Shelli Dawn Segal

Shelli Segal-Elimelech passed away on Monday February 3rd, 2020. Professionally known as Shelli Segal, she was born in Dallas, Texas on June 30, 1954. Shelli has been a renowned women's clothing designer for over 40 years. Born in Dallas, Texas in 1954, and raised in Manhattan, Shelli began her professional career at 17 years old after being discovered by Ruth Manchester, whose company was based in The Garment District in Manhattan. Subsequently, she held numerous designing positions that took her all over the world. For several years, Shelli had sample rooms in New Delhi and Hong Kong, and in 1981 she moved from New York to California, where she launched her esteemed fashion lines. 

An award-winning graduate of Manhattan's High School of Music and Art, Shelli won an art scholarship to State University of New York at Purchase. She held the dignified roles of both a teacher and a judge for the Fashion Critics Award Show for Otis/Parsons School of Design, and won the title of "Contemporary Sportswear Designer of the Year" for three consecutive years in Dallas and San Francisco.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Shelli advanced her career as a diligent executive. She designed for Le Mont St. Michel, Andre Bini, Leon Max, La Blanca, Leo, and Jolie Madame. She also had a signature line for JM Studio, owned TKO, and later created Sister Sam, a high-end children's wear company, named after one of her twin daughters. Shelli was widely known for her label Laundry by Shelli Segal, and her last company, Bailey44, from which she retired.

To those who had the joy and honor of knowing her personally, she will be remembered not just for her rare talent and hard work, but as an incredible wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, and friend. She is survived by her husband, artist Moshé Elimelech, her twin daughters, Sam and Dena Elimelech, her parents, Jerry Segal and Ann Benson Segal, her brother and sister-in-law, Robby Benson-Segal and Karla DeVito-Segal, and her aunt Sandy Benson.

She will be dearly missed.