California Apparel News

Real estate owner, apparel industry executive and philanthropist Stanley Hirsh died March 22 following a long struggle with cancer. He was 76.

Several hundred people flocked to Hirsh’s funeral at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles to honor a man noted as much for his generosity as for his business acumen.

To the apparel industry, Hirsh was best known as the owner of the Cooper Building, one of six buildings Hirsh owned in the Los Angeles Fashion District. He founded the Downtown Property Owners Association (DPOA) and helped create the Los Angeles Fashion District Business Improvement District (BID).

Apparel industry veterans also recall Hirsh’s long history as an apparel manufacturer. His company, S. Howard Hirsh, produced such labels as Alex Coleman, Elizabeth Stewart, California Girls, Hirshies, A.C. Sport and Jennie & Lizzie.

To the community at large, Hirsh was the publisher of the Jewish Journal, a former president of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, chairman of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, a significant supporter of the Democratic Party and a generous contributor to numerous philanthropic organizations. He and his wife, Anita, worked to create the Hirsh Family Kitchen, a service in Los Angeles’ Fairfax district that prepares and delivers kosher meals to the homebound and elderly.

The Brooklyn native moved to Los Angeles in 1940. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Hirsh got his start in the apparel business as an assistant manager of retailer House of Nine and as a sales manager for sportswear maker Elaine Terry.

“He was a very good businessman,” said Ilse Metchek, executive director of the California Fashion Association, who had known Hirsh since the two worked in the same building in the Los Angeles fashion district. “He understood the value of branding when he bought California Girl and Elizabeth Stewart. He understood the word ’change’— he always looked to the future.”

Brenda Blackman, vice president of sales for DKNY swimwear, credits Hirsh as her mentor in the industry. The two met when Hirsh purchased Elizabeth Stewart.

“In this day and age, you don’t have a lot of people who take the time to teach anyone anymore,” she said. “So it was such a pleasure to have someone to be thoughtful and to take the time to make you understand what goes into the whole cycle of running a business from the production to the marketing to the merchandising. He was instrumental in helping me do all of that, being accountable for the brand.”

Hirsh made the transition to business property owner in the 1970s. He turned the Cooper Building, in the heart of the fashion district, into an outlet mall—the first of its kind.

One of the first tenants was Saint Tropez, a division of Los Angeles-based Carole Little, according to Leonard Rabinowitz, co-founder of Carole Little and current co-owner with designer Carole Little of Studio CL.

“I have known Stan for at least 25 years,” said Rabinowitz. “He was warm, honest and did his very best to recognize and help new designers.”

Many of Hirsh’s friends and colleagues praised his efforts to boost the entire business community in Los Angeles.

“He was, along with Jack Needleman and Seymour Graff and Lou Tabak and Alex Coleman, the people who gave back to the community,” Metchek said. “They really cared about the business, the industry, the sense of community, and it was home to them. It was their social life and it was their professional life. Stanley took it one step further. He cared for the community of downtown Los Angeles.”

As a property owner, Hirsh began to look at ways to improve the fashion district, which at the time was grappling with problems of crime, graffiti and litter. After hearing about the improvements made in downtown Philadelphia after property owners formed a business improvement district, Hirsh began working to create a similar program in Los Angeles. He formed the DPOA and worked tirelessly to institute the fashion district BID.

“He led the effort to revitalize a whole section of downtown L.A.,” said Kent Smith, director of the Fashion District BID. “This was just one of numerous projects that he was involved in. It shows you the real drive and determination that Stanley had. One has to marvel at how one individual could be responsible for so many great things in this community.”

Hirsh often went head-to-head with Needleman, who had also made the transition from manufacturer to property owner, according to son Steve Needleman, who took over management of Anjac Properties in downtown Los Angeles followng his father’s death in 1999.

“Our families go way back,” said Needleman. “My dad and Stanley were always part of the inner circle being building owners [in the Fashion District]. They were both involved in the same organizations, the City of Hope, the Jewish Federation and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Now we have the surviving sons carrying on the family businesses, so I can relate to how much he will be missed.”

As a businessman, Hirsh could be strong willed, stubborn—but fair.

Hal Kaltman, owner of Hal Kaltman Textiles and president of the Textile Association of Los Angeles, was one of his piece goods suppliers when Hirsh was manufacturing.

“He was tough, he was gruff and he was as gentle as a pussycat,” Kaltman said. “He’s the last of an era.”

Hirsh made the transition to publishing in 1997, when he became the publisher of the Jewish Journal.

“The Journal grew significantly under Stanley’s leadership,” said Rob Eshman, editor-in-chief of the publication. “He wanted a paper that was tough and fair and compassionate, and those were some of the very same personal qualities he displayed.”

It is that compassion and his legendary generosity that will be Hirsh’s greatest legacy.

“Stanley never wrote small checks,” said Metchek. “If he was going to do something he was going to do it in a big way.”

Family friend Jeff Mirvis praised Hirsh as “a person that made a difference in this world.”

“Stanley was a very charitable person— he really gave of his time and his money,” said Mirvis, owner of California Dynasty and MGT Industries, the company founded by his father, Bob, a close friend of Hirsh.

As a supporter of so many local organizations, Hirsh became a role model for others in the industry.

“Stanley was my mentor as it relates to giving to charity,” said Robert Margolis, chief executive officer of Van Nuys, Calif.-based Cherokee Group and longtime friend of Hirsh. “He was one of the brightest men I knew, one of the most dedicated and committed to giving his time and his money to worthy causes. It’s a tremendous loss to our community.”

Hirsh is survived by his wife, Anita, children Steve Hirsh, Adam Hirsh, Jennifer Hirsh and Elizabeth Naftali and four grandchildren.

The family requests donations be made in Hirsh’s honor to Jewish Family Service, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048, attn: Paul Castro. —Alison A. Nieder and Robert McAllister