Olga Erteszek

Olga Erteszek (June 15, 1916 – September 15, 1989) was a

undergarment designer and lingerie company owner. She was famous for her nightgowns

with full, flowing skirt width and generous sweep.

Early life

Otylia Erteszek,

Nazi army, the young couple left their family, emigrating to Russia and Japan. They both eventually secured visas for the United States and moved to California

.

Her company's history

As the daughter of a

stockings

. Jan encouraged her to create something herself to address the problem.

Olga sewed a dozen or so lace-trimmed

sleepwear

and loungewear in the United States. Jan - who was the head marketing and sales director - insisted that Olga herself must appear in the advertisements with the tagline: “Behind every Olga, there really is an Olga.”

Olga held the women's record for patents at 28.[3] Olga and her husband were honoured for community and humanitarian work. In 1985, they received the California Industrialist of the Year Award for lifetime achievement. The eponymous Olga was one of the first businesses to initiate profit sharing for employees. In 1967, it became a publicly owned corporation valued at US$67 million. In 1984, Olga was ranked as a Fortune 500 company and one of the best 100 companies to work for in America.

Ownership changes

In 1984, Olga's company was purchased by

Warnaco changed the culture of Olga drastically. In 1986, the same year that Olga and Christina - Olga's daughter and heir - were honoured with New York's The Underfashion Club's Femmy Award

. Jan died In 1986. The Intimate Apparel Council honoured her with their first Intime Award.

Notable items

One notable piece of lingerie Erteszek designed was the Built-In Bra Nightgown.

Personal life

Erteszek and Jan had a daughter, Christina, in 1949.[4]

Death

Erteszek died of breast cancer in September 1989 at her home in Brentwood, California.^[5]

Sources

Susan Ware & Stacy Braukman (eds) (2004). Notable American Women: a biographical dictionary completing the twentieth century. Belknap Press.
ISBN 0-674-01488-X

Guide to Vintage Olga Lingerie - Company history and trademarks http://www.vintagepavement.com/guide-vintage-olga-nightgowns-lingerie/

References

^ "Bras, Girdles, and Family Secrets: The Revealing Story of the Olga Company". NextTribe. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
^ "Bras, Girdles, and Family Secrets: The Revealing Story of the Olga Company". NextTribe. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
^ "Google Patents". patents.google.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
^ "Christina Erteszek — OfficialUSA.com Records". www.officialusa.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
^ "Olga Erteszek, 73, Dies; Founder And Designer of a Lingerie Firm (Published 1989)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-10-26.

[1] "Bras, Girdles, and Family Secrets: The Revealing Story of the Olga Company". NextTribe. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2022-06-17.

[2] "Bras, Girdles, and Family Secrets: The Revealing Story of the Olga Company". NextTribe. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2022-06-17.

[3] "Google Patents". patents.google.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.

[4] "Christina Erteszek — OfficialUSA.com Records". www.officialusa.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.

[5] "Olga Erteszek, 73, Dies; Founder And Designer of a Lingerie Firm (Published 1989)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-10-26.

[5]