Fashion Designer — Emil Rutenberg

Emil Rutenberg is a recognized leader of California Fashion Design. Born in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, South in July 1949. He left medical school after two years and learned the garment trade via the family business in Johannesburg. At 22, he founded his own manufacturing business and within five years, the Emil Rutenberg label was an enormous success throughout South Africa. After touring Europe, the USA and the Orient, he settled in Los Angeles in 1983. "The market in L.A. seemed more innovative and I thought my ideas had a better chance of taking seed."

The Emil Rutenberg Collection is based on the idea that clothing should feel as good as it looks. His success rests in his choice of fabrics such as wools, silks, linens, viscose and metal blends in a variety of weights, drapes and textures and his individualistic approach to their use. These luxurious fabrics inspired Emil Rutenberg’s new signature collection "People Like Frank."

People Like Frank is a much more directional, diverse and youthful collection. It is a true contemporary line designed for a young woman's body. However, beyond fit, the approach is distinctively unique. Under the supervision of designer Fiorella Chlodnik the "signature" of the line is in its extensive detailing, not glitzy, it is not country crafting, but urbanized.