Leon Max (born Leonid Maksovich Rodovinsky; Russian: Леонид Максович Родовинский; 12 February 1954) is a Russian-American fashion designer and retailer.
Leon Max | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leonid Maksovich Rodovinsky[1] 12 February 1954 |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Known for | Founder of Max Studio upmarket fashion retail chain |
| Spouse |
Yana Boyko (m. 2014) |
| Website | maxstudio.com |
Early life
editMax was born in [2] Leningrad, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg),[3] in 1954, [4] to a playwright and a civil engineer.[5] His father's mother was Jewish which allowed him to leave the Soviet Union in 1974.[5] He then sought political asylum to Vienna on his way to Israel. He later enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1986, at which time he legally changed his name to Leon Max.[6]
Career
editHe worked as a personal trainer in New York. He then worked for the New York fashion house Tahari, and then Los Angeles-based Bis, a women’s sportswear firm.[citation needed]
He founded Max Studio in 1979.[7] An upmarket fashion chain, Max Studio sells through department stores. It also has 46 of its own retail stores in the U.S. and another 50 in the Far East.
In July 2012, he received an honorary degree from the University of Northampton.[8]
Personal life
editMax has been married three times, and has three children. His first two marriages ended in divorce.[2][9] His first marriage was to model Kim Reynolds, mother of his daughter, Sophie Max for whom he named a clothing line.[5] His second marriage with Ame Austin, an American model and stylist, ended with his 2009 divorce fillings.[10] In 2014, he married Yana Boyko, a Ukrainian model.[9]
In 2005, he purchased Easton Neston in Northamptonshire, England from Lord Hesketh.[3][11][7] He converted the 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) fire damaged Wren wing of the house, plus the outbuildings which were the home of defunct Formula One team Hesketh Racing, into a design studio. The interior design was done by Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill.[7] In July 2011, a party was thrown at Easton Neston to celebrate the completion of its renovation.[12] It was hosted by Richard Dennen, Mary Charteris and Josephine de La Baume.[12]
In 2010, he purchased a house formerly owned by Madonna in the Hollywood Hills, near the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, California.[13]
According to The Sunday Times in 2020, Max has a net worth of £410 million.[14]
References
edit- ^ "Русские, скупающие Британию по кускам". 11 March 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Leon Max (born Leonid Maxovich Rodovinksi) - The Steeple Times". www.thesteepletimes.com. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ a b Nina dos Santos, Irene Chapple, Russian tycoon to English country gent: Leon Max and his stately home, CNN, 3 February 2013
- ^ "Sunday Times Rich List 2014 (age 60)". 18 May 2014.
- ^ a b c "To the Max". W Magazine. 26 February 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ Leonid Maxovich Rodovinski; The National Archives at Riverside, California, USA; Petitions for Naturalization, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991.
- ^ a b c Mitchell Owens, Easton Neston Revived, Architectural Digest, May 2012
- ^ University awards honorary degree to fashion designer Leon Max, Northampton Chronicle and Echo, 20 July 2012
- ^ a b Leon and Yana Max's wedding, Tatler, 14 October 2014
- ^ "Case BD505035 Leon Max Vs Ame Austin - Trellis: Legal Intelligence + Judicial Analytics". Trellis.Law. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ Yori Yanover, Designer Leon Max Is Buying Up Britain, The Jewish Press, March 11, 2012
- ^ a b Julia Neel, Leon Max Party, Vogue, 26 July 2011
- ^ Juliet Chung, Candace Jackson, Max Studio Designer Buys Former Madonna Casa, The Wall Street Journal, September 17, 2010
- ^ Times, The Sunday. "Rich List 2020: profiles 304-399=, featuring Simon Cowell and Sir Elton John". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 July 2020.