- Helen Barbara Kruger
Helen Barbara Kruger (
July 29 ,1913 -April 7 ,2006 ) also known as Bobbie Nudie, was born inMankato, Minnesota .She met her future husband
Nudie Cohn at her parent's boarding house. He had done time in Leavenworth for trafficking in drugs, but they fell in love and moved toNew York City .They returned to Mankato to get married, then opened a business called "Nudie's for the Ladies in Manhattan" in 1934, which sold g-strings and lingerie to showgirls. It was around this time that Helen and Nudie had their only child, Barbara Cohn.
Later, in Hollywood, her husband Nudie Cohn made many outrageous, rhinestone-studded, costumes for such luminaries as
Tex Williams ,Hank Williams Sr ,Cher ,Elton John ,Buck Owens ,Clint Eastwood ,John Lennon ,Gene Autry ,Roy Rogers andDale Evans . Among their most famous creations was a $10,000 gold lame suit forElvis Presley , designed and created by Nudie. Helen or "Bobbie" as she was more famously known, was considered to do merchandising and sales at Nudies.Nudie Cohn died in 1984. Bobbie, her sister Edith, daughter Barbara and granddaughter carried on after this until the Nudie's store was finally closed in 1994.
Helen "Bobbie Nudie" Cohn died in
Valencia, California , aged 92.References
[http://annamerrill.com/6editorial.shtml Biography]
External links
* [http://www.nudiesrodeotailor.com Family web site]
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