Acid-tongued fashion critic Mr. Blackwell has been hospitalized with a serious illness, his business partner said Thursday.

Fashion critic Mr. Blackwell, 85, has been in the hospital and unconscious since Tuesday, his partner, Robert Spencer, said from his home in Los Angeles.

Spencer wouldn't say what hospital was treating Blackwell or explain the nature of Blackwell's illness.

Blackwell, whose first name is Richard, has for decades issued an annual worst-dressed list that is famous for its tongue-in-cheek cruelty.