Joseph Abboud
Encyclopedia
Joseph Abboud is an award-winning Lebanese American menswear fashion designer and author.
section of Boston. Abboud's mother, Lila, was a seamstress. On a trip to Australia
, 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, New York
with his family in a large private home.
in Paris
. He turned down a teaching position at the Brookline High School
.
Abboud joined Ralph Lauren
in 1981, eventually becoming associate director of menswear design. He launched his own label in 1986. In 1991 Abboud worked with fashion director Peter Speliopoulos
. Abboud was the first designer to win the CFDA award
as Best Menswear Designer two years in a row.
Abboud designs the modern-contemporary privately-owned sportwear brand Black & Brown
for upscale specialty department store Lord & Taylor
.
Many of Abboud's famous friends are also his customers, including American trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis
, author and former TV news anchor Tom Brokaw
, and former Boston Red Sox
shortstop Nomar Garciaparra
.
GM offered an Joseph Abboud Limited Edition Buick Rendezvous
for 2004 and 2005, and an Joseph Abboud Limited Edition Buick Regal GS and LS from 2001 to 2004.
While JA Apparel still has rights to his name, Abboud is running his own line, called Jaz
.
.
. As a result, Abboud has become a breast cancer activist who designed a one-of-a-kind GMC 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.
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."
's radio show and is a regular caller to the New York City
radio station, WFAN
, to discuss his beloved Boston Red Sox
, the New York Yankees
' rival. In 2002, Abboud was the first fashion designer to throw out the opening pitch at Boston's Fenway Park
for a Red Sox game.
Abboud was referenced in the Seinfeld
episode "The Wig Master
," in the The Wire
episode "Bad Dreams," and he meets and exchanges quips with the Boston detective Spenser in Chapter 3 of Robert B. Parker
's 2009 novel The Professional. Abboud is also referenced in the novel American Psycho
by Bret Easton Ellis
.
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 RoslindaleRoslindale, Boston, Massachusetts
Roslindale is a primarily residential neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, bordered by Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, West Roxbury and Mattapan.It is served by an MBTA Commuter Rail line, several MBTA bus lines and the MBTA Orange Line in nearby Jamaica Plain...
section of Boston. Abboud's mother, Lila, was a seamstress. On a trip to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 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, New York
Bedford (town), New York
Bedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 17,335 at the 2010 census.The Town of Bedford is located in the northeastern part of Westchester County, and contains the three hamlets of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah...
with his family in a large private home.
Education
Abboud graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Boston in 1972, then studied at the SorbonneSorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He turned down a teaching position at the Brookline High School
Brookline High School
Brookline High School is a four-year public high school in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, in the United States.As of the 2007-08 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,826 students and 136 teachers , for a student-teacher ratio of 13.4 to 1 teacher.-Education:Almost every senior in...
.
Career
Abboud first started working in the fashion industry as a 16-year-old 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
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
in 1981, eventually becoming associate director of menswear design. He launched his own label in 1986. In 1991 Abboud worked with fashion director Peter Speliopoulos
Peter Speliopoulos
Peter Speliopoulos, born in 1961 in Springfield, Massachusetts, is a Greek American fashion designer.-Life as a designer:Speliopoulos studied fashion at Parsons School of Design in New York and graduated with a BFA in 1981. Speliopoulos is best friends with fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi who also...
. Abboud was the first designer to win the CFDA award
Council of Fashion Designers of America
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. is a not-for-profit trade association of over 350 of America’s foremost fashion and accessory designers. As of 2009, Diane von Fürstenberg is the group's President and Steven Kolb is the Executive Director...
as Best Menswear Designer two years in a row.
Abboud designs the modern-contemporary privately-owned sportwear brand Black & Brown
Black & Brown
Black|Brown 1826 is a contemporary brand that is exclusively sold within Lord & Taylor in the United States and The Bay in Canada respectively. This house brand is designed by noted American designer, Joseph Abboud....
for upscale specialty department store Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
.
Many of Abboud's famous friends are also his customers, including American trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
, author and former TV news anchor Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
, and former Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
shortstop Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
.
GM offered an Joseph Abboud Limited Edition Buick Rendezvous
Buick Rendezvous
The Buick Rendezvous, introduced in the spring of 2001 as a 2002 model year vehicle, was a Mid-size crossover SUV that was sold by the Buick division of General Motors for the 2002-2007 model years.-Background:...
for 2004 and 2005, and an Joseph Abboud Limited Edition Buick Regal GS and LS from 2001 to 2004.
While JA Apparel still has rights to his name, Abboud is running his own line, called Jaz
Jaz
Jaz can refer to:* Jazz music * Jaz drive, a disk storage system* Jaz-O, a rapper known for bringing Jay Z into the music business* Jaz Beach, a beach on the Montenegro riviera...
.
Book
Abboud wrote Threads: My Life Behind the Seams in the High Stakes World of Fashion. 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 attacks, a court battle over legal rights to his name, and a failed flagship store that is now occupied by Donna KaranDonna Karan
Donna Karan is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.-Early life:...
.
Breast cancer activism
Abboud's mother and sister both succumbed to breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. As a result, Abboud has become a breast cancer activist who designed a one-of-a-kind GMC Sierra
Chevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado , is the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors.-History:...
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
GQ (magazine)
GQ is a monthly men's magazine focusing on fashion, style, and culture for men, through articles on food, movies, fitness, sex, music, travel, sports, technology, and books...
magazine and General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
' Concept:Cure during a breast cancer fund-raiser. Concept:Cure raised $2.6 million for breast cancer organizations.
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."
In media and sports
Abboud frequently appeared on Don ImusDon Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
's radio show and is a regular caller to the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
radio station, WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
, to discuss his beloved Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
' rival. In 2002, Abboud was the first fashion designer to throw out the opening pitch at Boston's Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
for a Red Sox game.
Abboud was referenced in the Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "The Wig Master
The Wig Master
"The Wig Master" is the 129th episode of the NBC situation comedy Seinfeld. This was the 19th episode for the 7th season. It aired on April 4, 1996.-Plot:...
," in the The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
episode "Bad Dreams," and he meets and exchanges quips with the Boston detective Spenser in Chapter 3 of Robert B. Parker
Robert B. Parker
Robert Brown Parker was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also...
's 2009 novel The Professional. Abboud is also referenced in the novel American Psycho
American Psycho
American Psycho is a psychological thriller and satirical novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by the protagonist, serial killer and Manhattan businessman Patrick Bateman. The book's graphic violence and sexual content generated a great deal of...
by Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis
Bret Easton Ellis is an American novelist and short story writer. His works have been translated into 27 different languages. He was regarded as one of the so-called literary Brat Pack, which also included Tama Janowitz and Jay McInerney...
.
External links
- Short bio - Boston Globe
- Bucking trends, Joseph Abboud adds American textile jobs in 2006 - Boston Globe
- Abboud's book, Threads at Amazon.com