Gottex: founded 1956 in Tel Aviv by Holocaust survivor Lea Gottlieb. She sold her wedding ring to buy fabric. Dressed Princess Diana and Elizabeth Taylor. Peak $40M revenue, 80 countries.
Gottex is an Israeli swimwear brand founded in 1956 in Tel Aviv by Holocaust survivor Lea Gottlieb, who sold her wedding ring to buy fabric and started sewing swimsuits on a borrowed machine in her Jaffa apartment. The brand became one of the world's leading fashion swimwear exporters, dressing Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Sofia of Spain, and Brooke Shields, and reached roughly $40-60 million in annual sales at its peak, shipping to 80-90 countries. Africa-Israel Group, controlled by Lev Leviev, bought the company in 1997.
How Did a Raincoat Factory Become a Swimwear Empire?
Lea Gottlieb, born Leah Lenke Roth in Hungary in 1918, survived the Holocaust in hiding with her two daughters while her husband, Armin Gottlieb, survived a Nazi labor camp. The reunited family immigrated to Israel in 1949 with almost nothing. Lea and Armin first opened a raincoat factory in Tel Aviv, only to discover the climate offered little use for raincoats. Lea sold her wedding ring to buy fabric, borrowed a sewing machine, and began making swimsuits in the family's Jaffa apartment instead. In 1956, the couple formally founded Gottex, a name combining "Gottlieb" and "textiles."
How Did Gottex Become a Global Luxury Brand?
Gottex built its reputation on vivid, glamorous prints inspired by Israeli light and color, described by Gottlieb as evoking "the aqua of the Mediterranean" and the golds of Jerusalem. The brand's haute-couture-style collections, which could take up to nine months to produce, attracted celebrity clients including Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Sofia of Spain, Brooke Shields, and Nancy Kissinger. By 1984, Gottex had reached roughly $40 million in annual sales (about $124 million in today's dollars); by the early 1990s, more than half of its business came from the United States, and in 1993 it was America's top swimsuit import. At its family-run peak, the company employed about 1,000 people, with Gottlieb's daughter Miriam Ruzow running the US showroom and her sister Judith Gottfried designing for the Israeli domestic market. Gottex's export-driven rise mirrors the trajectory of Israel's other major apparel exporter — see Delta Galil.
What Happened After Lea Gottlieb Sold the Company?
In 1997, Gottlieb sold Gottex to Africa-Israel Group, the Tel Aviv real estate and holding conglomerate controlled by Lev Leviev, at a point when the company was generating roughly $60 million in sales. Gottlieb stayed on to run the design department for another two years before leaving in 1998-1999 at around age 85 to launch a new label under her own name, "Lea," which she continued designing for into her 90s. Her husband Armin, who had run the company's finances, died in 1995; Gottlieb herself died in Tel Aviv in 2012 at age 94. Ownership of Gottex changed again in 2009, when private investors took over the group; the brand today continues producing swimwear from Israel and appears at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim events in Miami Beach.
Snapshot
| Founded | 1956, Tel Aviv, by Lea and Armin Gottlieb |
|---|---|
| Peak revenue | ~$40M (1984); ~$60M at 1997 sale |
| Export reach | 80-90 countries; top US swimsuit import (1993) |
| Celebrity clients | Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Sofia, Brooke Shields |
| 1997 sale | Africa-Israel Group (Lev Leviev) |
| Later ownership | Private investors, since 2009 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Gottex?
Lea Gottlieb, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor, founded Gottex with her husband Armin in Tel Aviv in 1956, after selling her wedding ring to buy fabric for her first swimsuits.
Did Gottex really dress Princess Diana?
Yes. Gottex swimwear and beachwear was worn by Princess Diana, along with other high-profile clients including Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Sofia of Spain, and Brooke Shields, from the 1970s through the 1990s.
Who owns Gottex today?
Africa-Israel Group bought Gottex from its founders in 1997; private investors took over the group in 2009.
Is Gottex still in business?
Yes. The brand continues to produce swimwear out of Israel and appears in fashion showcases such as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim in Miami Beach.
Olam Coverage
See the full Israeli Consumer Brands map for how Gottex compares to Delta Galil, Sabon, and other Israeli-founded fashion and consumer brands.
The Olam Editorial Team
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