TALA Presents Awards, Inducts Officers
The Textile Association of Los Angeles presented awards to Michael Goldman and Ilse Metchek Pola and inducted new officers and directors at its annual inaugural lunch, held Jan. 27 in the California Market Center’s fashion theater.
Welcoming some 200 people to the sold-out luncheon, TALA President Hal Kaltman noted how the trade association, founded in 1944, is the longest-standing textile organization in the United States, having survived now-defunct counterparts in New York, Dallas and Atlanta. Sitting in the crowd were representatives from the Pakistani Embassy and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard’s office. Goldman was named Member of the Year 2005, and Metchek Pola was honored as a Friend of TALA. Brian Weitman was also presented the Humanitarian Award. Goldman, Metchek and TALA all received congressional certificates from Congresswoman Roybal-Allard’s office.
In a speech, Metchek, the executive director of the California Fashion Association, recalled how the corner of Ninth and Los Angeles streets looked in 1962, when Lady Bird Johnson and TALA members planted trees in front of the current Cooper Design Space and The New Mart. Metchek also described the days when no women were allowed in TALA and praised Los Angeles’ fashion industry. “Until suits become artists, stockbrokers become merchandisers and accountants become patternmakers, our competitive position will rest with creativity and innovation,” she said. She then thanked her husband, Hank Pola, who also is a TALA member.
Goldman said the honor was “wonderful, humbling.” A former stand-up comic who is now executive vice president at Major Textiles, he joked that his kiss with Kaltman on the stage paled in comparison to the one Adrien Brody planted on Halle Berry at the Academy Awards ceremony in 2002. Goldman held back tears as he thanked his wife, Carol Sachs-Goldman, and several TALA members, including Barry Sachs and Moshe Tsabag. He previously received the Humanitarian Award and Harvey Browne Award from TALA.
Closing the 90-minute luncheon, Weitman, last year’s Member of the Year, relayed how he grew up in his family’s apparel business. “I’m just really taken aback,” said the chief executive of Security Textile Corp. when accepting the Humanitarian Award, which, unlike Goldman and Metchek Pola’s awards, had not been announced before the lunch.
The new TALA officers are: Kaltman, president; Michael Goldman, Dan Sassower and Brian D. Thaler, all vice presidents; Carol Sachs-Goldman, secretary; Henry Kalin, treasurer; and Brian Weitman, parliamentarian. Directors are Michael Bokser, April Booth, Eileen Ellis, Peter Gelber, Barry Maiman, Joseph P. Menichini, Hank Pola, Pam Prentiss, Fran Sude, Jeff Waldman and Ken Weinbaum.
—Khanh T.L. Tran
