The  Legend & Legacy of Adel Rootstein Mannequins

A free eBook written by Retail Industry Insiders

For decades, Rootstein mannequins shaped how fashion was seen, staged, and sold. They influenced visual merchandising, retail storytelling, museum exhibitions, and the very idea of aspiration on the shop floor. I created a free ebook to document the facts, history, and imagery behind this legendary company. 

Not rumor. Not gatekeeping. Just researched history for anyone who cares about fashion, retail, and design legacy. If you work in fashion history, museum curation, visual merchandising, retail design, or cultural preservation, this one’s for you.

BACKGROUND
When I first started recycling Rootstein mannequins in 2001, I knew nothing about the company. Intuitively I recognized something special about the design and quality of their mannnequins compared to the other mannequins I was recycling. But I did not know why this brand was so unique.

I discovered that there is a small but vocal group of collectors of Rootstein  mannequin who ltreat information about the company like it is classified information. The majority of this group of Rootstein collectors are white, gay men who were former visual merchandisers or Rootstein employees.

If you are not in thie "club' they can be very condescending and catty. That is putting it nicely. Since I did not have a background in retailing when I started Mannequin Madness, I sold the used Rootstein mannequins for far less than they were worth.

The Rootstein collectors mocked me for my lack of knowledge as they happily purchased my mannequins at discount prices. 

Then I learned. And I changed and became an advocate to help others learn about the company. This Ebook upset this group of the Rootstein collectors because I was providing  information for free that they wanted to gate keep or monetize.

Many felt that I was not “worthy” of writing such a book because I had not worked in the retail industry. FYI- I have journalism degree from the University of Southern California so I have a strong background in investigative reporting which were the skills I used to write this book.

I co-wrote this book with two people who prefer to be anonymous. One is a Rootstein collector who owns over 200 mannequins. He was formerly the head of merchandising for a retail chain where one of his responsibilities was ordering Rootstein mannequins for the store.

The other author is the daughter of a man who owned a regional chain of retail stores when Rootstein mannequins were at their peak of popularity. 

Collectively we have vast knowledge of the Adel Rootstein company and we are all passionate about the brand. After you read the ebook, you might be equally as passionate

Used Rootstein Products For Sale

Rootstein Used Female Hard Cap Wig - Dark Colored Bob Hairstyle

Used Rootstein Bum Rods - 3pc set

Used Adel Rootstein Realistic Mannequin , Classy Lady Long Legs Series