Object numberM2017/016:002
DescriptionPhotograph of Julianna (Juci) and Tibi Foster (Faludi), with their son George. It was taken in Australia circa 1954 and was donated to the Museum by George - now Dr. George Foster - at the conclusion of the Museum's 'Dressing Sydney' exhibition.
Tibi and Juci Foster left Hungary and arrived almost penniless in Sydney in September, 1947 with their young son and Tibi’s mother. Juci was a dress designer and dressmaker and Tibi was a jack-of-all trades. Initially Juci began work by designing and making clothes at home for private clients, but quickly began to supply dresses for established clothing stores, the first being for Sports Lazar in the Imperial Arcade.
Tibi managed to get a bank loan to expand and they set up their own business and factory in St Paul Street, Randwick – Falutex Fashions. Operations expanded rapidly and they moved to Oxford Street Taylor Square where they employed 20 people. At its height, Falutex Fashions supplied many dress stores in Sydney, including John. J Hilton, Kitty Lou, Sports Lazar and wholesalers Egon and Hetty Gordon. In 1962 they went into partnership in a dress shop, Bonnie Blair, in Parramatta, however when Tibi moved into property development and real estate the shares in Falutex Fashions were sold and the Parramatta shop was closed in 1964.
These years in the Rag Trade or schmatte business, as it’s known in Yiddish, was instrumental in helping Tibi and Juci establish themselves securely in their new home. For many post-war Jewish immigrants, the fashion industry offered accessible opportunities for realising a new life, particularly if they were prepared to work hard, innovate and adapt. In addition, it was often easy to operate in the rag trade where language barriers were less acute. In the climate of a post-war Australia, the European influence of new immigrants was well received, thus shifting the country’s collective sensibilities and the cultural landscape of fashion.
Tibi and Juci Foster left Hungary and arrived almost penniless in Sydney in September, 1947 with their young son and Tibi’s mother. Juci was a dress designer and dressmaker and Tibi was a jack-of-all trades. Initially Juci began work by designing and making clothes at home for private clients, but quickly began to supply dresses for established clothing stores, the first being for Sports Lazar in the Imperial Arcade.
Tibi managed to get a bank loan to expand and they set up their own business and factory in St Paul Street, Randwick – Falutex Fashions. Operations expanded rapidly and they moved to Oxford Street Taylor Square where they employed 20 people. At its height, Falutex Fashions supplied many dress stores in Sydney, including John. J Hilton, Kitty Lou, Sports Lazar and wholesalers Egon and Hetty Gordon. In 1962 they went into partnership in a dress shop, Bonnie Blair, in Parramatta, however when Tibi moved into property development and real estate the shares in Falutex Fashions were sold and the Parramatta shop was closed in 1964.
These years in the Rag Trade or schmatte business, as it’s known in Yiddish, was instrumental in helping Tibi and Juci establish themselves securely in their new home. For many post-war Jewish immigrants, the fashion industry offered accessible opportunities for realising a new life, particularly if they were prepared to work hard, innovate and adapt. In addition, it was often easy to operate in the rag trade where language barriers were less acute. In the climate of a post-war Australia, the European influence of new immigrants was well received, thus shifting the country’s collective sensibilities and the cultural landscape of fashion.
Production date 1954 - 1954
Object namephotographs
Materialphotographic emulsion, paper, paper
Dimensions
- width: 101.00 mm
height: 152.00 mm
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Dr George Foster