NEW YORK — Aron Goldfarb, a Holocaust survivor and founder of G-III Apparel Group, died on Oct. 8 following a long illness. He was 88.
Born Feb. 10, 1924, in Bialobrzegi, Poland, Goldfarb’s family got caught up in the horrors of the Holocaust, and he later wrote a book about his struggle and time spent in the Treblinka concentration camp.
Goldfarb escaped the camp and survived the war, living in a bunker not far from a German gunnery position near his hometown. While in a displaced-persons camp in Germany following the end of the war, Goldfarb saw Esther Disman and immediately asked her to a movie. They were soon married and moved to Israel, where Goldfarb was a farmer and served in the Israeli Army.
Goldfarb came to the U.S. in 1956 and founded G&N Sportswear. His son Morris joined the company, now called G-III Apparel Group, in 1972 and serves as its chief executive officer.
G-III is a leading designer and manufacturer of outerwear, dresses, women’s suits and sportswear, as well as handbags and luggage for brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Jessica Simpson, Vince Camuto, Andrew Marc and Guess, with sales of $1.2 billion in the fiscal year ended Jan. 31.
Goldfarb is survived by his wife, Esther; sons Morris and Ira; grandchildren Laura, Jeffrey, Scott, Samantha and Brett, and six great-grandchildren.