David Sassoon (designer)
{{Short description|British fashion designer (1932–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = David Sassoon
| image = David Sassoon (designer).jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|10|5|df=y}}
| birth_place = Highbury, North London, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|4|9|1932|10|5|df=y}}
| death_place = London, England
| occupation = Fashion designer
| years_active = 1958–2012
| known_for = Co-ownership of Bellville Sassoon
}}
David Sassoon (5 October 1932 – 9 April 2025) was a British fashion designer and the owner of the Bellville Sassoon salon in Knightsbridge, London, founded by Belinda Bellville in 1953.
Early life and education
Born in Highbury, London on 5 October 1932{{Cite book |last=Benbow-Pfalzgraf |first=Taryn |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Contemporary_Fashion/z73uAAAAMAAJ |title=Contemporary Fashion |date=28 March 2002 |publisher=St. James Press |isbn=978-1-55862-348-4 |pages=60 |lccn=2002017801 |oclc=1310600583 |ol=8607025M}}{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/People_of_Today/8a8-AQAAIAAJ |title=People of Today |date=2002 |publisher=Debrett's |isbn=978-1-870520-21-8 |editor-last=Mosley |editor-first=Charles |editor-link=Charles Mosley (genealogist) |series=Debrett's Peerage Limited |pages=1751 |editor-last2=Foster |editor-first2=Sara |editor-last3=Gullen |editor-first3=Zoë}}{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=11 April 2025 |title=David Sassoon, designer who helped to shape the young Princess Diana’s fashion sense |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/04/11/david-sassoon-princess-diana-belinda-bellville-fashion/ |access-date=12 April 2025 |work=The Telegraph |issn=0307-1235}} to Iraqi Jewish parents Gourgi and Victoria Sassoon, Sassoon grew up in North London and initially intended to become an actor but turned to fashion when his father disapproved.{{cite web |last=Shure |first=Jan |date=8 January 2009 |title=Interview: David Sassoon |url=https://www.thejc.com/arts/arts-interviews/interview-david-sassoon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081146/http://www.thejc.com/arts/arts-interviews/interview-david-sassoon |archive-date=4 March 2016 |accessdate=22 February 2012 |website=The Jewish Chronicle}} He attended Avigdor High School and Lauderdale Road Synagogue in West London.
Career
Sassoon was invited by Belinda Bellville to join her salon in 1958 and in 1970 it became the Bellville Sassoon.{{cite book|last1=Sassoon|first1=David|last2=Stemp|first2=Sinty|title=The glamour of Bellville Sassoon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s5VoNwAACAAJ|accessdate=22 February 2012|date=25 January 2009|publisher=ACC Editions|isbn=978-1-85149-575-7}}{{cite book |author= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SC4aAAAAYAAJ |title=International Who's Who 2000 |date=1 January 1999 |publisher=Europa Editions |isbn=978-1-85743-050-9 |edition=63rd |page=1372 |accessdate=22 February 2012}} After Bellville retired in the 1980s, Sassoon ran the salon with Lorcan Mullany.{{cite news |title=David Sassoon Reflects on a Royal History |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/feature/david-sassoon-reflects-on-a-royal-history-1905797-1568616/ |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=WWD |date=30 December 2008}} Sassoon retired in 2012 at the age of 80.{{cite news |last1=Ashby |first1=Chloë |title=‘Diana wanted five maternity coats’: David Sassoon on tailoring to royalty |url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/oct/14/diana-wanted-five-maternity-coats-david-sassoon-on-tailoring-to-royalty |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=14 October 2023}}
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.{{cite news |last=Rufo |first=Yasmin |date=13 July 2023 |title=Princess Diana coat to be shown at Jewish design exhibition |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66175490 |access-date=13 July 2023 |work=BBC News}}
=Notable clients=
File:Bellville Sassoon coat, hand-painted by Richard Cawley, 1970-71.jpg, 1970–1971]]
He counted numerous socialites and members of the royal family amongst his clientele. He was the most prolific of Princess Diana's early designers, having designed over 70 outfits for her.{{cite book |last=McDowell |first=Colin |author-link=Colin McDowell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tFlEAAAAYAAJ |title=Diana style |date=1 July 2007 |publisher=Aurum |isbn=978-1-84513-200-2 |accessdate=22 February 2012}}{{cite book|last=Owen|first=Jane|title=Diana, Princess of Wales: the book of fashion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DeoJAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=22 February 2012|year=1983|publisher=Greenwich House|isbn=978-0-517-42981-5}}{{cite news |title=David Sassoon obituary: designer of 70 dresses for Diana |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/david-sassoon-obituary-designer-of-70-dresses-for-diana-p7n7rf03w |access-date=26 June 2025 |work=The Times |date=11 April 2025 |language=en}} Sassoon said of Diana, "When she got engaged, her mother brought her in to us and asked us to make the going-away outfit."{{cite book|last=Clehane|first=Diane|title=Diana: The Secrets of Her Style|url=https://archive.org/details/dianasecretsofhe0000cleh|url-access=registration|accessdate=22 February 2012|date=September 1998|publisher=Gt Pub Corp|isbn=978-1-57719-348-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/dianasecretsofhe0000cleh/page/28 28]}} Aside from Diana, Sassoon 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 appeared on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Sassoon claimed that he was "probably the only designer around today who has dressed every female member of the royal family except the Queen."{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd6_Tk1xczo |title=Designer David Sassoon at Buckingham Palace |date=19 March 2010 |publisher=Channel 4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413093438/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd6_Tk1xczo |archive-date=13 April 2016 |accessdate=22 February 2012}}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |fix-attempted=yes |url=}}
Death
Sassoon died in London on 9 April 2025, at the age of 92.{{Cite web |date=11 April 2025 |title=David Sassoon: The Designer Behind the Royal Wardrobe |url=https://www.ilmessaggero.it/en/david_sassoon_the_designer_behind_the_royal_wardrobe-8772990.html |access-date=11 April 2025 |website=Il Messaggero}} His death was confirmed by fellow fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.{{Cite web |last=Mohammed |first=Hikmat |last2=Conti |first2=Samantha |date=10 April 2025 |title=David Sassoon, Couturier to Princess Diana, Dies at 92 |url=https://wwd.com/eye/people/david-sassoon-dead-aged-1236508165/ |access-date=10 April 2025 |website=Women's Wear Daily}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=2867532}}
- [https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/fashion-sketch-david-sassoon/FgGkVKd77s5NIA?avm=4 Fashion Sketch – David Sassoon], Google Arts & Culture
- [https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?id_person=A16327 Designs by David Sassoon] at the Victoria and Albert Museum website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sassoon, David}}
Category:British people of Iraqi-Jewish descent