Albert Nipon (September 11, 1927 – November 20, 2022) was an American fashion executive, clothing manufacturer and co-founder of the Albert Nipon fashion label. With his wife, designer Pearl Nipon, he developed the business from the maternity-wear company Ma Mere into one of the leading American dress labels of the 1970s and 1980s.
At its peak, the company recorded annual sales of about $60 million, and its clothing was worn by figures including Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Mary Tyler Moore and Barbara Walters.Staff (November 5, 1984). "Albert Nipon: Fashion Fraud, a Dress Designer's Tax Woes". Time. Abstract; for full article. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
Early life and education Nipon was born in Philadelphia on September 11, 1927, and was raised in West Philadelphia. He was born to Louis and Sara Nipon, Jewish immigrants who fled the Russian pogroms during World War I. His parents also owned a delicatessen. He attended West Philadelphia High School, where he competed in football and track and field.
After high school, Nipon served for 18 months in the United States Army, attaining the rank of sergeant. He later attended Temple University, graduating in 1951 with a degree in accounting. While at Temple, he was a four-year varsity letter winner in football, wrestling and track and field. After graduating, he worked as an accountant for DuPont.
Personal life Nipon met Pearl Schluger at a hotel party in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1952. According to their son Larry, Nipon picked her up and threw her, fully clothed, into a swimming pool. They married in 1953 and remained married until Pearl's death in 2018. The couple had three sons, Laurence, Leon and Andrew, and a daughter Barbara Joy, known as B.J., as well as nine grandchildren.
Nipon was a lifelong supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles. In his later years, family and friends regularly joined him at home on Sundays to watch the team, and he and Pearl celebrated the Eagles' first Super Bowl victory in 2018.
Career In 1955, Nipon left his accounting job at DuPont to manage Ma Mere, the maternity clothing business for which his wife, Pearl, designed the clothes. The company grew into a nationwide chain of more than 100 stores. As maternity clothing sales declined in the late 1960s, buyers at Saks Fifth Avenue encouraged Pearl to develop a line of women's dresses. In 1972, the couple shifted their focus to the Albert Nipon label, with Pearl responsible for design and Albert handing the business side.
The label emerged at a time when pantsuits and sportswear were prominent in women's fashion, but its tailored, feminine dresses found a market at major department stores. Nipon publicly credited Pearl with the label's design aesthetic and her understanding of what young professional women wanted from clothing. At its peak, Albert Nipon Inc. grossed about US$60 million annually and employed approximately 600 people at its Philadelphia factory. Its clothing was worn by figures including Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Mary Tyler Moore and Barbara Walters.
In 1984, Nipon was indicted on charges of tax evasion and bribery involving agents in the Philadelphia office of the Internal Revenue Service. In 1985, he was sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud; he served 20 months of the sentence at a minimum-security facility at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. During his incarceration, the company reportedly lost US$15 million in revenue.
Nipon returned to the business in 1987, and sales initially rebounded. Albert Nipon Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 1987. The company was acquired by the Leslie Fay Company in 1988, with Pearl continuing as designer and chief executive officer and Albert as chairman. Nipon remained involved in the fashion industry after the sale of the company. Later in his life, he worked with the Home Shopping Network in fashion marketing and product placement.
Death Nipon died of natural causes on November 20, 2022, at his residence at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia. He was 95.
See also List of fashion designers List of people from Philadelphia
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