Biography

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss: American fashion mogul who once dated Jerry Seinfeld

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss: American fashion mogul who once dated Jerry Seinfeld

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss is an American writer and fashion designer. She is the founder and creative director of the fashion label Shoshanna, which was launched in 1998.

Despite the success of her brand, Shoshanna’s remarkable achievements in the world of fashion seem to be tainted by her past. At the age of 17, she dated the Hollywood star, Jerry Seinfeld who was 38 years old at the time. Shoshanna was still in high school when they met at a public park in 1993.

The couple dated for four years – during which Lonstein-Gruss transferred from George Washington University to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in part to be with Seinfeld. However, the couple later bowed to pressure from the public and broke up in 1997.

Twenty years after their break up, Lonstein-Gruss has since risen to become one of the influential designers of her generation. Yet, she is still referred to as “Jerry Seinfeld’s ex-girlfriend” much to her displeasure.

Therefore, this is a biography of the fashion mogul, detailing more information about how she broke into the fashion world.

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss biography

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss
Photo credit: Instagram

Shoshanna Lonstein was born on May 29, 1975, in Manhattan, New York, United States of America. She attended Nightingale-Bromford School before enrolling at George Washington University. Later, she transferred to UCLA to complete her education.

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Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss career

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss smiling
Photo credit: The Cut

Lonstein-Gruss initially wanted a career in banking. After graduating from college, she moved back to her parents’ house and began attending banking job interviews.

Along the line, she realised that banking “felt more like a continuation of school than a passion”. So, she decided to start a clothing line that was more inclusive to all women’s body types.

Speaking with the New York Post, Lonstein-Gruss revealed the idea was inspired by her personal experiences growing up when she could not find clothes that fit her curvy size.

“Growing up, I had trouble finding clothes because I was curvy, and so I would end up designing my things. I knew if I was having such a hard time then other women were too,” she said.

Hence, Lonstein-Gruss took a loan from her father and started her clothing company, Shoshanna, in 1998. Within two years, her designs were selling at big companies like Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys. Her brand quickly gained popularity for its unique designs and vibrant patterns. Lonstein-Gruss’ collection has since grown to include sportswear, swimwear and, now, the BabyGirl label, inspired by the birth of her daughter, Sienna.

“My business went from 10 stores to 70, to 150, to eventually being in 500 stores nationwide,” she wrote in Lenny.

As a result of her remarkable success, Lonstein-Gruss was named one of the “25 Most Stylish New Yorkers” by a U.S. magazine. In 2013, she became Elizabeth Arden, Inc.’s first-ever Style Director. She served as a spokesperson and adviser for the design label.

Apart from fashion, Lonstein-Gruss has made some television appearances, the most notable being the 2008 episode of America’s Next Top Model. In addition, she is notable for her philanthropic works. From 2012 to 2014, she was the Vice Chairman of the associate committee of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre and its Children’s Committee. Lonstein-Gruss is currently a trustee of Reform synagogue Temple Emanu-El of New York and the Nightingale-Bamford School, where she is also a member of its Alumnae Board Committee.

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss net worth

Lonstein-Gruss has an estimated net worth of $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

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Shoshanna Lonstein family

Lonstein-Gruss comes from a wealthy background. Her father was Zach Lonstein, a chief executive officer of Infocrossing.

She married Josh Gruss on May 10, 2003, and they had three children together. In November 2014, the couple announced that they were getting a divorce.

Lonstein-Gruss now lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her children.

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss age

Lonstein-Gruss is 49 years old as of 2024.

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss Instagram

Shoshanna Lonstein-Gruss has an active Instagram account, which currently has about 39,500 followers as of the time of writing this article.

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Nonye is a Thespian, screenwriter, creative writer and an unapologetic lover of books, great movies and sports. She has over 10 years experience in content writing on entertainment, movies, sports and lifestyle. Nonye is currently a content writer at Blackdot Media and founder of litafrik.com
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