Meet the Jews Behind Iconic Fashion Brands
Everyone knows fashion designers Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karan are Jewish. But some of today's most sought-after brands were also founded by Jews you might not know about.
Here are the innovators behind a few of the most popular high-end labels.
Chloé
This iconic French brand was founded by Gabrielle Hanoka Aghion, an Egyptian Jew who moved to Paris in 1940 and democratized fashion by inventing "ready to wear" (pret a porter) clothes, designing and selling to middle-class women who didn't have the time or money for custom couture.
Gabrielle Hanoka Aghion
Born in 1921 in Alexandria, Gabrielle grew up loving fashion. Her father managed a cigarette factory; her mother was fascinated by clothes and encouraged Gabrielle to design and sew her own. "There are these really beautiful images of her playing at the beach in these really lovely light dresses," explained Kristina Parsons, a curator at the Jewish Museum in New York, which ran an exhibit on Gabrielle. "I think that outdoorsy, very casual, easy approach to living was something that she carried into her designs."
Gabrielle met her husband, the Jewish Egyptian artist Raymond Aghion, when they were children in school; they married at 19. Together they engaged in Resistance activity during World War II, then moved to Paris in 1945, socializing with artists including Picasso and other intellectuals. Raymond opened an art gallery. Gabrielle began sewing dresses and in 1952 founded Chloé, borrowing the name from a friend because she thought it sounded more French and appealing to customers.
"All I've ever wanted was for Chloé to have a happy spirit, to make people happy," she said.
In the 1960s, Chloé gave a young unknown designer his break, hiring Karl Lagerfeld as house chief designer after Gabrielle stepped away. She sold the brand in 1985 and passed away in 2014 at 93.
Maje and Sandro
Sandro and Maje are both French brands, both fashion-forward, and both founded by sisters: Evelyne Chetrite launched Sandro in 1984, and Judith Milgom launched Maje 14 years later.
Evelyne Chetrite
The sisters grew up in the tight-knit Jewish community of Rabat, Morocco. Their family moved to Paris when Evelyne was 15 and Judith was 10. Evelyne learned the fashion business from her husband Didier, a fellow Jew who worked in Paris' tailoring Sentier district, and launched Sandro to fill a gap in the market: high-fashion, classic French style at accessible prices.
Judith worked for her sister and brother-in-law during teenage summers, then launched Maje in 1998 with a younger, more girlish aesthetic. The name is an acronym for their family: Moyal (Judith's maiden name), Alain (her brother), Judith, and Evelyne. In 2009, the sisters jointly acquired the brand Claudie Pierlot.
Judith Milgom
Both Judith and Evelyne, along with their large families, make a point of sharing Shabbat dinner every week. They start planning Friday night's meal on Tuesday. In a 2012 interview, Judith described her commitment to not working on Shabbat: "About 20 years ago, I started to observe the Jewish Sabbath really seriously. From dusk on Friday until dusk on Saturday, I don't do any work, don't shop or look at my email or phone. It's unbelievably therapeutic."
The Kooples
This prestigious label was founded in 2008 by three Orthodox Jewish French brothers: Alexandre, Laurent, and Rafael Elicha. "The Kooples" is the French pronunciation of the English word "couples;" ads feature real-life couples wearing the brand. Alexandre has said that "love is really the essence, the philosophy of the brand," and credits his wife Charlotte, whom he met in Israel, as his muse.
Alexandre, Laurent, and Rafael Elicha
The brothers grew up with front-row seats to the French fashion world. Their parents, Tony and Georgette Elicha, founded the brand Comptoir des Cotonniers in the 1990s. "Our parents were amazing teachers and through them, we got great experience and contacts," the brothers have said. But their parents also gave them something more enduring: a love of Judaism and a sense of responsibility to lead the French Jewish community, even when it's hard.
Tony led the Jewish community in Toulouse for years and served as Vice President of the Consistoire de Paris, an umbrella group for French Jewish organizations. In 2013, Alexandre became administrator of the Consistoire, running France's large Jewish community while also running The Kooples. His brothers helped shoulder the business. The three families celebrate Shabbat and Jewish holidays together and even vacation together.
