item 33 - B. G. Cox interview, 1984 February 7

Bert George "B.G." Cox (1921-2001) was the president (from 1970) and chariman (1986-1990) of The Joseph and Fleiss Company, Inc., one of the oldest fashion manufacturers in the U.S. Cox got his start in fashion in 1946 as an assistant buyer for the May Co. in Denver, Colorado. Cox represented the U.S. clothing industry as part of a trade mission in Ciaro, Egypt in 1979. From 1980 to 1982, Cox served as the president of the Men's Fashion Association. Cox acted as the president of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of America from 1983-1985 and 1988-1990.

"Mildred Finger Haines ... helped shape fashion tastes for four decades as a top buyer for department stores and a consultant to clothes makers and retailers.... From the late 1940's through the late 1960's, Mrs. Haines, known throughout her career as Mildred Finger, was a buyer of ready-to-wear at Macy's, Ohrbach's and Bergdorf Goodman, and was one of New York City's most often cited taste makers. At Bergdorf's, in particular, she was noted for bringing European styles to American consumers. She later became Vice President of Charles of the Ritz, headed fashion merchandising for Yves St. Laurent and became an independent consultant, with clients like the Limited and Arthur D. Little. Suffering from multiple sclerosis, she retired in 1986. In succeeding years, she frequently contributed her knowledge of the fashion industry to the oral history projects of the American Jewish Committee and the Fashion Institute of Technology...." New York Times Obituary, 1995