Théophile Bader
Théophile Bader (April 24, 1864 – March 16, 1942) was a French businessman. He was the co-founder of Galeries Lafayette.
Early Life
Théophile Bader was born to Jewish merchants Cerf Bader and Adèle Hirstel.[1] His family owned vineyards and sold livestock. The family name, "Bader", was the result of the Napoleonic decree of 1808, which required Jews to choose a fixed surname for themselves and their children. One of his ancestors, Jacques Lévy, chose Bader. It is possible he borrowed the name from a non-Jewish friend. After the 1870 defeat and the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine to Prussia, the Baders, who were strongly attached to France, moved to Belfort, where Théophile continued his studies. At the age of 14, his parents sent him to Paris to work in clothing manufacturing.
Career
In 1893, Bader and his cousin Alphonse Kahn opened a 70-square-meter haberdashery called Les Galeries.[2] On December 21, 1895, they acquired an entire building at 1 Rue La Fayette. They incorporated Galeries Lafayette on September 1, 1899. During this period, the Galeries had their own studios where they manufactured clothing. These studios remained open until ready-to-wear fashion entered the market in the 1960s.
In 1909, Ernest Wertheimer and Émile Orosdi, future partners in Chanel No. 5, granted an 800,000-franc loan to Galeries Lafayette to purchase a neighboring building. In 1912, Alphonse Kahn withdrew from management operations but continued to share the role of chairman of the board with his cousin. Bader established a relief fund, a daycare center, and a pension fund before the imposition of statutory funds.
From 1916 to 1926, Galeries Lafayette expanded to locations such as Nice, Lyon, Nantes, and Montpellier. During the 1920s, Théophile Bader attempted to expand to other countries but with limited success. He personally invested in multiple businesses, notably D'Orsay (in 1916) and Vionnet. He became one of the first to sell ready-to-wear clothing in his department store by copying haute couture models.
Death and Legacy
Bader died on March 16, 1942.[3] One of his sons-in-law, Raoul Meyer, became the president of Galeries Lafayette, while another, Max Heilbronn, was the founder of Monoprix.