Here's a Colorado Cinderella story: what began in 1933 as a Denver hosiery store became Colorado's largest, privately held clothing retailer in 1992.
Siblings Hannah and Jack Levy, German émigrés, opened Hosiery Bar at 707 16th Street in 1933. In 1936, the store became Fashion Bar after the purchase of a nearby dress shop, and the Fashion Bar chain was born.
In 1958, Fashion Bar opened a new distribution center on Denver's South Broadway. The following year, they expanded and remodeled their University Hills location (shown below).
Fashion Bar continued to expand during the 1960s. In 1963, Fashion Bar stores opened in Boulder and Lakewood's Westland Shopping Center. In February 1964, the company announced plans for the construction of a new downtown Denver shopping destination at 16th and Tremont Place, designed by architect Richard L. Crowther.
The 16th Street store opened in early December 1965—just in time for the holiday shopping season.
By September 1966, the company's 15th store had opened at the Bear Valley Shopping Center. During the 1970s, Fashion Bar diversified its brand, opening specialty shops for men ("FB Men" and "L'Uomo"), young women ("Stage"), women 35 and older ("Hannah"), and children ("Young Set"). FB Design carried furniture and household designs.
When Fashion Bar turned 50 in 1983, the company boasted a fleet of 83 stores.
Fashion Bar's co-founder, Hannah Levy, passed away in 1984, and Jack H. Levy, died in April 1985.
After the deaths of its co-founders, Fashion Bar made plans to expand further west. Two stores opened in the Los Angeles area in 1988.
On June 2, 1992, the Levy family was bought out by Houston-based Specialty Retailers for $14.7 million. Specialty Retailers began shutting down the 71 Fashion Bar stores in 1995.
The last Denver-area Fashion Bar stored closed on January 31, 1997.
Photos and architectural records of Fashion Bar can be found in the Richard L. Crowther Architectural Records (WH1504)
Comments
Thank you for reading and commenting, Richard.
The ego of Bob Levy wanting to be President without proper training which Bill Weil wanted to do for a couple of years and rejected by Bob Levy and continued infiding between Bob Levy and John Levy sank FASHION BAR QUICKLY
I found this site because i found an fashion bar leather jacket in the attic.
My shopping trips to Fashion Bar were always a success from the time I was a teenager until its very last year. I always found something that fit correctly without requiring alterations. I especially loved the shoe department. Always excellent quality, fashionable styles and great value. I still miss it!
Something to be said for finding clothes that fit perfectly! Sounds like it was quite a store. Thanks for sharing, Sandra!
I loved shopping at The Stage store in The Crossroads Mall while attending CU Boulder. How I wish I still had some of those dresses now; they are back in style with a dash of vintage!
I was their Jr Sportswear Fashion Illustrator, fresh from Parsons School of Design in 1968, when I persuaded Art Director Mel Loeb to
Allow me to integrate minorities into the drawings for fashion ads in Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. Fashion Bar was the first clothing store in Colorado...and the entire Midwest Region I believe, to feature people of color, side by side with Caucasions, in the Fashion ads beginning early November 1968. Within one or two months, May D&F along with all Department stores in Colorado and beyond, integrated their ads as well.
The video about Hannah Levy and Fashion Bar brought back so many memories. My Grandmother Pearl Swiatoviak started working in the Accounting in the 1950’s, and retired from there in the late 1960’s. My sisters and I made bows at Christmas for all the stores earring our Christmas spending money. I was the Executive Office Receptionist for Jack Levy, Bill Weil, Hannah and their Secretary Wanda Cubs. To this day in 2020, I still have the necklace Hannah gave me for Christmas in 1972. So many of us considered ourselves as the Fashion Bar Family.
Sister charlene barnhill had a balance in dept of treasury, unclaimed funds for fashion bar.
I come back to read this article from time to time, and I'm always a little sad on 31 January... the last FB closed on this date.
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