Rudi Gernreich

Rudi Gernreich (also: Rudy Gernreich, born August 8, 1922 in Vienna, † April 21, 1985 in Los Angeles ) was a fashion designer and gay activist.

1938, the Jewish Austrians Gernreich fled from persecution during the time of National Socialism in the United States, where he settled in Los Angeles. He initially joined on as a dancer and then became the fashion designer, in collaboration with the model Peggy Moffitt and William Claxton photographer. In 1950 he co-founded the Mattachine Society, the first gay rights movement worldwide since 1945.

His unusual and bold designs made ​​it there one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. Some of his ideas were the topless mode (called the monokini), the "total look " or the unisex fashion. These are today taken for granted as fashionable repertoire, however, resulted in the sixties to harsh opposition, which he, however, earned a lot of popularity and helped to numerous interviews in newspapers and television programs.

By Rudi Gernreich also the uniforms of the lunar crew come in the science fiction television series Moonbase Alpha 1

Gernreich left the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles an archive with numerous garments, designs and patterns, with press cuttings, accessories, furniture, notebooks, and some of his personal garments. It includes approximately 1000 objects ..