View source for Leon Max

{{Short description|Russian-American fashion designer and retailer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Leon Max
| image              =
| caption            =
| birth_name         = Leonid Maksovich Rodovinsky<ref>{{cite news|title=Русские, скупающие Британию по кускам|url=http://inosmi.ru/europe/20120311/187889867.html|accessdate=2 August 2015|date=11 March 2012}}</ref>
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1954|2|12|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]], [[Soviet Union]]
| death_date         =
| death_place        =
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| citizenship        = [[United States]]
| other_names        =
| known_for          = Founder of Max Studio upmarket fashion retail chain
| education          =
| employer           =
| occupation         = Fashion designer
| title              =
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| predecessor        =
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| spouse             = {{marriage|Yana Boyko|2014}}
| parents            =
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| website            = [https://maxstudio.com maxstudio.com]
}}
'''Leon Max''' (born '''Leonid Maksovich Rodovinsky'''; {{langx|ru|Леонид Максович Родовинский}}; 12 February 1954) is a Russian-American [[fashion designer]] and retailer.
==Early life==
Max was born in <ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2015-04-22 |title=Leon Max (born Leonid Maxovich Rodovinksi) - The Steeple Times |url=https://www.thesteepletimes.com/the-roll-call/leon-max-born-leonid-maxovich-rodovinksi/ |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=www.thesteepletimes.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]], [[Soviet Union]] (now Saint Petersburg),<ref name="ninacnn">Nina dos Santos, Irene Chapple, [http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/03/business/leon-max-easton-neston-dos-santos/ Russian tycoon to English country gent: Leon Max and his stately home], ''[[CNN]]'', 3 February 2013</ref> in 1954, <ref name=STRL>{{cite news|title=Sunday Times Rich List 2014 (age 60)|date=18 May 2014}}</ref> to a playwright and a civil engineer.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=To the Max |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/leon-max-yana-boyko-east-neston |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=W Magazine |date=26 February 2015 |language=en}}</ref> His father's mother was Jewish which allowed him to leave the Soviet Union in 1974.<ref name=":1" /> He then sought political asylum to [[Vienna]] on his way to [[Israel]]. He later enrolled at the [[Fashion Institute of Technology]] in [[New York City]]. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1986, at which time he legally changed his name to Leon Max.<ref>Leonid Maxovich Rodovinski; The National Archives at Riverside, California, USA; Petitions for Naturalization, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991.</ref>
==Career==
He worked as a personal trainer in New York. He then worked for the New York fashion house Tahari, and then [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]-based Bis, a women’s sportswear firm.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
He founded '''Max Studio''' in 1979.<ref name="mitchellowens"/> An upmarket fashion chain, Max Studio sells through department stores. It also has 46 of its own retail stores in the U.S. and another 50 in the Far East.
In July 2012, he received an honorary degree from the [[University of Northampton]].<ref>[http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/education/university-awards-honorary-degree-to-fashion-designer-leon-max-1-4077203 University awards honorary degree to fashion designer Leon Max], ''Northampton Chronicle and Echo'', 20 July 2012</ref>
==Personal life==
Max has been married three times, and has three children. His first two marriages ended in divorce.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="tatlerwedding" /> His first marriage was to model Kim Reynolds, mother of his daughter, Sophie Max for whom he named a clothing line.<ref name=":1" /> His second marriage with Ame Austin, an American model and stylist, ended with his 2009 divorce fillings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Case BD505035 Leon Max Vs Ame Austin - Trellis: Legal Intelligence + Judicial Analytics |url=https://trellis.law/case/bd505035/leon-max-vs-ame-austin |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=Trellis.Law |language=en}}</ref> In 2014, he married Yana Boyko, a Ukrainian model.<ref name="tatlerwedding">[http://www.tatler.com/bystander/events/2014/october/leon-and-yana-max-wedding#!/15459/image/1 Leon and Yana Max's wedding], ''[[Tatler]]'', 14 October 2014</ref>
In 2005, he purchased [[Easton Neston house|Easton Neston]] in [[Northamptonshire]], England from [[Lord Hesketh]].<ref name="ninacnn"/><ref name="yoriyanover">Yori Yanover, [http://www.jewishpress.com/news/yoris-daily-news-clips/designer-leon-max-is-buying-up-britain/2012/03/11/ Designer Leon Max Is Buying Up Britain], ''[[The Jewish Press]]'', March 11, 2012</ref><ref name="mitchellowens">Mitchell Owens, [http://www.architecturaldigest.com/decor/2012-05/easton-neston-house-england-article Easton Neston Revived], ''[[Architectural Digest]]'', May 2012</ref>  He converted the {{Convert | 10000 | sqft | adj = on}} fire damaged [[Christopher Wren|Wren]] wing of the house, plus the outbuildings which were the home of defunct Formula One team [[Hesketh Racing]], into a design studio. The interior design was done by [[Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill]].<ref name="mitchellowens"/> In July 2011, a party was thrown at Easton Neston to celebrate the completion of its renovation.<ref name="voguejulianeel">Julia Neel, [http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/celebrity-photos/2011/07/26/leon-max-party-at-easton-neston Leon Max Party], ''Vogue'', 26 July 2011</ref> It was hosted by [[Richard Dennen]], Mary Charteris and [[Josephine de La Baume]].<ref name="voguejulianeel"/>
In 2010, he purchased a house formerly owned by [[Madonna]] in the [[Hollywood Hills]], near the [[Hollywood Sign]] in [[Los Angeles, California]].<ref>Juliet Chung, Candace Jackson, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703743504575493863613933850 Max Studio Designer Buys Former Madonna Casa], ''The Wall Street Journal'', September 17, 2010</ref>
According to ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' in 2020, Max has a net worth of £410 million.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Times|first=The Sunday|title=Rich List 2020: profiles 304-399=, featuring Simon Cowell and Sir Elton John|newspaper=[[The Times]]|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rich-list-2020-profiles-304-399-featuring-simon-cowell-and-elton-john-fsfw72cck|access-date=2020-07-27|issn=0140-0460}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://www.maxstudio.com/ MaxStudio]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Max, Leon}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:People from West Northamptonshire District]]
[[Category:Artists from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American fashion designers]]
[[Category:Fashion Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Soviet emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent]] <!-- https://www.wmagazine.com/story/leon-max-yana-boyko-east-neston -->