Gus Fisher (fashion)

Gurshon "Gus" Fisher ONZM (11 December 1920 – 20 July 2010) was a philanthropist and leading figure in the New Zealand fashion industry. He headed the fashion house El Jay for 50 years, introducing Parisian style to New Zealand, and was the New Zealand agent for Christian Dior for 33 years from 1955 until 1988. In 2001 The University of Auckland opened the Gus Fisher Gallery, named after him in recognition of his contribution to the gallery. In 2010, Fisher and his wife Irene were the recipients of the fifth annual Arts Foundation of New Zealand Award for Patronage.

Gus had a love of beauty and he was a passionate collector of painting, sculpture and objects d'arte.

Fisher was born in Paraparaumu, New Zealand on 11 December 1920. He was the youngest of six children of parents Michael Fisher and Fanny Dabscheck. His father, Michael was a Jewish immigrant from Odessa in Russia. His mother, Fanny was the daughter of Russian Jews who had immigrated to Australia. Gus was eight years younger than his eldest brother Sir Woolf Fisher, co-founder of Fisher and Paykel, the very successful whiteware company. At 15, Gus left school and went to work for his second brother Louis Jacob (Lou). Lou founded El Jay (named after his initials) as a whiteware importing and distribution business. After the imposition of whiteware import tariffs Lou decided to diversify and began to manufacture women's clothing. This is where Gus Fisher excelled. Gus Fisher served in Tonga during World War II as a gunnery sergeant. He returned to Auckland in 1945 to become managing director of El Jay.

While the young Queen Elizabeth II was the fashion role model for most New Zealand women of the 1950s, Gus Fisher instead looked to Paris for influence. He travelled there every year to see first-hand the new designs and fabrics and to experience the mood and feel of the fashion trends. For his own fashion label, El Jay, he interpreted French Couture and created his own version of uncluttered European elegance making it available to women here. This commitment to experiencing the real thing led to not just a keen awareness of the latest trends but also to the establishment of relationships with the Paris couturiers which in turn led to El Jay becoming the New Zealand licensee for Christian Dior, giving it the exclusive rights to manufacture and sell Christian Dior originals and Christian Dior prêt-à-porter in the New Zealand market. The quality of the production from the house of El Jay is legendary and Fisher never lost the Dior license becoming the longest license holder in the world. He was the New Zealand agent for Dior from 1954 until El Jay closed its doors in 1988. For 50 years, El Jay was sold in the top department stores and fashion boutiques including his own flagship stores the French Shop in Remuera and the El Jay boutique in the 246 building, a 1960s retail development on Queen St in Auckland.

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