Life and Legacy of Henri Bendel

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Charleston Library Society

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Life and Legacy of Henri Bende

March 10 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

$10.00 – $15.00

A store of legend. A man of mystery. A name known to many, a man known to few. More than just a monumental store or its signature stripe, meet the Henri Bendel of Lafayette, Louisiana, who built an empire from a small hat shop in Greenwich Village in 1896 to repositioning 57th Street as “the Rue de la Paix of New York.” As one of the first to present Schiaparelli, Molyneaux, and Chanel, he outfitted Astors, Vanderbilts, and stars of stage and screen, while also providing accessibility. It is a delight to host Tim Allis, former Senior Editor at In Style magazine to share his new book on the legacy of Bendel’s. A true rags-to-riches tale that has been lost to time, revitalize the heartwarming story of one of high society’s pinnacle tastemakers.

If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more copies, please visit Buxton Books.

About the Book

Henri Bendel and the Worlds He Fashioned traces his life from his upbringing in a large, tight-knit Jewish family headed by his immigrant stepfather and mother—herself an enterprising merchant—to his early dry goods business, then to the romance that led him to New York and the tragedy that would set in motion his rapid ascent. Bendel was treated as a kindred soul in the Paris salons of haute couture and throughout Europe, where he amassed rare antiques, then built dramatic showplaces back home in which to place them. All the while, he stayed loyal to his kin down south and to his chosen family up East, which consisted of blood relatives and two beloved companions whose true place in Henri’s heart required discretion, owing to the constrictions of the time.

The book also recounts the history of Mr. Bendel’s storied store, from its bustles-and-corsets years through the days of furs and flappers, then the tailored chic of the 1930s and ’40s. In more modern times, the legendary president Geraldine Stutz made Bendel’s a cornucopia of cutting-edge designers and innovative merchandising, a lure for the most famous and fashionable women in America. In its long, final era, Leslie Wexner of the Limited expanded the store’s reach and solicited younger clients, emphasizing jewelry, accessories, and dazzle. Those various and sometimes-at-odds incarnations define Bendel’s extraordinary 123-year run under the iconic brown and white stripes first sketched by Henri, who himself said, “A designer, to be successful, must feel the trend of the times.”

About the Author

Tim Allis was a senior editor at In Style for 12 years. Prior to that, he was a staff writer at D magazine (Dallas) and People. He has contributed articles to Out, Men’s Health, Time Out New York, Saveur, CNN.com, and Playbill.com, among others. A dedicated theatergoer, he periodically dabbles in playwriting. As Henri Bendel did, he calls both Lafayette, Louisiana, and New York City home.