Hannah Levy
Born in Haigerloch, Germany in 1905, Hannah Levy and her family were forced to flee to America to escape Hitler’s rise to power. As a young girl in New York City, Levy worked as an elevator girl, one of the only jobs she could get because of her limited English.
Levy, anxious to explore the United States, moved to Denver in 1927 to join her brother Jack. Together, they opened the Curtis Street Associated Hosiery, a very small hosiery store. Excited to expand, they bought a dress shop in 1936 and decided to change the name to the now well-known “Fashion Bar.”
The store’s quick success took Levy’s fashion career to new heights. Hannah and Jack soon opened other outlets throughout Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming. Jack concentrated his efforts on the day-to-day operations, while Hannah traveled to world-class cities as their buyer.
Levy, one of the country’s most well-known women retailers, was extremely dedicated, knowledgeable and disciplined. She believed speed, grounded in experience, was the essence of successful retailing. On her buying trips she was known for her fast pace from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., allowing only a 10-minute breakfast and a 15-minute lunch. She once said, “I work very hard. I see a million things and when I go back to the hotel in the evening I think I’m through. But then I begin to think.” It was that thinking that distinguished her as one of the most innovative buyers. When she would place orders throughout the country, manufacturers would often tell her “Hey, you’re ahead of New York.”
Hannah Levy wowed the retail world with her confidence, saying, “I’ve always tried to do the best job possible. Everyone thinks you have to be tough to succeed. That’s not true. You can’t lose your sense of compassion – I don’t care what you do.” She was also successful in mastering both her fashion instinct and her business philosophy. “In this business, each season is a new life. You go to New York – everything is fresh and different. You create many lives. The important thing is to love your job and make it exciting.”
While in business, Fashion Bar was enormously successful, boasting a number of divisions including, Fashion Bar Ladies, Fashion Bar Men’s, FB Careers, FB Design and Petites, FB Ltd., Stage, and an upscale store “Hannah,” named for its owner. At the peak of Fashion Bar’s success there were 83 stores. In 1992, the long-time family-owned business was sold to Specialty Retailers.
Levy prided herself on her community spirit. She was recognized for her many significant contributions to civic organizations, being awarded the Humanitarian Service Award by the American Jewish Congress. She was also a generous supporter of Rose Medical Center, Denver Symphony, Denver Art Museum and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. While she never married, Levy spent most of her time after retirement skiing and playing tennis with family and friends. Hannah Levy died in December of 1984 at the age of 79, after having made an unforgettable impact on the fashion world.
Levy, anxious to explore the United States, moved to Denver in 1927 to join her brother Jack. Together, they opened the Curtis Street Associated Hosiery, a very small hosiery store. Excited to expand, they bought a dress shop in 1936 and decided to change the name to the now well-known “Fashion Bar.”
The store’s quick success took Levy’s fashion career to new heights. Hannah and Jack soon opened other outlets throughout Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming. Jack concentrated his efforts on the day-to-day operations, while Hannah traveled to world-class cities as their buyer.
Levy, one of the country’s most well-known women retailers, was extremely dedicated, knowledgeable and disciplined. She believed speed, grounded in experience, was the essence of successful retailing. On her buying trips she was known for her fast pace from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., allowing only a 10-minute breakfast and a 15-minute lunch. She once said, “I work very hard. I see a million things and when I go back to the hotel in the evening I think I’m through. But then I begin to think.” It was that thinking that distinguished her as one of the most innovative buyers. When she would place orders throughout the country, manufacturers would often tell her “Hey, you’re ahead of New York.”
Hannah Levy wowed the retail world with her confidence, saying, “I’ve always tried to do the best job possible. Everyone thinks you have to be tough to succeed. That’s not true. You can’t lose your sense of compassion – I don’t care what you do.” She was also successful in mastering both her fashion instinct and her business philosophy. “In this business, each season is a new life. You go to New York – everything is fresh and different. You create many lives. The important thing is to love your job and make it exciting.”
While in business, Fashion Bar was enormously successful, boasting a number of divisions including, Fashion Bar Ladies, Fashion Bar Men’s, FB Careers, FB Design and Petites, FB Ltd., Stage, and an upscale store “Hannah,” named for its owner. At the peak of Fashion Bar’s success there were 83 stores. In 1992, the long-time family-owned business was sold to Specialty Retailers.
Levy prided herself on her community spirit. She was recognized for her many significant contributions to civic organizations, being awarded the Humanitarian Service Award by the American Jewish Congress. She was also a generous supporter of Rose Medical Center, Denver Symphony, Denver Art Museum and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. While she never married, Levy spent most of her time after retirement skiing and playing tennis with family and friends. Hannah Levy died in December of 1984 at the age of 79, after having made an unforgettable impact on the fashion world.