In 2012, Alexandre became president of the Ohr Hatorah school in Toulouse, after it became the site of one of the worst terror attacks on French soil. On March 19, 2012, an Islamist terrorist ambushed children and staff entering the Orthodox Jewish school and opened fire. He murdered Rabbi Jonathan Sandler, who was trying to shield his two young sons, then killed them: Arie, age five, and Gabriel, age three. He then shot eight-year-old Myriam Monsonego, the school principal's daughter, in the head. He also shot and severely wounded Bryan Bijaoui, a 17-year-old student. Alexandre remains close friends with the principal, Rabbi Yaacov Monsonego, and is devoted to strengthening Jewish education in Toulouse and beyond.
Shabbat, Alexandre has said, is the cornerstone of his week. "Life is so magic... Shabbat is a good way to take time and think about what you're doing in this world."
Reiss
David Reiss grew up in a traditional Jewish family in London and attended an Orthodox school. In 1965, he took over his father Joshua's tailoring business in the East End, once a deeply Jewish neighborhood. "I had this entrepreneurial spirit and I suppose retail was in my blood," he has said.
He opened the first Reiss store in 1971, aiming to fill the gap between expensive designer menswear and cheap, poor-quality clothes. The brand offered elegant tailoring at accessible prices, took off quickly, and expanded into womenswear and stores worldwide.
Canada Goose
This beloved brand started in 1957 when Samuel Tick, a poor Polish Jewish immigrant to Toronto, was working as a fabric cutter and decided to try making high-quality winter coats. He called the company Metro Sportswear and supplied parkas to better-known retailers, who put their own labels on the garments.
In time, Samuel began selling directly to consumers under the name Snow Goose. The parkas quickly earned a loyal following: Canada's Arctic Rangers, scientists at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, Ontario police officers, and Laurie Skreslet, the first Canadian to summit Mount Everest, who wore one on his climb. They all valued the coats' extraordinary resistance to cold.
Samuel's son-in-law David Reiss eventually took over, followed by his son Dani Reiss, who became CEO in 2001 at 27, fresh out of the University of Toronto where he'd studied literature and philosophy. He had no plans to run the family business long-term and knew he was young and inexperienced. He proved to have a sharp instinct for business anyway. He renamed the company Canada Goose and began marketing the coats not just to outdoor workers but to city dwellers. The brand became a global phenomenon worn by celebrities worldwide.
Avec Les Filles
Avec Les Filles, French for "With the Girls," is focused on dressing Millennial women. It's the creation of Joyce Azria, an Orthodox Jewish designer and entrepreneur based in Florida.
Joyce learned fashion from her father, legendary designer Max Azria, who founded BCBG. After running BCBG, she stepped back to focus on her family. She and her husband Ilan Trojanowski have seven children. She launched Avec Les Filles in 2017 with the goal of bringing French-inspired style to a wider audience. "I love Sandro, I love Maje," she said at the time, "but they are so high-end that I thought, 'I want a brand that brings me in at 18 bucks and is a little easier to digest. What I strive to do with Avec les Filles is allow customers to indulge in an experience that's designer-led and authentic, but still feels playful."
Growing up, Shabbat dinner was a central family ritual for Joyce. She made sure it remained the cornerstone of her own family's week too. Despite running an international business, she insists what truly brings her joy is family and spirituality. "On Shabbat, I leave behind the business world and focus on my family and my relationship with God. I am fortunate that I'm not a slave to my work."
Teri Jon
This upscale American brand has an international origin: its founder and chief designer, Rickie Freeman-Platt, was born in Israel and draws inspiration from the real lives of her customers, guided by the belief that "every woman should have the opportunity to look great no matter what size or body shape she has."
Rickie moved to New York at 17 and worked for Jewish fashion designers Evan Picone and Elie Tahari before founding Teri Jon in 1978, a high-fashion brand specializing in special occasion dresses.
An intensely private person, Rickie rarely gives interviews. Her philanthropy speaks for her. A board member of Stern College for Women, she opens her home and business to Jewish charities and actively campaigns for Jewish and Zionist causes.
