- Joseph Abboud
Joseph Abboud (born circa 1950 in
Boston, Massachusetts ) is an award-winning American menswearfashion designer and author.Family
The Abboud family was a working-class Christian Lebanese family that started out in the
South End of Boston and later moved to the Roslindale section of Boston. Abboud's mother, Lila, was a seamstress. On a trip toAustralia , Abboud discovered that his great-grandfather had owned Australia's largest men's tailored-clothing company. He now has two daughters, Lila and Ari, and resides in Bedford, NY with his family on a private farm.Education
Abboud graduated from the
University of Massachusetts-Boston and started working full time at the upscale department store Louis Boston. He turned down a teaching position at theBrookline High School .Career
Abboud first started working in the fashion industry as a 16-year-old teenager working part-time at Louis Boston. Abboud stated: "Louis Boston was a huge part of my career. I really landed in a world of very glamorous style, beautiful clothes, just the world of what international fashion was about. If this had never happened, then the rest of it wouldn't have happened."
Abboud joined
Ralph Lauren in 1981, eventually becoming associate director of menswear design. He launched his own label in 1986. [Various authors: 'Joseph Abboud', "The Fashion Book", Phaidon 1998. ISBN 0-7148-3808-X]In 1991 Abboud worked with fashion director
Peter Speliopoulos . Abboud was the first designer to win the coveted CFDA award as Best Menswear Designer two years in a row.Many of Abboud's famous friends are also his customers, including American trumpeter and composer
Wynton Marsalis , author and formerTV news anchorTom Brokaw , and formerRed Sox shortstopNomar Garciaparra [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/11/25/abboud_had_early_designs_on_his_career?mode=PF] .While
JA Apparel still has rights to his name, Abboud is running his own line, called [Jaz ] .Book
Abboud wrote "Threads: My Life Behind the Seams in the High Stakes World of Fashion" [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ENBOGC] . He thoroughly describes the fashion industry from designing and selling clothes to naming colors.
He also writes about some of the negative experiences that he has endured such as racial profiling after the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, a court battle over legal rights to his name, and a failed flagship store that is now occupied byDonna Karan .Breast Cancer Advocate
Abboud's mother and sister both succumbed to
breast cancer . As a result, Abboud has become a breast cancer activist who designed a one-of-a-kindGeneral Motors Corporation Sierra vehicle to fund-raise for a "Concept:Cure" charity event and has participated in many other charity events for breast cancer research.Abboud was honored as one of five "Men for the Cure" by GQ magazine and
General Motors ' "Concept:Cure" during a breast cancer fund-raiser. "Concept:Cure" raised $2.6 million for breast cancer organizations. [http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/archives/O/c/ucl4547.shtml]Abboud stated: "Concept:Cure" is a very special program for me. My mother and sister died from breast cancer. It's a disease we really have to find a cure for. I know I speak for my colleagues when I say (Concept:Cure) is not about a monetary or PR opportunity for us, it's about doing something really good." [http://www.autoworld.com/news/GMC/Cure_Truck.htm]
Trivia
* Abboud was referenced in the "
In 2007 Abboud was hired bySeinfeld " episode "The Wig Master ".
*Abboud was also referenced inThe Wire season 2 episode "Bad Dreams"
* Abboud frequently appeared onDon Imus 's radio show.
* In 2002, Abboud was the first designer to throw out the opening pitch at Boston's *Fenway Park for aBoston Red Sox -Toronto Blue Jays game.
* GM offered a "Joseph Abboud" limited editionBuick Rendezvous for 2004 & 2005.
* Abboud is a regular caller to theNew York City radio station,WFAN (often referred to as "Sportsradio 66" or "The FAN") to discuss his belovedBoston Red Sox , theNew York Yankees ' rival.
*Howie Mandel mentioned on a January 2007 episode of "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch " that he wears Joseph Abboud suits onDeal or No Deal .
*Reebok to design a line of formal wear for theNational Football League . The "Joseph Abboud Coaches Collection" is currently used by 2 NFLHead Coach es:Mike Nolan of theSan Francisco 49ers andJack Del Rio of theJacksonville Jaguars .
* Abboud is the largest manufacture of apparel inNew Bedford , Massachusetts and prides itself on being "Made in America".References
External links
* [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/11/25/abboud_had_early_designs_on_his_career?mode=PF Short bio] - "
Boston Globe "
* [http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2007/01/07/made_in_new_bedford_a_suit_designer_retools Bucking trends, Joseph Abboud adds American textile jobs in 2006] - "Boston Globe "
* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ENBOGC Abboud's book, "Threads" at Amazon.com]
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