Mr. George Feldenkreis is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Perry Ellis International, Inc.
University trustee George Feldenkreis passes away Feldenkreis, who emigrated from Cuba in 1961, started a clothing empire and gave generously to the University, making a landmark gift to the College of Arts and Sciences' Judaic Studies Program, which is now named in his honor.
Poverty never prevented George Feldenkreis from taking an ingenious approach to a challenging task. Growing up poor in his native Cuba, he went to work at age 15 for a Zionist organization, tracking contributions alphabetically by donor and by address.
“If I made a mistake, I’d have to redo the entire list, looking up street numbers all over again,” Feldenkreis recalled in a July 2024 issue of MR magazine. So, he memorized the list—a process he regarded as “easier” than having to look up the information all over again. “To this day,” he said, “I still remember the names and addresses of the donors.”
That unique grit served Feldenkreis well, helping him to succeed as a student at the University of Havana’s law school and later as an entrepreneurial genius who launched everything from an automotive parts company to an iconic global fashion firm.
Feldenkreis, a longtime University of Miami trustee and benefactor who fled the repressive Castro regime and emigrated to Miami in 1961, started a number of successful businesses and became a respected citizen who supported several causes, passed away on Feb. 20.
He was 89.
“George lived life to the fullest,” said Manny Kadre, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. “We are fortunate that his definition of fullness always included service to others, tenacity, generosity, and optimism. Our students and the greater South Florida community will always be grateful for his example.”
Feldenkreis is best known as the founder and former CEO of the Miami-based apparel company Perry Ellis International.
In 1967, with his brother, Isaac, Feldenkreis founded Supreme International, which manufactured school uniforms and guayabera shirts. In 1993 he took the company public, and six years later he acquired the Perry Ellis menswear brand, changing its name to Perry Ellis International.
The company went private in 2018. Feldenkreis’ son, Oscar Feldenkreis, has served as its CEO since 2016.
Born in 1935 in Cuba to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, Feldenkreis served as a University of Miami trustee for more than 20 years.
He donated $2 million to the University’s Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies. The gift, which named the College of Arts and Sciences’ Judaic Studies Program in his honor, has enabled the program to invite distinguished visiting scholars and guest lecturers to campus and supported enrichment programs aimed at both students and the public.
“For our Jewish students, the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies nurtures their thirst for knowledge that so often accompanies a new connection with spiritual values,” then-University President Donna E. Shalala said at the 2005 dedication ceremony that honored Feldenkreis for his gift.
“The College of Arts and Sciences is deeply saddened to hear the news of George Feldenkreis’ passing,” said Dean Leonidas Bachas. “With his generosity and passion for education, George had a tremendous impact on the college, especially our esteemed Program in Judaic Studies.”
Feldenkreis’ impact in the community was just as impactful.
“George did things the right way, and his generosity was substantial,” Kadre said. “George and his beloved wife, Mariita, have spent a lifetime contributing to numerous causes in the spheres of education, human services, and Jewish community life.”
Feldenkreis’ generosity and philosophy in life were born from lessons he learned from a former boss, a German Holocaust survivor. “I learned from him that when you approach a task, the only way to do it is the right way: don’t even think about shortcuts,” Feldenkreis said in that July 2024 MR magazine story. “I also learned that if you have money, the best thing you can do with it is give it away to those in need. You can’t take money with you, but you can use it to improve lives.”
Feldenkreis served as a board member of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation for more than 40 years. “He was extremely proud of his Jewish faith and was an avid champion and humanitarian to the State of Israel and its people,” reads his obituary, published on Legacy.com.
He received countless professional honors from the fashion industry, with the American Apparel and Footwear Association recognizing him as Man of the Year during its 2007 American Image Awards. Feldenkreis also received the Father of the Year Award from the Father’s Day Council and a recent Lifetime Achievement Award from MR Magazine.
Feldenkreis is survived by his wife, Mariita, and his children, Oscar and Fanny.
George Feldenkreis journeyed to Miami in 1961, fleeing Fidel Castro’s repressive Cuban regime, seeking freedom and a new-found opportunity in the United States. He was born in 1935 in Cuba to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, Elisa and Herman Feldenkreis. He studied at the University of Havana law school and, from a very young age, displayed his determination to succeed in life, his entrepreneurial spirit and resolve to make an impact.
After settling in Miami, George started Carfel, Inc., a company that imported Japanese motorcycle and automotive parts. His enterprising leadership enabled him to create an apparel company, Supreme International, a manufacturer of the guayabera (an iconic shirt in Latin culture).
Together - George as the visionary leader with his son Oscar and daughter Fanny, they built the business into a successful public company. The corporation’s acquisition of the iconic Perry Ellis® menswear brand in 1999 prompted a corporate name change to Perry Ellis International (PEI). Today, privately owned Perry Ellis International is a global fashion house that represents a portfolio of apparel lifestyle and licensed brands including iconic heritage brands such as: Perry Ellis®, Original Penguin by Munsingwear ®, Savane®, Cubavera®, Rafaella® Nike® swim and a roster of golf brands: Callaway®, PGA TOUR®, Original Penguin by Munsingwear® Golf, Jack Nicklaus®, and Ben Hogan®. A global organization headquartered in Miami, FL with offices worldwide, the company generates more than $2.3 billion in retail sales. The company continues to transform it’s 50+ year history with a diverse retail distribution strategy focused on international expansion, e-commerce growth taking an overall digital and sustainable approach to conducting business via the implementation of technology and innovation.
George has boundless energy, and it is evident beyond his business success. He and his wife, Mariita, have been involved in various civic and philanthropic initiatives. Both George and Mariita are members of the United Way’s Million Dollar Roundtable. The Feldenkreises support numerous causes in the spheres of education, human services and Jewish community life. Major gifts made by the Feldenkreises have enabled the establishment of the Eva Feldenkreis Feig Ovarian Cancer Center in The Joseph Fishman Oncology Center at the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel and the acquisition of a da Vinci Surgical Robot. In honor of his achievements and contributions, George was bestowed the Rambam Award. He has been a member of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation for more than 4 decades and is the first Hispanic to sit on the Federation board. He also received Federation’s greatest honor: the “Friends of Israel Humanitarian Award”. He has organized many fundraising activities among South Florida’s Cuban-Jewish community, and has endowed the George Feldenkreis Program to foster academic excellence at the Technion Institute in Israel. George was elected as a Trustee of the University of Miami in 1995 and has endowed the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies at the University.
George has received numerous retail industry recognitions, including being the proud recipient of the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the UJA Award for the New York Fashion Division, and the National Father’s Day Council Father of the Year Award. He also enjoys public speaking and delivered a Distinguished Visiting Professor lecture at Johnson & Wales University in Miami. A recent Feldenkreis family endowment includes the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Culture and Education Center.
George Feldenkreis holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Havana, an honorary Juris Doctorate from Babson College and an honorary Associate of Arts and Letters from Miami Dade College.
An American success story, George has always paid homage to his Jewish and Hispanic roots, and has passed along his passion for social responsibility to the Feldenkreis clan. George and Mariita are extremely proud of their family and enjoy spending quality time at their home in Miami Beach. The Feldenkreis legacy continues to flourish with the new additions of their great grandchildren.
