Clifford Grodd, who was the driving force and also chief executive officer of Paul Stuart died Tuesday after a long battle with Cancer at the age of 86. Grodd ran the specialty store for nearly 60 years, but had been unable to come to the store for the past 18 months due to his illness. In the honor of his passing, the store will be closed Thursday, which is the day the memorial services have been scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in Manhattan.
Grodd was born in New Haven, Conn. and was educated at the University of Connecticut. He also served as an Air Force gunner during World War II and was shot down over Hungary, captured and put into solitary confinement by the Germans. At the end of the war, he was awarded a Purple Heart.
Paul Stuart, a 60,000-square-foot fixture on Madison Avenue and 45th Street, was founded by Ralph Ostrove and his cousin Norman in 1938. Ralph Ostrove named the store after his son, Paul Stuart Ostrove. Grodd, who had completed an executive training program at the G. Fox department store in Hartford, Conn., joined Paul Stuart circa 1951 after marrying Ostrove’s daughter, Barbara.
Ostrove was in declining health and wanted to retire, so he asked Grodd to buy out his share of the company, which he did. The Paul Stuart logo features a fictional character sitting on a fence at Yale, according to Grodd’s account. Paul Stuart became known for its adherence to a soft shoulder look in tailoring. The company claimed to be the first American retailer to bring side vents to the States, as well as the three-button suit.
Over the years, Grodd helped dress celebrities such as Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, and Mel Brooks. Clifford Grodd was definitely a man who has made his mark in the fashion industry and will be missed by many.
~XOXO Fashionhustler
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