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The ‘godfather of denim’ was an Italian designer whose Jewish father was murdered at Auschwitz

JL;DR SUMMARY Adriano Goldschmied, known as the 'godfather of denim,' revolutionized the fashion industry by elevating jeans into luxury items. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HistoryAuschwitzHolocaustJewish IdentityFashionItalyDenimJeansAdriano GoldschmiedStonewash

Places mentioned

Castelfranco Veneto, Treviso, Italy
"Goldschmied, who died April 5 at 82, following a battle with cancer in a hospital in Castelfranco Veneto, Italy, credited himself with founding or developing at least 50 brands, including Diesel, AG, Replay, Gap 1969, A Golde and Goldsign."
Vico Canavese, Turin, Italy
"Goldschmieds mother, Sofia, was in hiding with his sister at the time of his birth on Nov. 29, 1943, in Vico Canavese, Italy."
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Italy
"Goldschmied got his start in fashion in the 1970s, when he launched his shop, Kings Shop, in Cortina dAmpezzo, and started a denim line, Daily Blue."
Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel
"According to a testimony made by a survivor to Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust center, Livio was denounced by a midwife and received permission to visit his son briefly after his arrest."
Auschwitz, Bavaria, Germany
"he was ultimately sent to Auschwitz, where he was killed several months later."
Milan, Italy
"One of six people with his last name deported by the Nazis via Milans central station, he was ultimately sent to Auschwitz, where he was killed several months later."

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Cairo Item ID 80489
Cairo Source ID 42
Retrieved 2026-04-21 18:00:19 UTC
Curated 2026-04-21 19:00:28 UTC