Fashion Icon Mr. Blackwell Dies

Poorly dressed celebrities will no longer live in fear of the release of Mr. Blackwell's annual worst-dressed list; the fashion critic passed away over the weekend, according to the Associated Press.

Richard Blackwell's publicist, Harlan Boll, said his Sunday passing was the endgame of complications that arose from an intestinal infection.

Blackwell's first worst-dressed list was published in 1960 when Blackwell was an unknown dress designer. Year after year, Blackwell took to his list to slam the worst-dressed celebrities of the year.

His victims included Britney Spears, about whom he said, "Her bra-topped collection of Madonna rejects are pure fashion overkill," and Bjork, about whom Blackwell quipped, "She dances in the dark - and dresses there, too."

Blackwell defended his list to naysayers in the past, saying the list was not mean-spirited.

"The list is and was a satirical look at the fashion flops of the year," he said in 1998. "I merely said out loud what others were whispering. ... It's not my intention to hurt the feelings of these people. It's to put down the clothing they're wearing."

The list was traditionally released on the second Tuesday of every January. In recent years, Blackwell took to releasing the list via e-mail.