Stuart A. Weitzman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1941 (age 83–84) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation(s) | Shoe designer and businessman |
| Spouse | Jane Gershon |
| Children | 2, includingRachael Sage |
Stuart A. Weitzman (born 1941) is an American shoedesigner,philatelist, and founder of the shoe company Stuart Weitzman. Weitzman has designed footwear forBeyoncé[1] andTaylor Swift.[2][3]
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In the late 1950s, Weitzman's father, Seymour Weitzman, and his older brother Warren opened a shoe factory inHaverhill, Massachusetts, called "Seymour Shoes". Weitzman began designing shoes for his father's business in the early 1960s.[4]
Weitzman graduated fromGeorge W. Hewlett High School in 1958 and theWharton School at theUniversity of Pennsylvania in 1963.[4] When Seymour died in 1965, Warren and Stuart ran the business. They sold the business to a company inSpain in 1971, and Weitzman continued to design shoes for the company. In 1994, he bought back the business, but he continues to manufacture his shoe designs in Spain.[citation needed]
Weitzman is known for providing one-of-a-kind, "million dollar" shoes to Oscar nominees to wear at the Academy Awards such as the pair of platinum sandals adorned with 464 diamonds that actressLaura Harring wore to the 2002 ceremony.[citation needed] For the 2007 Oscars, shoes were designed for and provided toDiablo Cody, who subsequently declined to wear them, stating that she was not aware of nor interested in the publicity attendant with wearing the shoes.[5] Weitzman uses unique materials includingcork,vinyl,lucite,wallpaper, and 24-karatgold. His shoes are sold in over 70 countries.[citation needed]
The eponymous company that Weitzman founded has changed hands a number of times.Jones Apparel Group purchased a majority stake in the company in 2010 and later bought the remaining 45 percent of shares retained by Weitzman in 2012.[6] In January 2015, Sycamore Partners LLC (the private equity fund that owns Jones Apparel Group) agreed to sell the company toCoach, the luxury fashion house, for $574M.[7] As part of the deal, Weitzman stayed on as a shoe designer for the company.[8]
In May 2017, Stuart Weitzman Holdings, LLC, appointed Giovanni Morelli as Creative Director and Weitzman stepped down from his role.[9]
Weitzman is married to Jane Gershon.[10] Stuart and Jane have two daughters. His daughterRachael Sage is a singer/songwriter.[11] His daughter Elizabeth is a film critic and children's book author.[12][13]
On June 17, 2014, Weitzman, who had collected stamps as a child, anonymously purchased the "world's most famous stamp", theBritish Guiana 1c magenta at aSotheby's auction in New York for $9.48M, includingbuyer's premium, the highest price ever paid for a postage stamp.[14][15] Weitzman later identified himself as the purchaser and lent the stamp to theNational Postal Museum for exhibition.[16] In June 2015, Weitzman also identified himself as the owner of the uniqueplate block of four 1918U.S. 24-cent Inverted Jennies, widely regarded as the world's most celebratedphilatelic printing error.[16] In March 2021 Weitzman revealed himself as having purchased the only legal St. Gaudens1933 double eagle in 2002 for $7.6M, then the most expensive coin ever sold.[17][18]
All three items, dubbed the "Three Treasures", were sold at auction by Sotheby's to an anonymous buyer in June 2021.[19][20] The items sold for $8.3m, $4.93m and $18.9m, respectively.[21][22]
On February 26, 2019,University of Pennsylvania PresidentAmy Gutmann announced that the School of Design will be renamed theUniversity of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design.[23]
Acknowledgments: Much love and gratitude to all my family, including my parents, Stuart and Jane Weitzman, who raised me to admire renegade women, and my sister, Rachael Sage, who has always been one.
