With her European accent and energetic manner, Schachter scoured Seventh Avenue showrooms seeking gowns and new labels. More than any other bridal retailer, Kleinfeld forged into fashion wholeheartedly by personally mining labels for the Brooklyn store’s bridal selection.
Being a Holocaust survivor cultivated a strong sense of resilience and optimism that resonated through her nearly century-long life. Once in the U.S., her father Isadore, who had been previously been detained at Dachau with one of his brothers, opened a small fur store called Kleinfeld in Brooklyn. One of his favorite employees was Jack Schachter — due partially to the young man’s fur cutting skills — who also ingratiated himself with Hedda Kleinfeld.
“She really built Kleinfeld not only as an iconic name but she left an incredible mark on the whole industry with her vision. When she saw that the bridal industry was safe, she started visiting every single designer in the United States and all over the world to find new dresses that created the beginning of how we see the bridal industry today with many designers and a lot of fashion that appeals to many different kinds of brides,” Urshel said.
Playing up the spectacle aspect of wedding dress shopping, Kleinfeld amped up the customer service under Schachter’s arched critical eye, whisking individual brides to their respective dressing rooms, havingconsultants suggest and retrieve immaculate display gowns and then veils and headpieces from an elaborate encased glass display, enlisting fitters to cinch waistlines and, if need be, calling in Schachter for an expert opinion. Fickleness just went with the territory.
During his tenure at Amsale, Ingram visited Kleinfeld every Tuesday night. The store’s remote location in Brooklyn and its “impeccable customer service and selection” created “a captive audience,” he said. “There was no way a bride was leaving there without buying a dress. Having an onsite owner and manager, as she was, handpicking the dresses makes a big difference in how the store is perceived and run. That is especially true in bridal because it is so hands-on and so personal.
kleinfeld Shout out to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and the icon of New York Bridal fashions. Rest in peace Mrs. Hedda Kleinfeld Schachter and blessings to the Kleinfeld family and loved ones.
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