The “Joseph” who bring high fashion to the high street, Joseph Ettedgu, has died aged 74.
Mr Ettedgui, from a French-Moroccan Jewish family, arrived in Britain in 1960 as Morocco gained liberty and Jewish families left the country in droves for France or Israel.
But Mr Ettedgui “fell in love with London” and set up a hairdressing salon on the King’s Road.
He told the JC in an interview in 1989: I really wanted to be an architect but I’m awfully impatient. I decided to obtain a course in hairdressing and I loved it; I loved the way you could transform someone in two hours.”
He began turning his salon into a boutique, choosing clothes to show in the window. His Joseph stores would go on to stock the newest names in fashion, from Gucci and Prada to Alexander McQueen and Kenzo.
He sold the business in 2005 for a reported £23.8m but remained inspired director for a while afterwards. Credited with introducing black as a fashion staple, Mr Ettedgui was not often seen in anything other than a chic black ensemble.
Defending his high fashion at high prices, Mr Ettedgui told the JC he reviled the new fast-food fashion seen on the high street.
What I love is to sell somebody an item that they will wear, that goes with all in their wardrobe.
Now people are very impulsive — when they see something, they want to have it straight away. We live today with so much excitement — it’s strange, even though there’s a fashion recession people still go out and buy clothes to make themselves feel better.
Mr Ettedgui is thought to have died from cancer. The memorial service took place on Sunday; he is survived by his two brothers, Maurice and Franklin, his wife Isabel and their daughter, and two children from a preceding marriage.
