Martin Greenfield, tailor to six US presidents and several A-list actors, dies at 95

Martin Greenfield, dubbed by GQ as "America's greatest living tailor," died on March 20 at the age of 95. He dressed six United States (US) presidents, several A-list actors, and professional athletes. The news of Greenfield's demise was announced by his sonsJay, Tod, and David, a report by CNN on Saturday (Mar 23) said. Greenfield founded themenswear shop Martin Greenfield Clothiers in Brooklyn in 1977 after 30 years of working in a clothing factory.

Following his retirement, his sons Jay and Tod took over the business. "Martin Greenfield Clothiers has continuously evolved from a CMT (cut make and trim) producer for menswear shops, department stores, and designers into a direct-to-consumer custom suitmaker," the company's website states.

From dressing Bill Clinton toLeonardo DiCaprio

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Greenfield had some of the most prominent personalities in the US as his clients. He made handcrafted suits for six presidents-Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama,Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. The first American president to don his suit wasDwight D. Eisenhower.

The 95-year-old's suits were also worn by the likes of Frank Sinatra,Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, and LeBron James. He was also behind thebright red suit and neon orange waistcoat Joaquin Phoenix wore in the 2019 film “Joker.”

A concentration camp survivor

Greenfield was born in 1928 in the village of Pavlovo, then Czechoslovakia, and now part of Ukraine. His birth name wasMaximilian Grünfeld.In 1944,Nazis forced him and his family from their home and onto a train to Auschwitz, where he was separated from his parents and siblings and incarcerated forover a year, CNN reported.

At the end of the Holocaust,Greenfield was the only surviving member of his immediate family. The time spent at the hellish concentration camp was whereGreenfield picked up the skills that would later define his career.

He moved to the US In 1947 and changed his name toMartin Greenfield to sound more American. He started working at aclothing factory in Brooklyn, moving up the ranks to becoming theproduction manager until he eventually bought the factory to start his business

(With inputs from agencies)