Ian Schrager
| Ian Schrager | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 19, 1946 New York City, New York, United States |
| Occupation | CEO, Founder, Chairman |
| Spouse(s) | Rita Noroña (divorced) Tania Wahlstedt |
| Children |
with Noroña: --Sophia Schrager --Ava Schrager with Wahlstedt: --Louis Schrager |
| Website | The Ian Schrager Company |
Ian Schrager (born July 19, 1946) is an American entrepreneur, hotelier and real estate developer, often associated with co-creating the Boutique Hotel category of accommodation. Originally, he gained fame as co-owner and co-founder of Studio 54.
Schrager grew up in a Jewish family in Brooklyn. His father Louis owned a factory in Long Branch, New Jersey which manufactured women’s coats and died when Schrager was 19. His mother Blanche died when he was 23. In 1968 he graduated from Syracuse University with a BA and then earned a JD from St. John's University School of Law in 1971. While at Syracuse, he was a member and eventual president of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. It was through this fraternity that he met fellow brother Steve Rubell, whom he would eventually go into business with. In December 1975, after practicing law for three years, Schrager and Rubell opened Enchanted Garden, a disco in Douglaston, Queens. Seeing the success of Enchanted Garden, Schrager and Rubell decided to open a nightclub in Manhattan. They signed the lease for Studio 54 in January 1977 and 6 weeks later it opened.
In January 1977, Schrager and Rubell signed the lease for Studio 54—which was originally the Gallo Opera House and had last been used as a CBS studio. They used the space's original theatrical infrastructure to constantly change the look and feel of the club. They dramatically reinvented the club's environment, size and design multiple times a night, creating new and exciting sets that completely transformed the space into something new. They often hosted special "one night only" theme parties for which the club completely metamorphosed with intricate sets and performance art.
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