Geraldine Stutz
Geraldine Stutz (August 5, 1924 – April 8, 2005) was an American retail groundbreaker. She was appointed president of Henri Bendel in 1957, serving for 29 years until stepping down in 1986. Biography She was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were Anthony H. and Estelle Tully Stutz. She had a younger sister. Stutz married British painter David Gibbs. They divorced in 1977. At first, she aspired to be an actress. She studied drama at Mundelein College before changing her mind: Although still attached to a theater-related career, she began an interest in journalism. She moved to New York and became a fashion editor for movie magazines. In 1947, she was recruited as an associate fashion editor for Glamour magazine, where she wrote about shoes. Her name first became really known when she was Vice President of I. Miller Shoes in the 1950s where she helped launch Andy Warhol. From there she was selected to head an ailing Henri Bendel and was given three years to make it profitable. By 1964, Henry Bendel had experienced a 10 percent increase in sales, the largest increase in its history. By 1967, it had doubled its sale. In 1967, with financing from an