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Testimonials

“What an amazing life. What an incredible read. I simply couldn’t put this book down.”

– Phil Koch, Woman's Day

“Such a moving story, and so beautifully told. I cried.”

– Johanna Griggs, Seven Network

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About the George Gross Book

Read how George Gross came from Nazi Holocaust beginnings to become one of Australia's greatest fashion designers. The unvarnished truth behind one of Australia’s best known fashion labels reads like a thriller. THREADS – The untold story of fashion house George Gross & Harry Who – is an action and fun-packed ride that is heart-wrenching at times, and yet bursting with hilarious celebrity anecdotes. 

Charting the highs and lows in the life of designing wunderkind George Gross, it includes his past as a Hungarian Holocaust survivor and flight from the devastation and poverty of war-torn Europe, his bond as a twin, the passion behind his “secret” fifty-year love affair, and tales from the glittering and gossipy world of haute couture. This stunning account of one talented man’s rags to riches rise to the very top of the fashion industry will take your breath away.

George Gross and Harry Who

Partners in work and life, George Gross and Harry Watt are the talented men behind the labels. Though from very different backgrounds, they bonded over a mutual love for beautiful clothing and designs, and together with George's twin sister, Kathy, they built a fashion empire.

The pair’s career is marked by milestones, from the time Princess Diana purchased six of their pieces from Harrods in London, to designing the Qantas uniforms of the 1990s - both of which are chronicled in Threads.

After 40 successful years in the fashion business, George and Harry retired in 2014, closing their six boutiques and 10 David Jones concessions. Today they live a quieter life, residing in Adelaide, South Australia.

Pictured below is the team behind an iconic fashion house - Harry Watt, George Gross & Kathy Gross.

George Gross and Harry Who

George Gross Dresses

George completed his first design at age five – a dress inspired by screen siren Rita Hayworth – and he never looked back. Not long after, he was bringing his designs to life. Truly gifted at his craft, George only had to drape a length of material on a mannequin to make a dress. 

Clients didn’t have to be stick thin to wear George Gross, which incorporated beautiful fabrics in rich, jewel-like colours and sleek lines that accentuated the body. George’s main customer was a mature woman, aged in her 30s and up. She aimed to look chic and smart and sexy, but never trendy. 

George prided himself on making glamorous clothing that celebrated the feminine form instead of hiding it. He loved all women and appreciated their figures – and that showed through in every timeless design.

Below are some of George's original sketches.

George Gross Dresses

Harry Who Dresses

Casual, fresh, edgy, and considerably cheaper than its stablemate, the Harry Who label breezily complemented the higher end George Gross line.

Harry’s customer was less defined – he called her “young at heart”. Harry Who pieces suited the woman who aspired to own a designer wardrobe, but without the high expense this usually demanded. Fabrics were first class but relaxed in look. The lines were soft and smart, with fun pattern plays of checks and stripes, or crushed linens, and a casual but sophisticated mix, much like the designer himself.

Harry Who dresses

About the Author: Rose Fydler

One of Australia’s most experienced magazine journalists, Rose Fydler started her 30-plus years writing career at Vogue before branching out to Inside Sport, the Australian Women’s Weekly, New Idea, Woman’s Day and a host of other top publications. In the course of breaking the big stories, she has trekked the Great Wall of China with Olivia Newton-John, flown with Ian Thorpe to remote Aboriginal settlements, and covered celebrity weddings in Borneo, Bali, Italy and England. Threads is her third book. Read about Rose's career on her LinkedIn page.