Martin Greenfield, a Holocaust survivor known for making custom suits for US presidents and celebrities, died at the age of 95 on Wednesday, as reported by the New York Times.
Greenfield, widely recognized as one of the top tailors in the US, felt that clothing played a crucial role in saving his life, according to a report from AFP on Thursday.
He was born Maximilian Grunfeld to a Jewish family in a part of Czechoslovakia that is now in Ukraine. As a teenager, he was imprisoned at Auschwitz and given the task of washing the guards’ clothes.
While at the concentration camp, Greenfield was beaten for accidentally tearing a Nazi's shirt. He repaired it and wore it beneath his uniform, leading others to believe he had special privileges.
In his memoir “Measure of a Man: From Auschwitz Survivor to Presidents’ Tailor,” he wrote, “The day I first wore that shirt was the day I learned clothes possess power.”
Greenfield was liberated from Auschwitz in 1945 under the supervision of then US president Dwight D. Eisenhower, who later commissioned Greenfield to make his suits.
At 19, Greenfield traveled to New York with only $10 in his possession.
Within a few weeks, he changed his name and found employment at a clothing factory in Brooklyn.
In 1977, after three decades, he purchased the factory, renamed it after himself, and turned it into a renowned establishment in New York City.
His handsewn suits became a symbol of status and were worn by famous figures in film, music, and sports, including Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, and the mobster Meyer Lansky.
His business also outfitted six presidents, including the most recent three: Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, all of whom are Holocaust survivor Martin Greenfield's clients.
HBO enlisted him to create 1920s-style outfits for the crime drama “Boardwalk Empire,” leading to other TV and movie contracts.
One of his most well-known creations, according to the Times, might have been the red suit and contrasting orange vest worn by Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.
In recent times, Greenfield handed over his business to his sons Tod and Jay, retiring to the North Shore of Long Island.
On Wednesday, Greenfield passed away in the hospital, as confirmed by his son Tod to the Times.
He is survived by his sons, his wife Arlene, and four grandchildren.
AFP
