Fred Hayman

Background

Hayman was born Fred Pollag in Saint Gallen, Switzerland in 1925, the son of Richard Pollag and Irma Levy. After his father died, his mother married Julius Haymann (two n"s), who already had a son, Eugene.

Career

He is also known as "Mr. Beverly Hills" and "Mr. Rodeo Drive". His family emigrated to New York during World World War II, where Hayman found work as an apprentice chef at the Waldorf-Astoria.

In 1943, Hayman joined the United States Navy, but stayed in the United States training with the Navy to become a dentist until 1946, when he went to Paris and Mexico City, before returning to work at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Beverly Hilton By the 1960s, Hayman was the manager of the Beverly Hilton hotel. This was where he met Gale, who was working there as a cocktail waitress, and was also a divorcee.

He was sixteen years older than she. Giorgio Beverly Hills Giorgio Beverly Hills was the first luxury boutique to be founded on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills.

lieutenant was founded by Hayman and George Grant, who opened their women"s fashion boutique in 1961 at 273 Rodeo Drive (at the junction with Dayton Way), which was then a very ordinary street.

Gucci, Tiffany and others established Rodeo Drive stores appeared in the mid-1970s. The name was derived from Grant"s first name. Hayman recognised the potential of the site, as it was close to The Beverly Hilton hotel, where he had been working.

The store used a signature yellow-and-white striped awning, which came to symbolise a Beverly Hills lifestyle.

Hayman bought out Grant in 1962. The store had a reading room, pool table and oak bar, so that men could amuse themselves while the women shopped.

Customers included Natalie Wood, Princess Grace, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Diana Ross, Charlton Heston, and Elizabeth Taylor. In 1979, it was determined that there should be a signature fragrance and two years later in November 1981, Giorgio was launched.

In 1987, the fragrance business and the Giorgio Beverly Hills brand was sold to Avon for $165 million.

Fred Hayman Beverly Hills Following the sale of the Giorgio Beverly Hills brand, the store"s name was changed to Fred Hayman Beverly Hills. 273 Rodeo Drive is now a branch of Louis Vuitton, but Fred Hayman Beverly Hills has a smaller boutique nearby. Hayman also owns an office building in Canon Drive, next to the restaurant Spago, which has his name on the top in a distinctive red script against a background of his signature yellow.

Hayman has donated to the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden.

Achievements

• In 2011, Hayman was honoured with a star on the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style. Also in 2011, Rose Apodaca published a new biography of Hayman, Fred Hayman – the extraordinary difference. In Beverly Hills, the street Fred Hayman Place has been named in his honour.