Nudie Cohn: The Rhinestone Cowboy Who Made America Sparkle
In a world where sequins meet saddle leather, where pistols become door handles, and where mismatched boots are a fashion statement, there was Nudie Cohn. The man who came from nothing and made show business shine like never before. This is the remarkable, rhinestone-studded tale of the original Rhinestone Cowboy.
From Kiev to the Land of Opportunity
Born Nuta Kotlyarenko in 1902 in Kiev, Russia (now Ukraine), Nudie's early life was as humble as it gets. His father was a cobbler, his mother raised geese and ran a theatre concession stand, and young Nuta apprenticed with a tailor. He loved the feel of fabric and was fascinated by the shapes and colors he could create—a passion that would one day dazzle the world.
At age 11, escaping the pogroms and seeking a better life, Nuta and his brother Julius set sail for America. Upon arriving at Ellis Island, an immigration official mangled his name into "Nudie Cohn." Nudie later quipped that the officer did him the greatest favor of his life, setting the stage for a legend to be born.
Adventures Across America
Nudie's early years in America were a wild ride. He shined shoes, boxed, and crisscrossed the country, even claiming to have hung out with the notorious gangster Pretty Boy Floyd. Along the way, he developed a love for country music and made friends among musicians.
In Mankato, Minnesota, he met the love of his life, Helen "Bobbie" Kruger. They married in 1934 and welcomed their only child, Barbara. The couple moved to New York City and opened their first clothing store, Nudie's for the Ladies, specialising in custom-made undergarments for showgirls. Even then, Nudie's flair for bold designs and intricate craftsmanship was evident.
The Western Dream and Nudie's Big Break
But the West was calling, and in the early 1940s, Nudie and Bobbie moved to California, setting up shop in their garage. His life was marked by the western movement, and when he went west, he truly went west.
In the mid-1940s, Nudie faced a setback when he underwent hernia surgery without insurance, losing everything. On the brink of returning to New York, he had one last idea: make outfits for celebrities. In 1947, he struck a deal with a young, struggling country singer named Tex Williams. Tex sold his horse to buy Nudie a sewing machine, and in return, Nudie crafted custom outfits for him. When Tex's rhinestone-encrusted suits started turning heads, Nudie and Bobbie opened Nudie's of Hollywood on the corner of Victory and Vineland in North Hollywood, dealing exclusively in western wear.
The Rise of the Nudie Suit
Nudie's designs didn't just shine—they sparkled like the Fourth of July. He took the already flamboyant western style to new levels of glamour with generous use of rhinestones, intricate chain-stitch embroidery, and themed motifs. One of his early masterpieces was a suit for Porter Wagoner in 1962, featuring a covered wagon on the back and wagon wheels on the legs.
Perhaps the turning point was when he designed an outfit for honky-tonk singer Lefty Frizzell, spelling out Lefty's initials in blue rhinestones. The country music community was awestruck. Musicians, actors, and even politicians clamored for his creations, which became synonymous with the golden age of country music and western films.
A Star-Studded Clientele
Nudie's client list reads like a who's who of mid-20th-century entertainment. Elvis Presley donned a $10,000 gold lamé suit crafted by Nudie. Hank Williams sported a white cowboy suit with musical notations on the sleeves. Gram Parsons wore the infamous suit featured on the cover of The Gilded Palace of Sin, adorned with pills, poppies, marijuana leaves, naked women, and a giant cross—causing quite the stir.
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans became close friends, often seen in Nudie's designs. The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, John Wayne, Gene Autry, Cher, Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Janis Joplin, Glen Campbell—the list goes on. Even President Ronald Reagan got in on the action. Nudie didn't just design for the stars; he became one himself. In 1969, he was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, a rare accolade for a tailor.
The Nudie Mobiles: Cars Fit for Cowboys
Nudie's flair for the extravagant wasn't limited to clothing. In 1950, with newfound success, he bought a white Hudson convertible and thought it would look swell with steer horns on the hood. This was the birth of the "Nudie Mobile." Over the years, he customized 18 cars, mostly Pontiac Bonnevilles, each more outrageous than the last.
These cars came equipped with six-shooter door handles, rifles affixed to the trunk and fenders, hand-tooled leather dashboards covered in silver dollars, and saddles instead of backseats for the young cowpokes. The steering wheel might be a set of longhorns, and the floor mats, genuine cowhide. One of these marvels is on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Another hangs over the bar inside Buck Owens' Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California.
Walking Advertisement and Mismatched Boots
Nudie himself was as flamboyant as his designs. He strutted around town in his own outrageous suits and rhinestone-studded cowboy hats. His flashy trademark was wearing mismatched boots—a nod to his humble beginnings when he couldn't afford a matching pair of shoes in the 1930s. He said it reminded him of where he came from and how far he'd journeyed.
Legacy and Revival
In 1963, the Cohns relocated their business to a larger facility on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, renaming it Nudie's Rodeo Tailors. The shop became the epicenter of western glamour, attracting stars from all over the world.
Nudie Cohn passed away in 1984 at the age of 81. His funeral was a star-studded affair, with numerous celebrities paying their respects and Dale Evans delivering the eulogy. Nudie's Rodeo Tailors remained open under the ownership of Bobbie and their granddaughter Jamie until 1994.
But the sparkle didn't fade. In 2015, Jamie revived the brand, opening Nudie's Rodeo Tailors and Nudie's Custom Java in Old Town Newhall, California. The shop contains rare historic Nudie memorabilia and a wall of famous photographs from the original shop. In Nashville, Nudie's Honky Tonk celebrates his legacy with the city's longest bar, embedded with 10,000 silver dollars.
The Rhinestone Cowboy Rides On
From Kiev to Hollywood, from sewing machines to silver dollars, Nudie didn't just dress stars—he made them shine brighter. His larger-than-life personality and unforgettable designs continue to inspire, proving that a little sparkle and a lot of ambition can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
So next time you see a rhinestone-studded suit or a pair of mismatched boots, tip your hat to Nudie Cohn, the original Rhinestone Cowboy who made America sparkle.