# Adel Rootstein

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{{Short description|British mannequin designer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Adel Rootstein
| native_name = Адель Рутштейн
| other_names = Adel Hopkins
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|09|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = [Warmbaths](/source/Bela-Bela), [Union of South Africa](/source/Union_of_South_Africa) 
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|09|20|1930|09|15|df=y}}
| death_place = [London](/source/London), UK
| occupation = {{hlist|[Mannequin designer](/source/mannequin)|[visual merchandiser](/source/Visual_merchandising)}}
| organisation = Adel Rootstein
| spouse = {{marriage|Richard Hopkins|1953}}
}}
'''Adel Rootstein''' ([married name](/source/Maiden_and_married_names) '''Adel Hopkins'''; {{langx|ru|Адель Рутштейн}}; 15 September 1930 &ndash; 20 September 1992) was a South African-born British mannequin designer, visual merchandiser and founder of the Adel Rootstein mannequin company.<ref name="de la Haye">{{cite book |last1=de la Haye |first1=Amy |title=OBJECTS OF A PASSION: Curating, Writing and Teaching as Practice 2014-18 |date=2018 |publisher=University of the Arts London, Centre for Fashion Curation |location=London |url=https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/13785/2/amy_publication%2Bposter.pdf |access-date=6 February 2026}}</ref><ref name="d'Silva"/><ref name="DeathIndex"/><ref name="NPG">{{cite web |title=Adel Rootstein |url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp144170/adel-rootstein |website=Search the Collection |publisher=[National Portrait Gallery](/source/National_Portrait_Gallery%2C_London) |access-date=6 February 2026 |location=London}}</ref>

==Early life==
Adel Rootstein was born on 15 September 1930 in [Warmbaths](/source/Bela-Bela), [Union of South Africa](/source/Union_of_South_Africa) (present-day Bela-Bela, South Africa) to Russian parents.<ref name="d'Silva"/><ref name="DeathIndex"/><ref name="Bonaveri">{{cite web |title=Adel Rootstein's early days |url=https://www.rootstein.com/news/adel-rootsteins-early-days |website=Rootstein |publisher=Bonaveri |access-date=6 February 2026}}</ref>

==Career==
{{more refs|section=yes|date=February 2026}}
In 1951, at age 21, Rootstein relocated to London to work as a [visual merchandiser](/source/Visual_merchandising) and [window dresser](/source/Display_window) for [Aquascutum](/source/Aquascutum).<ref name="Bonaveri"/><ref name="History">{{cite web |title=The History of Rootstein: The Legacy of Adel |url=http://www.rootstein.com/pages/Adel_Rootstein/ |website=ADEL ROOTSTEIN LTD |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603055556/http://www.rootstein.com/pages/Adel_Rootstein/ |archive-date=3 June 2016 |access-date=6 February 2026 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="LCFArchive">{{cite web |author1=loukia |title=Icons in the LCF Archive |url=https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-college-of-fashion/stories/icons-in-the-lcf-archive |website=London College of Fashion Stories |publisher=[London College of Fashion](/source/London_College_of_Fashion) |access-date=6 February 2026 |date=8 February 2016}}</ref> Rootstein later worked as a mannequin [wig maker](/source/Wig).<ref name="Arpino">{{cite web |last1=Arpino |first1=Kevin |title=Mannequins |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/04/2009_03_fri.shtml |website=[Woman's Hour](/source/Woman's_Hour) Fashion + Beauty Archive |publisher=[BBC Radio 4](/source/BBC_Radio_4) |access-date=6 February 2026 |location=London |date=23 January 2009}}</ref>

In the late 1956, Rootstein founded her mannequin business 'Adel Rootstein' alongside her husband Richard Hopkins, an [industrial designer](/source/Industrial_design).<ref name="d'Silva"/><ref name="Bonaveri"/><ref name="History"/> She first hired sculptor John Taylor and model Imogen for her first mannequin, placed in a reclining position.<ref name="rootstein.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.rootstein.com/home_page.asp |title=Rootstein - the World's Leading Mannequin Designer |access-date=15 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124124223/http://rootstein.com/home_page.asp |archive-date=24 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=December 2019}} This was the start of her first collection, called "GoGo".<ref name="rootstein.com"/>{{primary source inline|date=December 2019}}
Her sources of inspiration expanded to music and clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rootstein: Adel Rootstein's early days - History / About / Early Days |url=https://www.rootstein.com/news/adel-rootsteins-early-days |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.rootstein.com}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=December 2019}} In 1959, Rootstein established a factory in London to manufacture her fibreglass mannequins.<ref name="Nash"/>

