James Galanos

James Galanos ( born September 20, 1924 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American fashion designer and painter.

Life

James Galanos, son of Greek immigrants, attended the Bridgeton High School in Bridgeton, New Jersey. In 1943 he studied fashion design at the Traphagen School of Fashion in New York City. Galanos worked for several famous fashion designers in Paris and in New York City, including Hattie Carnegie and Jean Louis. In 1951 he opened his own fashion house in Los Angeles. His clients included the singer Diana Ross, the actress Rosalind Russell and the former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Awards (selection)

The designer James Galanos was in Beverly Hills honored in 2001 with the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award. Like its predecessor prominent Salvatore Ferragamo, Herb Ritts, Mario Testino, Gianni and Donatella Versace he was immortalized with a plaque permanently on Rodeo Drive Boulevard.