Nudie Cohen was one of the most famous people making western clothes in the 1940s and his work continued into the Elvis Presley days. The Russian born immigrant had a poor beginning and with wife Bobbie eventually found their way to the west coast
From the Nudie Rodeo Taylor website:
“Nudie and Bobbie, came to California in the early 1940’s and started making clothes out of their garage. Spade Cooley, Cliffie Stone, Lefty Frizzell, Tex Williams and his band, gave him a chance that set him well on his way. Nudie and Bobbie decided that before they would talk to any others they needed to set up a shop. So off they went, with the help of their friends, to the corner of Victory and Vineland in North Hollywood.
“They first approached Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in the early 1950’s and eventually became their custom tailors suiting them for every appearance, becoming their personal friends.
“In 1957, Nudie made a $10,000 gold lame’ suit for Elvis Presley, which became a very famous item.
“In 1963, they moved to the location on Lankershim Blvd. There Nudie continued to clothe everybody who was anybody… John Wayne, Gene Autry, Cher, John Lennon, Ronald Reagan, Elton John, Robert Mitchum, Pat Buttram, Tony Curtis, Michael Landon, Glenn Campbell, Hank Snow, Hank Williams Sr.,and groups such as, America, Chicago, ZZ top, and the Flying Burrito Bros where Gram Parsons wore the well known Marijuana leaves suit.
“Nudie had a style of his own. He strutted around town in Rhinestone suits and unmatched boots to commemorate his humble beginnings, so as to not forget that at one time, he could not even afford a matching pair of shoes. Quite a man I’d say!
“To add to his flashy style Nudie created a fleet of 18, silver studded, gun toting, cattle stampeding automobiles. Distributed throughout the nation, Nudie left one behind, the 1975 Cadillac El Dorado, for his bride Bobbie to ride off into the sunset. But in 1984, Nudie died at the age of 81. Dale Evans was there to give the Eulogy.”
You can find the Nudie official website HERE.