescorrect
- D.Elizabeth Tassell
Gustave Tassell's sister, actress Rebecca Welles, stated that he died from complications of Alzheimer's disease.
Source: Death section
8.What was Gustave Tassell's reported cause of death?
- A.Alzheimer's diseasecorrect
- B.Heart failure
- C.Pneumonia
- D.Cancer
Gustave Tassell succumbed to complications from Alzheimer's disease.
Source: Death section
9.In which city did Gustave Tassell die?
- A.New York City
- B.Los Angelescorrect
- C.Chicago
- D.Philadelphia
Gustave Tassell passed away in Los Angeles on June 9, 2014.
Source: Death section
10.On what date did Gustave Tassell pass away?
- A.February 9, 2014
- B.June 9, 2014correct
- C.July 9, 2014
- D.June 4, 2014
Gustave Tassell died on June 9, 2014.
Source: Death section
11.What year was Gustave Tassell's father, Samuel Tassell, born?
- A.1926
- B.1896correct
- C.1901
- D.1963
Gustave Tassell's father, Samuel Tassell, was born in 1896.
Source: Early life and career section
12.What material did Gustave Tassell prefer to use for his fashion designs?
- A.Industrial polymers
- B.Natural fiberscorrect
- C.Synthetic blends
- D.Recycled plastics
Gustave Tassell envisioned his designs in natural fibers.
Source: Style section
13.Which award did Gustave Tassell receive during his career?
- A.Academy Award
- B.Coty Awardcorrect
- C.Council of Fashion Designers of America Award
- D.Golden Globe
Gustave Tassell was an American fashion designer and Coty Award winner.
Source: Introduction
14.In addition to custom-made clothes, what was Hattie Carnegie well known for producing?
- A.Budget-friendly sportswear
- B.Mass-market accessories
- C.High-end ready-to-wear clothescorrect
- D.Luxury evening gowns
Hattie Carnegie was known for both custom-made and high-end ready-to-wear clothes.
Source: Early life and career section
15.According to the biography, what was the birth year of Gustave Tassell's mother, Lena?
- A.1896
- B.1926
- C.1901correct
- D.1973
Gustave Tassell's mother, Lena, was born in 1901.
Source: Early life and career section
16.What factor determined the changing silhouette of Gustave Tassell's garments?
- A.The dye used in the fabric
- B.The weight of the natural fibers
- C.The time of day worn
- D.How the garment was buttoned, seamed, or tuckedcorrect
Gustave Tassell designs had silhouettes that changed according to how the garment was buttoned, seamed, or tucked.
Source: Style section
Explore the archive
People who died on June 9
Related People
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Gustave Tassell →Advertisement
