Elie Tahari | |
|---|---|
אלי טהרי | |
| Born | (1952-01-21) January 21, 1952 |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Label | Elie Tahari |
| Spouse |
Rory Green
(m. 2000; div. 2011) |
| Awards | 2014 Fashion Group International Brand Vision Award |
| Website | https://www.elietahari.com |
Elie Tahari (Hebrew: אלי טהרי; born 1952) is an Israeli-American fashion designer and entrepreneur.[1] He is best known for founding the Elie Tahari ready-to-wear fashion brand and co-founding Theory. He is currently Chairman of Elie Tahari, Ltd. and his son Jeremey is CEO and Creative Director.[2] His company is headquartered in New York City, with stores located throughout the world.
Early life
Tahari was born in 1952, in Jerusalem to Iranian-Jewish immigrants.[3][1] He has four sisters (Aliza, Diana, Shulie and Illana) and two brothers (Avraham and Yosi).[4]
Tahari emigrated to the United States in 1971 with less than $100.[5][6] Working as an electrician at a clothing boutique in the Garment District of New York City, he began designing his own clothing line after popularizing the iconic tube top in 1973.[7] His namesake label, Tahari, launched in 1974 with a boutique located on Madison Avenue in New York City.[8][6][7]
Career
Tahari began working in New York City as an electrician in the Garment District.[6] In 1973, Tahari helped popularize the tube top, which created the foundation for his entry into the fashion world.
In 1977, Tahari launched his namesake fashion label. His first fashion show was held at Studio 54 in New York City.[9] In 1979, he opened his first boutique on Madison Avenue.[10]
In the 1980s, Tahari turned his attention to the tailored suit, with more office-centric designs as women joined the workforce and the ranks of the business elite.
In 1989, he began selling his branded apparel to various luxury department stores, starting with Bloomingdale’s.[11]
He was admitted to the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1994. In 1997, he teamed with Andrew Rosen to launch the ready-to-wear label Theory.[12]
In September 2003, Theory was sold to Link International for $100 million.[13]
The 2000s saw an expansion of his brand into men's ready-to-wear, accessories, jewelry, footwear and home goods. In 2012, Tahari was a guest judge on the Lifetime television series Project Runway All Stars.[14] He collaborated with Kohl's DesigNation in 2014[15] and launched ET Sport in 2015.[16]
In 2019, Elie Tahari (as a brand, including both direct and licensed products) reached $1 billion in sales volume.[11] The next year, the luxury department stores which he had collaborated with for thirty years were shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] As a result, Tahari decided to close his namesake brand's wholesale division and switched to a direct-to-consumer retail model (focused on his own branded boutique and outlet stores) with a strong e-commerce component.[11]
In 2024, Elie Tahari celebrated the 50th anniversary of his brand.[17]
Awards and honors
- 2013 - Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared "Elie Tahari Day" in New York City in honor of his forty years in the fashion industry.[18]
- 2014 - Ellis Island Medal of Honor[19]
- 2014 - Brand Vision Award from the Fashion Group International[20]
- 2021 - a documentary about Tahari's life, "The United States of Elie Tahari," was released and selected for over 100 film festivals.[21][6]
References
- ^ a b "'Israel is the center of my life,' affirms renowned fashion designer Elie Tahari". JNS.org. 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ "Elie Tahari: Fashioning success - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ "Jewish Fashion Mogul Reveals Why His Family Left Iran in 1950s". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ "Fashion; At Gucci, Calvin and the Rest, 50% Off Is the Norm". The New York Times. January 14, 1990. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ "Fashion industry looks to keep up in NYC". am New York. September 4, 2013. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ a b c d "Elie Tahari is the Embodiment of the American Dream". November 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Pagan (2012-08-17). "Who Made That Tube Top?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Elie Tahari Designer Profile". The Cut. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Elie Tahari: A Well-Suited Life". WWD. 2013-09-10. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ Ilchi, Layla (2024-09-06). "Elie Tahari at 50: A Timeline of the Designer's Career". WWD. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ a b c d Manoff, Jill (October 27, 2021). "'Unprofitable:' Elie Tahari drops its $200 million wholesale business". Glossy. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "Theory Works To Evolve Its Brand". Fashion Times. 2014-09-06. Archived from the original on 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). www.wwd.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ "Watch There's No Business like Sew Business Full Episode - Project Runway All Stars | Lifetime". Lifetime. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Kohl's and Elie Tahari Debut New DesigNation Collection | Business Wire". www.businesswire.com. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Elie Tahari launches Elie Tahari Sport". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Elie Tahari Celebrates a Half Century in Business". WWD. 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
- ^ "Michael Bloomberg declares September 4th "Elie Tahari Day" in New York City". Jewish Business News. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "NECO | Medalists Database". NECO. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Diane von Furstenberg to Take Home Superstar Award at Fashion Group International's Night of Stars". Fashion Times. 2014-06-16. Archived from the original on 2014-09-27. Retrieved 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Elie Tahari's Life Becomes a Documentary". 20 January 2021.
External links
- Official website
- History of Tahari Suits Archived 2011-12-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Elie Tahari at FMD
- The Marker Week, economy supplement of the newspaper "Haaretz",16.7.2009 – report by Raz Smolski- in Hebrew
