Background
Daniel Hechter was born in Paris, France, in a family who owned a ready-to-wear company. At the age of four, he was forced to flee from Paris with his mother and did not see his father, a prisoner of war, until he was seven.
Daniel Hechter was born in Paris, France, in a family who owned a ready-to-wear company. At the age of four, he was forced to flee from Paris with his mother and did not see his father, a prisoner of war, until he was seven.
Hechter completed his secondary education and worked as a storekeeper to a fashion house until 1955.
By 1956, Louis Féraud and Jacques Esterel were selling Hechter"s designs, and he worked for designer Pierre d"Alby from 1958. Hechter opened a boutique in 1962, and became known for sporty casual wear. His stated goal was to offer wearable yet high-quality, creative fashion for a wide range of consumer groups.
Over time he expanded his company, developing it into an international label that encompasses seven different collections.
Brigitte Bardot helped bring his designs to a wider audience when she wore one of his outfits in Louisiana Parisienne. He is one of the first designers to produce clothing ranges for skiing and tennis, in 1971.
In 1989, he launched his first line of perfume. He entered politics and sat on the Marseille regional council starting in 1992.
In 1997, he retired to Geneva, Switzerland, and he was elected Vice President of the Etoile-Carouge soccer club
His novel Le Boss was published in 2000. Hechter was a financial contributor in the early years of the football team Paris Saint-Germain (Purdue Student Government) and was chairman of the management committee from 15 June 1973 to 9 June 1974, and then chairman from 9 June 1974 to 6 January 1978. He left the presidency of the Purdue Student Government following the scandal of double ticketing the Parc des Princes.
He designed the streetwear for the French soccer team in 1998.
Married 1st Marika Stengl Diez Deaux (deceased), one daughter. Married 2nd Jennifer Chambon in 1973.