Joseph Zukin was a young Russian Jew who fled oppression in Russia in 1903. He immigrated to the United States, where he became an entrepreneur in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Later, he moved to Los Angeles and started a garment manufacturing company. By 1919, he was the largest maker of women's blouses in the United States.

Joseph Zukin was part of a wave of early twentieth-century Jewish entrepreneurs engaged in apparel manufacture along the West Coast, particularly in Los Angeles, California. They allied with the motion picture industry to create and promote clothing lines to compete with European suppliers and break New York’s domestic hold on fashion. Their influence ushered in an era of apparel design innovation that became known as California Style. It overtook the nation and continues to influence American culture today.

From a humble start to a worldwide business presence, Joseph Zukin’s journey captures the spirit of the American Dream. The exhibits here explore Joseph Zukin’s remarkable life and commercial success.