David Sassoon (designer) (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

British fashion designer

Bellville Sassoon coat, hand-painted by Richard Cawley, 1970-71

David Sassoon (born 1932) is a high end British fashion designer, who owns the Bellville Sassoon salon in Knightsbridge, London, founded by Belinda Bellville in 1953.

Born to Iraqi Jewish parents, Gourgi and Victoria Sassoon in north London, Sassoon initially intended becoming an actor but turned to fashion when his father disapproved.[1] He attended Avigdor High School and Lauderdale Road Synagogue in West London.[1] He was invited by Belinda Bellville to join her salon in 1958 and in 1970 it became the Bellville Sassoon.[1][2][3] In 2023, it was announced that some of Sassoon's designs would be featured in an exhibition on the role of Jewish designers in London's fashion scene.[4]

He counts numerous socialites and the royal family as amongst his clientele and was the most prolific of Princess Diana's early designers.[5][6] Sassoon has said of Diana, "When she got engaged, her mother brought her in to us and asked us to make the going-away outfit."[7] Aside from Diana, Sassoon has designed clothes for Princess Margaret, Princess Michael of Kent, the Duchess of York, the Duchess of Gloucester, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Jerry Hall. His designs have appeared on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.[1] Sassoon has claimed that he is "probably the only designer around today who has dressed every female member of the royal family except the Queen."[8]

  1. ^ a b c d "David Sassoon has been an A-list favourite since the sixties. Now, he's ready to take a back seat". JC.com. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. ^ Sassoon, David; Stemp, Sinty (25 January 2009). The glamour of Bellville Sassoon. ACC Editions. ISBN 978-1-85149-575-7. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  3. ^ 63rd Ed (1 January 1999). International Who's Who 2000. Europa. p. 1372. ISBN 978-1-85743-050-9. Retrieved 22 February 2012.{{[cite book](/wiki/Template:Cite%5Fbook "Template:Cite book")}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Princess Diana coat to be shown at Jewish design exhibition". BBC News. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  5. ^ McDowell, Colin (1 July 2007). Diana style. Aurum. ISBN 978-1-84513-200-2. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  6. ^ Owen, Jane (1983). Diana, Princess of Wales: the book of fashion. Greenwich House. ISBN 978-0-517-42981-5. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  7. ^ Clehane, Diane (September 1998). Diana: The Secrets of Her Style. Gt Pub Corp. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-57719-348-7. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  8. ^ Designer David Sassoon at Buckingham Palace. Channel 4. Retrieved 22 February 2012.