ZUCKERMAN, BEN

ZUCKERMAN, BEN (1890–1979), U.S. apparel manufacturer. Zuckerman, who became known as "the dean of the American ready-to-wear coat and suit industry," was a master tailor who never learned how to sew. "You can teach a bear how to dance," he once said. "I can teach a tailor how to work." Zuckerman was born in Romania, one of 13 children. He was a child when his parents brought the family to the U.S. and settled in New Jersey. His formal education ended when he was 15. His first job was sweeping floors in a dress factory for $3 a week. Subsequently, he learned to be an apparel cutter and in 1911 went into business with Joseph Hoffman. Zuckerman & Hoffman made expensive coats and suits. In the late 1920s, the business was dissolved and Zuckerman launched another firm with Morris Kraus. That company liquidated in 1949 and Zuckerman spent the next year traveling through Europe and the U.S. He returned to New York and in 1950, opened Ben Zuckerman, Inc., and presented his first collection. It was designed by Harry Schacter, who would remain with Zuckerman for decades and who eventually added dresses and ensembles to the line. In 1951, Zuckerman won a Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion. In 1952 and 1956 he was presented with Coty American Fashion Critics Awards and in 1961 was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame. He retired in 1968, but remained connected to the industry, becoming a charter member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1973.

A prominent figure in New York City's garment business for almost 60 years, Zuckerman was known for making clothes in the U.S. that were said to have the look, the feel, and the fit of Paris originals. His coats and suits became popular with numerous prominent women, including Jacqueline Kennedy when she was still First Lady, and his skills at cutting and draping fabric became legendary.

bibliography:

New York Times (June 10, 1961), 11.

[Mort Sheinman (2^nd ed.)]