Henriette SIMON PICKER (American, 1917-2016)
Henriette SIMON PICKER was American shoe designer, who formed one of the first shoe import businesses in the US in 1960s.
She was born in 1917 to German-Jewish émigrés family in Jersey City. In 1928, after a disastrous business venture, her father William decided to give up on America, moving his young family to Berlin. There Henriette graduated from the Königin-Luise-Mädchen-Lyzeum (now known as Paul-Natorp-Oberschule) and later attended the Lette-Schule. The rise of Hitler forced the family to return to New York only days before the Reichstag fire in 1933. Later that year, Henriette SIMON was hired as a designer for world famous I. Miller Shoes. She left this company after two years to open her own shoe design studio in the Marbridge Building at Herald Square in New York City on the advice of renowned shoe designer, Mabel JULIANELLI. And continued to work as a designer for such companies as Mademoiselle, Palizzio, D’Antonio, Fox, Selby, Gran Sol and Enna Jetticks Shoes.
In 1952 Henriette SIMON opened her own business with her brother Regi, designing and manufacturing shoes for women to match their handbags and dresses. “Simone Shoes To Match” garnered much attention. In the October, 1952 issue of MaCall’s, her shoes were illustrated by uprising star Andy Warhol. In the 1960's she formed one of the first shoe import businesses in the US, and designed her own line, “Simone Shoes, Made in Italy” .
In 1983, after retiring from designing and manufacturing shoes, art and design careers came together. That year Henriette SIMON was commissioned to create the cover for the January 1983 issue of Footwear News Magazine.
She was born in 1917 to German-Jewish émigrés family in Jersey City. In 1928, after a disastrous business venture, her father William decided to give up on America, moving his young family to Berlin. There Henriette graduated from the Königin-Luise-Mädchen-Lyzeum (now known as Paul-Natorp-Oberschule) and later attended the Lette-Schule. The rise of Hitler forced the family to return to New York only days before the Reichstag fire in 1933. Later that year, Henriette SIMON was hired as a designer for world famous I. Miller Shoes. She left this company after two years to open her own shoe design studio in the Marbridge Building at Herald Square in New York City on the advice of renowned shoe designer, Mabel JULIANELLI. And continued to work as a designer for such companies as Mademoiselle, Palizzio, D’Antonio, Fox, Selby, Gran Sol and Enna Jetticks Shoes.
In 1952 Henriette SIMON opened her own business with her brother Regi, designing and manufacturing shoes for women to match their handbags and dresses. “Simone Shoes To Match” garnered much attention. In the October, 1952 issue of MaCall’s, her shoes were illustrated by uprising star Andy Warhol. In the 1960's she formed one of the first shoe import businesses in the US, and designed her own line, “Simone Shoes, Made in Italy” .
In 1983, after retiring from designing and manufacturing shoes, art and design careers came together. That year Henriette SIMON was commissioned to create the cover for the January 1983 issue of Footwear News Magazine.