Ernő László (11 July 1897 – 1973) was a Hungarian-born American dermatologist and cosmetics businessman who founded The Ernő László Institute.

Early life

László was born in the Kingdom of Hungary and raised in Budapest. He studied skin pathology and skin disease at the Royal Hungarian Elisabeth University of Medical Sciences in Budapest, and completed his clinical studies in Berlin, Germany, under Max Joseph. In 1927, László opened his first institute in Budapest with his brother, William Laszlo, the dr. Med. László Institute for Scientific Cosmetology. He achieved fame when he created a special foundation cream for Princess Stéphanie of Belgium who lost her self-confidence due to an acute case of acne. His reputation was further solidified after he treated actress Frida Gombaszoegi's facial scars after being shot in the face by a man she rejected. Soon, women from all ranks of society wanted to see László for skin and make-up advice.

The Ernő László Institute

In 1939, at the onset of World War II, László moved to New York. On 3 November 1939, the ''

New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the ''New-York Tribune'' acquired the ''New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and competed ...

'' reported that the Ernő László Institute, specializing in beauty treatments and cosmetics, had leased a floor in a building on 677

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...

, Manhattan. László's poor command of the English language threatened his institute, for despite the efforts of a language coach he could not pass the American Medical Association's accreditation examinations. The Ernő László Institute was aimed at the rich, famous and powerful. One needed to be recommended to gain admittance. Among his clients were the Duchess of Windsor, Doris Duke, Marjorie Merriweather Post, Greta Garbo,

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893February 27, 1993) was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was called the "First Lady of American Cinema", ...

, Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner, Cecil Beaton,

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

, Paulette Goddard,

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

, Marilyn Monroe, and

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...

. In the early 1940s, Helena Rubinstein approached László and offered to buy his business, but he declined. In 1945, László became a United States citizen. In 1966, László entered the retail marketplace, with partner

Chesebrough-Ponds Pond's is an American brand of beauty and health care products, currently owned by Unilever. History Pond's Cream was invented in the United States as a patent medicine by pharmacist Theron T. Pond (1800–1852) of Utica, New York, in 1846. M ...

, which later bought the Ernő László Institute.

Personal life

László married actress Irén Gombaszögi, whom he met while treating her sister, actress Frida Gombaszögi. Irén died of leukemia in 1967. Three years later, in 1970, he married

Sibille Schulz Sibille is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: *Constance Sibille (born 1990), French tennis player *Madeleine Sibille (1895–1984), French opera singer *Pietro Sibille (born 1977), Peruvian actor *Ray S ...

in a ceremony near Lugano, Switzerland.

Death

László died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

in March 1973. In 1995, the company László founded was bought by Mana Products from Elizabeth Arden. Mana Products' founder, Nikos Mouyiaris, had once worked for Ernő László as a chemist. The company was purchased in 2002 by Cradle Holdings Inc., a division of corporate finance group Fox Paine. In February 2011, the

RBS RBS may refer to: Organisations Banking * The Royal Bank of Scotland, a retail banking subsidiary of NatWest Group ** RBS International, the offshore banking arm of NatWest Group Education * Regent's Business School * Rotterdam Business School ...

Special Opportunities Fund, managed by RBS Equity Finance, backed Charles Denton in the acquisition of Erno Laszlo.

References

External links

Official Product Website (Erno Laszlo Inc.)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laszlo, Erno Cosmetics people 1897 births 1973 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople American cosmetics businesspeople Hungarian dermatologists Dermatologists Jewish physicians Hungarian emigrants to the United States Physicians from Budapest People from Partizánske District 20th-century Hungarian physicians