Adel Rootstein

Rootstein was born in Warmbaths, South Africa in 1930. She married the industrial designer Richard Hopkins.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-adel-rootstein-1553328.html Obituary: Adel Rootstein, 24 September 1992] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818124305/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-adel-rootstein-1553328.html |date=18 August 2016 }}, The Independent. Retrieved 21 June 2009. Rootstein started by making window displays, which gave her an understanding of "the void that had existed between fashion coverage in the international media & what actually happened in windows."{{Cite web |url=http://www.rootstein.com/home_page.asp |title=Rootstein - the World's Leading Mannequin Designer |access-date=15 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124124223/http://rootstein.com/home_page.asp |archive-date=24 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}{{full citation needed|date=December 2019}}{{primary source inline|date=December 2019}}

Rootstein started making mannequins in the kitchen of her basement flat in Earls Court in 1956. She first hired sculptor John Taylor and model Imogen for her first mannequin, placed in a reclining position. This was the start of her first collection, called "GoGo".{{primary source inline|date=December 2019}}

Her sources of inspiration expanded to music and clubs.{{Cite web |title=Rootstein: Adel Rootstein's early days - History / About / Early Days |url=https://www.rootstein.com/news/adel-rootsteins-early-days |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.rootstein.com}} Rootstein has been called the "Rolls-Royce" of mannequin makers, and later used well-known singers and actresses as models for her mannequins; Cher, Joan Collins and Twiggy among them.{{cite news |url=https://coloradosun.com/2019/12/30/mannequin-sculptors-fusion-specialties-colorado/ |title= Sculptors at a Lafayette mannequin factory are shaping more realistic body types for stores worldwide |work=The Colorado Sun |author=Carol McKinley |date=30 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019 |quote={{'}}If Talaric is the Henry Ford [of mannequin makers], Rootstein is the Rolls-Royce,' Townsend says. 'Her older mannequins are collector’s items … she’s the one who started designing mannequins after celebrity models. Like Joan Collins, Cher and Twiggy.{{'}} }}

In 1990, Rootstein and her husband Rick Hopkins set up the Rootstein Hopkins Foundation to assist young artists and designers.[https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=74495 Rootstein Hopkins Foundation, British Museum website.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920051319/https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=74495 |date=20 September 2016 }} Retrieved 21 June 2009. The mannequin business was sold in 1991 to Japanese mannequin manufacturer, Yoshichu who had been a long time collaborator of Adel's{{Cite web |title=Rootstein: Adel Rootstein's early days - History / About / Early Days |url=https://www.rootstein.com/news/adel-rootsteins-early-days |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.rootstein.com}}.They continued to grow the business and release collections that stayed true to Adel's founding principles. Rootstein died in London on 20 September 1992.

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061124022709/http://www.fashionwindows.com/mannequin_companies/adel_rootstein/default.asp Fashion Windows]
• [http://www.fidm.com/resources/museum+galleries/exhibits/adel-rootstein-mannequins/index.html FIDM]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090124124223/http://rootstein.com/home_page.asp Adel Rootstein Official site]

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Category:1930 births

Category:1992 deaths

Category:British designers

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