Adel Rootstein (1930 – 20 September 1992) was a British
mannequin
A mannequin (also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off different fabrics and textiles ...
designer responsible for premium designs that are sold worldwide.
Early life
Rootstein was born in
Warmbaths
Bela-Bela ( Tswana/Pedi for "the pot that boils") is a town in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Deriving its name from the geothermic hot springs
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emerg ...
, South Africa in 1930. She married the industrial designer Richard Hopkins. Rootstein started by
making window displays, which gave her an understanding of "the void that had existed between fashion coverage in the international media & what actually happened in windows."
Mannequins
Rootstein started making mannequins in the kitchen of her basement flat in Earls Court in 1956.
She first hired sculptor John Taylor and model Imogen for her first mannequin, placed in a reclining position.
This was the start of her first collection, called "GoGo".
Rootstein has been called the "Rolls-Royce" of mannequin makers, and later used well-known singers and actresses as models for her mannequins;
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...
,
Joan Collins
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
and
Twiggy
Dame Lesley Lawson (''née'' Hornby; born 19 September 1949) is an English model, actress, and singer, widely known by the nickname Twiggy. She was a British cultural icon and a prominent teenaged model during the swinging '60s in London.
...
among them.
Rootstein Hopkins Foundation
In 1990, Rootstein and her husband Rick Hopkins set up the Rootstein Hopkins Foundation to assist young artists and designers.
Rootstein Hopkins Foundation, British Museum website.
Retrieved 21 June 2009. The mannequin business was sold in 1991 and Rootstein died in London on 20 September 1992.
References
External links
Fashion WindowsAdel Rootstein Official site
1930 births
1992 deaths
British designers
{{UK-artist-stub