Rootstein has been called the "Rolls-Royce" of mannequin makers, and later used well-known singers and actresses as models for her mannequins; [Cher](/source/Cher), [Joan Collins](/source/Joan_Collins) and [Twiggy](/source/Twiggy) among them.<ref name=colosun20191230>{{cite news |url=https://coloradosun.com/2019/12/30/mannequin-sculptors-fusion-specialties-colorado/ |title= Sculptors at a Lafayette mannequin factory are shaping more realistic body types for stores worldwide |work=[The Colorado Sun](/source/The_Colorado_Sun) |author=Carol McKinley |date=30 December 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019 |quote=''{{'}}If Talaric is the Henry Ford [of mannequin makers], Rootstein is the Rolls-Royce,' Townsend says. 'Her older mannequins are collector’s items … she’s the one who started designing mannequins after celebrity models. Like Joan Collins, Cher and Twiggy.{{'}} '' }}</ref>

In 1991, 'Adel Rootstein' was sold to the Japanese mannequin manufacturer {{ill|Yoshichu|jp|吉忠}}, a frequent collaborator of Rootstein.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rootstein: Adel Rootstein's early days - History / About / Early Days |url=https://www.rootstein.com/news/adel-rootsteins-early-days |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.rootstein.com}}</ref><ref name="Nash">{{cite web |last1=Nash |first1=Deborah |title=The woman who brought shop-window mannequins to life |url=https://apollo-magazine.com/mannequins-adel-rootstein-fashion-textile-museum-london-review/ |publisher=[Apollo](/source/Apollo_(magazine)) |access-date=6 February 2026 |location=London |date=16 January 2025}}</ref> Following the sale of the business, Rootstein enrolled at the [Slade School of Fine Art](/source/Slade_School_of_Fine_Art).<ref name="CAS">{{cite web |title=Rootstein Hopkins Foundation |url=https://contemporaryartsociety.org/organisations/rootstein-hopkins-foundation |website=Contemporary Art Society; Organisations |publisher=[Contemporary Art Society](/source/Contemporary_Art_Society) |access-date=6 February 2026 |location=London}}</ref>

===Rootstein Hopkins Foundation===
In 1990, Rootstein and her husband Rick Hopkins set up the Rootstein Hopkins Foundation to assist young artists and designers.<ref name="BM">{{cite web |title=Rootstein Hopkins Foundation |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=74495 |website=British Museum Collection online |publisher=[British Museum](/source/British_Museum) |access-date=6 February 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920051319/https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=74495 |archive-date=20 September 2016 |location=London}}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1953, Rootstein married Richard 'Rick' Hopkins (1927-2000) in [Kensington](/source/Kensington).<ref name="d'Silva">{{cite news |last=d'Silva |first=Beverley |date=24 September 1992 |title=Obituary: Adel Rootstein |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-adel-rootstein-1553328.html |work=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent) |location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818124305/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-adel-rootstein-1553328.html |archive-date=18 August 2016 |access-date=5 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Adel Rootshtain [Rootstein] and Richard C Hopkins [Marriage Index] |journal=England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes |date=1953 |volume=5c |issue=Q3 |page=2824 |publisher=General Register Office |location=London}}</ref> 

Rootstein died on 20 September 1992 in London aged 62.<ref name="d'Silva"/><ref name="DeathIndex">{{cite journal |title=Adel Hopkins [Death Index] |journal=England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes |date=1992 |volume=15 |page=1601 |publisher=General Register Office |location=London}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Rootstein's mannequins were used for the [Miu Miu](/source/Miu_Miu) Pre-Fall 2017 presentation.<ref name="Tindle">{{cite web |last1=Tindle |first1=Hannah |title=The Storied History Behind Miu Miu's Rootstein Mannequins |url=https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/9525/the-storied-history-behind-miu-mius-rootstein-mannequins |website=[AnOther](/source/Another_Magazine) |publisher=Dazed Media |access-date=6 February 2026 |location=London |date=10 February 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061124022709/http://www.fashionwindows.com/mannequin_companies/adel_rootstein/default.asp Fashion Windows]
*[http://www.fidm.com/resources/museum+galleries/exhibits/adel-rootstein-mannequins/index.html FIDM]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090124124223/http://rootstein.com/home_page.asp Adel Rootstein Official site]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rootstein, Adel}}
Category:1930 births
Category:1992 deaths
Category:British designers

{{UK-artist-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Adel Rootstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adel_Rootstein) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adel_Rootstein?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.