Kal Ruttenstein, 69, the fashion director of Bloomingdale's, died yesterday in New York. The cause was complications of lymphoma, the retailer said.
In its obituary for Ruttenstein, The New York Times noted that his “instinct for trends was so keen and enthusiasm for promotion so vigorous that he frequently upstaged even his more famous designers.”
The Times called Ruttenstein the most visible face of Bloomingdale's during his 28-year career there, telling shoppers what would be important for the season by blending the latest designs from the runways of Paris, New York and Milan with mainstream versions of the same trends. He also promoted many young designers, clearing window displays to expose the work of those who were then unknown to general audiences, including Zac Posen and Helmut Lang.
“He was really the one man who was the voice of the designer,” Donna Karan told the Times. “He understood us as designers, and then he could explain us to the consumer.”
“Kal had a unique ability to see what wasn't there,” said Bloomingdale's ceo Michael Gould. “He could conceptualize about something that had nothing to do with fashion and make it applicable to the business.”
Ruttenstein was born on June 9, 1936, in Buffalo, where his parents owned three clothing shops. In his teens, he often accompanied his mother on buying trips to New York. He received an English degree at Princeton University in 1958, and later an M.B.A. from Columbia University.
In 1960, Ruttenstein entered the training program at Lord & Taylor, and in 1972, he went to Saks Fifth Avenue as a vp, making his reputation as a fashion seer when the store quickly sold out of thousands of tie-dyed jeans, shirts and jackets he had ordered while on vacation in St.-Tropez. He then went to Bonwit Teller, where he was president.
In 1977, Marvin Traub, then the president of Bloomingdale's, hired Ruttenstein to shake up the store's stodgy image. Ruttenstein's response was a range of collections from young designers.