Businessman. He was the founder of the world-famous lingerie store “Frederick’s of Hollywood”. He began his career during the depression when he worked for a mail-order company that sold ladies underwear. He suggested to his bosses that they sell black lingerie instead of the traditional white lingerie, but he was promptly fired for making such a scandalous proposal. He later joined the army where he found out about the pin-up girl posters and enquired about them to his war buddies, where they concluded that they would like to see women to be more risque. After he left the army he set up a shop in Manhattan, New York, where he sold white lingerie, to skimpier outfits, including the black lingerie. Newspapers of the time wouldn’t carry his adds because they were considered to be pornographic. In 1946 he moved his company to Hollywood, California, where he continued to sell his products. In 1947 during a trip to France he discovered the bikini, and soon after his arrival back in Hollywood, he ordered as many as possible. It soon became his best seller. He would later also introduce many other products including, the paded bra in 1947, the push-up bra in 1948, the padded girdle in 1951, the push-up bikini in 1958, as well as other items. He continued to run his company until his death at age 76 in 1990. (bio by: K)