Veteran Agent Richard Gladstein Dies
Recently represented Pasari of India and Neutex of Germany
October 14, 2020
Richard Gladstein
FAIRLAWN, N.J.—Well-known international-sales agent Richard Gladstein died Sept. 25.
He was in his 70s.
He recently represented Pasari of India and Neutex of Germany, but there were many other lines in his bag over the nearly 50 years he was in the textile industry.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Judy, and daughters, Jennifer and Emily, along with sons-in-laws, Brian and Daniel. His four grandchildren, Ethan, Blake, Joshua, and Zachary “were the light of his life,” according to his wife.
“Richard loved what he did in the fabrics industry,” Judy adds.
Gladstein never missed a show and he was a constant fixture at Proposte and Heimtextil.
“He was one of the most kind, gentle, and loyal individuals I ever met,” says agent Elaine Taylor-Gordon, who shared offices with him for many years, after they both moved out of the D&D Building in New York.
“He was very private and definitely old-school in the way he did business,” she remembers.
RICHARD GLADSTEIN: TEXTILE ANIMATOR PAR EXCELLENCE
By Christopher Hyland, Constantino Castellano, and Seth Pariser of Christopher Hyland Inc.
Richard Gladstein was very much a part of an ancient, honorable trade, namely that of purveyor of fine textiles, a tradition that extends to the dawn of commerce.
Each time Richard visited Constantino, Seth, and I [Christopher] at the Hyland showroom, he presented us outstanding examples of fabrics that he knew would enhance our collections. His arrival at our D&D Building showroom, often by chance, was always a welcomed event. We liked Richard: over the years we came to regard Richard as a venerable persona.
If I were busy, Richard would often sit in a very comfortable, high-back, palace chair at the center of the showroom surveying everything that transpired, occasionally nodding off. Over the years we came to regard Richard as part of our Hyland showroom family, so committed was he to assisting us in presenting beautiful textiles to our world-wide clients.
Each visit was like a birthday party, each textile a gift, purposely chosen by Richard. Constantino came to think of Richard as the pony-tail man, Seth as the Yankees man (they often spoke baseball even outside of work) and I called him “Ricardo,” the animator.
Ricardo was the greatest of sports, a congenial, helpful, diligent, and kind person. Seth, Constantino, and I find it very difficult to imagine that “Ricardo” will no longer be visiting us.
But, as long as there are dozens of beautiful textiles that he helped bring to life in our collections, they will serve as emissaries well into the future of a man who absolutely loved his textile job and of a man who made it very clear to us over several decades that he loved his wife and family more than anything else.
In the beyond, one may imagine, Richard Gladstein, heaven sent, being welcomed with huge trumpets–swathed in the most splendid textiles–announcing his arrival, yet Richard bringing even more splendid ones. Bless you, Richard, and thank you for the many years of friendship.
He was in his 70s.
He recently represented Pasari of India and Neutex of Germany, but there were many other lines in his bag over the nearly 50 years he was in the textile industry.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Judy, and daughters, Jennifer and Emily, along with sons-in-laws, Brian and Daniel. His four grandchildren, Ethan, Blake, Joshua, and Zachary “were the light of his life,” according to his wife.
“Richard loved what he did in the fabrics industry,” Judy adds.
Gladstein never missed a show and he was a constant fixture at Proposte and Heimtextil.
“He was one of the most kind, gentle, and loyal individuals I ever met,” says agent Elaine Taylor-Gordon, who shared offices with him for many years, after they both moved out of the D&D Building in New York.
“He was very private and definitely old-school in the way he did business,” she remembers.
RICHARD GLADSTEIN: TEXTILE ANIMATOR PAR EXCELLENCE
By Christopher Hyland, Constantino Castellano, and Seth Pariser of Christopher Hyland Inc.
Richard Gladstein was very much a part of an ancient, honorable trade, namely that of purveyor of fine textiles, a tradition that extends to the dawn of commerce.
Each time Richard visited Constantino, Seth, and I [Christopher] at the Hyland showroom, he presented us outstanding examples of fabrics that he knew would enhance our collections. His arrival at our D&D Building showroom, often by chance, was always a welcomed event. We liked Richard: over the years we came to regard Richard as a venerable persona.
If I were busy, Richard would often sit in a very comfortable, high-back, palace chair at the center of the showroom surveying everything that transpired, occasionally nodding off. Over the years we came to regard Richard as part of our Hyland showroom family, so committed was he to assisting us in presenting beautiful textiles to our world-wide clients.
Each visit was like a birthday party, each textile a gift, purposely chosen by Richard. Constantino came to think of Richard as the pony-tail man, Seth as the Yankees man (they often spoke baseball even outside of work) and I called him “Ricardo,” the animator.
Ricardo was the greatest of sports, a congenial, helpful, diligent, and kind person. Seth, Constantino, and I find it very difficult to imagine that “Ricardo” will no longer be visiting us.
But, as long as there are dozens of beautiful textiles that he helped bring to life in our collections, they will serve as emissaries well into the future of a man who absolutely loved his textile job and of a man who made it very clear to us over several decades that he loved his wife and family more than anything else.
In the beyond, one may imagine, Richard Gladstein, heaven sent, being welcomed with huge trumpets–swathed in the most splendid textiles–announcing his arrival, yet Richard bringing even more splendid ones. Bless you, Richard, and thank you for the many years of friendship.
