Helen Barbara Kruger (July 29, 1913 – April 7, 2006) also known as Bobbie Nudie, was an American apparel designer and retailer.
Kruger was born in
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, Blue Earth, Nicollet County, Minnesota, Nicollet, and Le Sueur County, Minnesota, Le Sueur counties in the state of Minnesota. The population was 44,488 according to the 2020 United States ...
. She met her future husband
Nudie Cohn
Nuta Kotlyarenko ( uk, Нута Котляренко; December 15, 1902 – May 9, 1984), known professionally as Nudie Cohn, was an American tailor who designed decorative rhinestone-covered suits, known popularly as "Nudie Suits", and other ela ...
at her parents’ boarding house. He had done time in
Leavenworth for trafficking in drugs, but they fell in love and moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
They returned to Mankato to get married, then opened a business called ''Nudie's for the Ladies in Manhattan'' in 1934, which sold g-strings and lingerie to showgirls. It was around this time that Helen and Nudie had their only child, Barbara Cohn.
Later, in Hollywood, her husband made many rhinestone-studded costumes for
Tex Williams,
Hank Williams
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
,
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
Buck Owens,
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
,
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
,
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...
,
Roy Rogers and
Dale Evans. Among their most famous creations was a $10,000 gold
lamé suit for
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, designed and created by Nudie. Helen, or "Bobbie" as she was more famously known, was considered to do merchandising and sales at Nudies.
Nudie Cohn died in 1984. Bobbie, her sister Edith, daughter Barbara and granddaughter carried on after this until the Nudie's store was finally closed in 1994.
She died in
Valencia, California
Valencia is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California. This area, with major commercial and industrial parks, straddles State Route 126 and the Santa Clara River.
Development projects continue to be built in ...
, aged 92. She is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
References Biography
External links
Family web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kruger, Helen
1913 births
2006 deaths
People from Mankato, Minnesota
Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)