Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer, at the age of 102, is now featured on the cover of Vogue magazine. The image shows her wearing a simple yet striking red top from a high-end fashion brand, with jewelry including the Federal Cross of Merit and the Order of Merit of Berlin.
Margot Friedländer, with kind eyes and a gentle smile, graces the cover of the fashion magazine. The story behind this cover is a poignant one – a Holocaust survivor being asked to model designer clothing and share her life story through beautiful images.
In the Vogue article, readers learn that Margot Friedländer had always had a passion for fashion. As a young woman, she dreamt of becoming a tailor and designer, enrolling in an art school in Berlin in 1936 to learn fashion and advertising drawing. She expressed her desire to design clothes and had big plans for her future.
Furthermore, Friedländer uses this opportunity to raise awareness about the current political climate, emphasizing the importance of unity and humanity. She urges people to focus on what brings them together rather than what sets them apart, especially in a time where there is a noticeable shift towards right-wing ideologies.
Born as Anni Margot Bendheim in Berlin on November 5, 1921, Margot Friedländer’s family was deported to Auschwitz, where they were tragically killed. She managed to survive for a while in Berlin before being deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1944.
It was in Theresienstadt where she met Adolf Friedländer, whom she later married after the camp’s liberation. This moment allowed her love for fashion to resurface, as she recalls sewing her wedding dress from a white fabric with orange polka dots. After spending decades in New York with Friedländer, she returned to Berlin at the age of 88, becoming a vital witness to the atrocities committed by the Nazis.
During the Vogue photoshoot, Margot Friedländer also wears some of her own clothing, described as „vintage“ in the captions. This showcases her personal style and adds a unique touch to the photoshoot, highlighting her resilience and creativity in the face of adversity.
Margot Friedländer’s feature in Vogue is not just about fashion; it’s a powerful story of survival, resilience, and the importance of remembrance. Her message of unity and humanity resonates strongly, serving as a reminder of the atrocities of the past and the need to prevent such tragedies from happening again.