Hollywood Studio Magazine (March 1967)

Tintype by Mabel DeCinces Nudie I t would be difficult to find one who enjoys wearing cowboy attire more than “Nudie”, the world’s most celebrated western designer, cos¬ tumer, and rodeo tailor. To Nudie the smell of leather is a familiar one as he is the son of a bootmaker. Born in Brooklyn, 1902, Nudie at the age of 8 was at home in his fath¬ er’s shop learning how to stitch two pieces of material together. He at¬ tended school 156 in Brooklyn but didn’t continue. At the age of 12 Nudie went to work for a tailor who taught him how to turn cuffs and bot¬ toms and he also delivered tuxedos. From there at the age of 14 he went into boxing at the Broadway Sport¬ ing Club on Broadway in Brooklyn. Two years later Nudie left for Cali¬ fornia with A1 McCoy (world’s mid¬ dleweight champion) for boxing ex¬ hibitions. He also worked as a film cutter and as an extra at Warner Bros, during the silent picture era starring Wally Reid. In 1926 Nudie went into business for himself, opening a tailor shop whipping up costumes for movie people. When the depression caught up with him he returned to New York but first stopped off at Man¬ kato, Minnesota. It was there that he met his future wife, and they mar¬ ried in 1933. In Mankato he opened a tailor shop and cleaning establish¬ ment, it too failed. Returning to New York Nudie went to work for a gar¬ ment company sewing brassiers - from this he went into the “G”-string business for burlesque queens. In 1940 Nudie yearned for the west, and with his wife Bobbie and their daughter Barbara came to Los Angeles. In 1942 Tex Williams was organizing a band and making per¬ sonal appearances. Nudie had a gar¬ age but no money for a sewing ma¬ chine. He contacted Tex Williams to make his western costumes. Tex sold one of his horses and saddles at auction, receiving $150 - thereby a western business was established in a garage. Tex on radio, coast to coast, plugging a cigaret for a com¬ mercial also plugged Nudie’s west¬ ern rodeo shop. In 1948 Nudie firmly established his western business by moving to Victory and Vineland, North Holly¬ wood. After 15 years he moved to Dean Martin and Nudie holding a hand- tooled leather carving of Dean by Manuel Cuevas larger quarters on Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood. Nudie has a well organized west¬ ern shop, employing 15 persons - each one is a craftsman in his own field: the leather maker who takes raw leather and treats and hand tools it into many things like sad¬ dles, bags, purses, shoes, etc.; coat- maker, bootmaker, hatmaker, pants- maker, and an embroidery man. A young lady securely locks into place by hand each crystal and rhinestone on every decorative costume. Nudie is proud of the fact that his costumes are never duplicated, and each west¬ ern and rodeo personality is aware of this. In 1949, Nudie invented the west¬ ern tuxedo, and in 1953 he was the first to use rhinestones and sequins on men’s western clothes - even on the boots. He is world famous as a rodeo tailor. Nudie personally cre¬ ates, cuts, and supervises almost every outfit that comes from his fab¬ ulous work shop - from a $25 hat to a 24-karat gold lame suit that was made for Elvis Presley to the sum of $ 10 , 000 . Most of the outfits are done in bright blues, gold, pink, and green for color TV. Can you picture an ivy league western suit with tight shoulders, tight trousers, and three- button short lapel coat. Nudie names as best dressed rodeo performers and actors: Tex Williams, Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Dale Robertson, Casey Tibbs, Rex Allen, Rory Calhoun, and Jimmy Dean. Nudie said of Andy De- vine, he is a six-horse size. It takes skins from six horses to make a jacket and pants for him. Nudie has made countless per- 14