Emil J. DeJohn, the Philadelphia-based fashion designer whose work ranged from Bill Blass menswear to a children’s collection now held by the Smithsonian, died on June 24, 2026, at his daughter’s home in Ambler, Pennsylvania. He was 88. His daughter, Leisa DeJohn Nappi, said he died of a heart attack.
From illustrator to designer
DeJohn was born in Philadelphia in December 1937 and earned a fine arts degree from what is now the University of the Arts. He began his career as a fashion illustrator for the Philadelphia Bulletin before moving into design, and for more than 40 years he commuted by train from the Philadelphia suburbs to New York’s fashion industry.
Bill Blass, Jones New York and the Smithsonian
In New York he designed men’s sportswear for Bill Blass, women’s and men’s collections for Jones New York and childrenswear for OshKosh, and also designed for Bergdorf Goodman. He was chosen to create the children’s sportswear collection for Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign, which is now preserved in the Smithsonian.
Teacher and family man
DeJohn shared his experience with generations of students at Moore College of Art & Design, Drexel University and The Art Institute of Philadelphia, retiring from teaching in 2018 at the age of 82. He is survived by Bette Anne, his wife of more than six decades. He was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham.