Bendel, Henri (22 Jan. 1868-22 Mar. 1936), fashion designer and entrepreneur, was born Henri Willis Bendel in Vermillionville (renamed Lafayette in 1884 after the Marquis de Lafayette), in southwest Louisiana to William Louis Bendel, purported to have been a former British Naval officer,and Marie Plonsky, born in the German states. They arrived in Louisiana before the Civil War and opened a dry goods store. His father died in 1874; four years later his mother married Benjamin Falk, a Russian-born dry goods merchant, when Henri was ten years old. His mother, a successful businesswoman, ran a furniture store, a dry goods store, a drugstore and a funeral parlor. His stepfather was one of the most successful businessmen in late 19^th century Lafayette, the proprietor of a large department store, owner of the city's entertainment center, Falk's Opera House. He also served as assistant fire chief and city alderman, helped establish the Lafayette Improvement Association (forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce), the first high school in the city, and the first synagogue. His parents' prominence contributed to Henri's drive, business acumen and dedication to his hometown even after he moved away.

As a young man, Bendel moved to Morgan City, Louisiana, some 70 miles southeast of his home. There he worked for and built a personal relationship with Aaron Lehman and his family who most likely ran a dry goods or related business. Bendel purportedly opened his own millinery shop in Morgan City. Records show that he married the Lehman's daughter, Blanche, in New York City in 1894. His wife died one year after their marriage. In 1895, Henri Bendel opened his first New York City store, a millinery shop on Ninth Street, where he designed custom hats, clothing, and accessories. He made a name for himself quickly as designer to New York City's elite, including the Astors and Vanderbilts, along with well-known entertainment figures, such as Geraldine Ferrar, an opera diva and silent screen star and film actress, Billie Burke.

Ever innovative, he understood the idea of creating a recognizable brand. In 1907, he introduced his company's signature brown-and-white strip (still used today on promotional products, although the company has long been owned by a large retail corporation).By the 1910s, Bendel had become America's preeminent fashion designer, designing and producing custom made attire. In 1914, Vogue Magazine approached him to be part of their November "Fashion Fete" benefit, a war charity event. His reputation by that time was such that they knew that if Henri Bendel came on board other important designers would follow, and indeed that is exactly what happened.

Bendel reigned as the foremost fashion designer for many years, renowned for his haute couture designs. His original designs appeared on the pages of high end fashion magazines such as Harper's Bazaar in the 1910s and 1920s, sometimes alongside world renowned Paris designers. He also wrote about trends in top fashion magazines, was the first to bring French designs from such European luminaries as Schiaperelli, Chanel, and Molyneux to the United States, and staged the first fashion show in New York City.

In 1907 Bendel moved his business from its downtown location to a larger store at Fifth Avenue between 43rd and 44^th Streets in Manhattan and, in 1912, to to 10 West 57^th Street in 1912, its last location under family ownership. He was one of the first of the high end merchants to move to 57^th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, a strip that came to be known as the 'Rue de la Paix of New York,'; comparing that New York Street with the exclusive shops on the famous Paris avenue. By 1923, Bendel had opened stores in Newport, Rhode Island and Palm Beach, Florida. In that year he announced his plan to give forty-five percent of his company stock, around $1,800,000, to his employees. He had observed the demise of formerly popular firms and felt that recognition of the faithful service and hard work of his employees would help maintain a strong business. He carried out this plan over a ten year period. He also opened a ready-to-wear department in 1931, while maintaining a reputation for creating high quality custom designs.

Although a great success in New York City, Bendel never forgot his roots in Lafayette, Louisiana, and the people of Lafayette regarded their native son with pride. He returned often to visit family and friends and bought a large estate on the outskirts of town near the Vermillion River called the Walnut Grove Plantation. He spent time there cultivating flowers and built a summer home that he named Camellia Lodge. This area was developed into a residential area that is called Bendel Gardens and consists of large homes near the river. A photograph shows Bendel visiting the University of Louisiana (then called Southwestern Louisiana Institute) in Lafayette in 1930 and one of the campus buildings is called Bendel House, which suggests that Bendel donated money to the school.

Bendel maintained a close relationship with his family and seems to have been a generous brother and uncle. A niece, Marjorie Meyer Arsht, recalled that her uncle always opened his homes to his family who visited him regularly. Bendel's will bears out that he cared about and felt responsible for his family as he provided generously for his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. The principal beneficiaries were one nephew, his namesake, Henri Bendel 2nd, who worked in the business, lived in his uncle's residence at 399 Park Avenue in Manahttan, and later became president of the company, and A. Beekman Bastedo, Bendel's companion of some thirty years, who also worked with him and became president of the company upon Bendel's death.

Henri Bendel influenced the development of fashion design in America and American appreciation of European designers. He died in New York City.

Henri Bendel's biography is pieced together from various sources as there is no comprehensive biography of him at this time. The following sources were particularly helpful: Marjorie Meyer Arsht, All the Way from Yoakum: The Personal Journey of a Political Insider (2006), a memoir by Bendel's niece, in which she talks a little about her uncle in very loving terms; an online piece from the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience's website about Lafayette, Louisiana, which offers important information about Henri Bendel and his family; and newspaper accounts from the New York Times, 1895 to 1939, in particular.