HONOUREE
Stuart Weitzman
This prize is awarded by the Fundación HispanoJudía to Stuart Weitzman in recognition of his outstanding values, achievements and generosity.
It is bestowed upon him as a sign of gratitude and admiration.
Stuart Weitzman represents in an exemplary manner so many of the universal values that Judaism embodies: excellence, perseverance, solidarity, optimism, tikun olam, respect for the others, appreciation of diversity and the love of freedom.
Stuart A. Weitzman is an American shoe designer, entrepreneur, philatelist, and founder of the shoe company Stuart Weitzman.
In the late 1950s, Weitzman's father, Seymour Weitzman, and his older brother Warren opened a shoe factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts, called "Seymour Shoes".
Weitzman began designing shoes for his father's business in the early 1960s.
Weitzman graduated from George W. Hewlett High School in 1958 and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1963. When Seymour died in 1965, Warren and Stuart ran the business.
Stuart decided to go further and in 1986 a new brand "Stuart Weitzman" was launched. Since then, the majority of Stuart Weitzman's collections have been produced in Elda, Spain, a tiny city in the Alicante province known for its artisanal shoemaking. Brand was owned by Stuart and his brother Warren.
They sold the business to a company in Spain in 1971, and Weitzman continued to design shoes for the company. In 1994, he bought back the business, but he continues to manufacture his shoe designs in Spain.
Weitzman is known for providing one-of-a-kind, "million dollar" shoes to Oscar nominees to wear at the Academy Awards such as the pair of platinum sandals adorned with 464 diamonds that actress Laura Harring wore to the 2002 ceremony.
Weitzman uses unique materials including cork, vinyl, lucite, wallpaper, and 24-karat gold. His shoes are sold in over 70 countries.
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Weitzman is married to Jane Gershon. Stuart and Jane have two daughters. His daughter Rachael Sage is a singer/songwriter. His daughter Elizabeth is a film critic and children's book author.
On February 26, 2019, University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann announced that the School of Design will be renamed the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
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Weitzman approaches his extensive charitable endeavors with equal commitment. Among these are his ongoing support for a wide range of hospitals and medical research centers, youth and sports organizations, and cultural institutions. He regularly mentors students on their entrepreneurial and design aspirations at several universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, and the London Business School.
During his free time, you may find him on the tennis court or at the ping-pong table. If you’ve got a racket, he’ll welcome the challenge...
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