Odette Barsa

Odette Barsa
Born
Odette Matouk

(1901-12-29)29 December 1901
Damascus, Syria
Died8 January 1975(1975-01-08) (aged 73)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Burial place
Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, New York, U.S.
OccupationsLingerie designer, entrepreneur
Spouse
Simon Barsa
​
(m. 1922)​
Children3

Odette Barsa (née Matouk; 29 December 1901 – 8 January 1975) was a Syrian-born American lingerie designer, and the founder of the eponymous label.

Life and career

Odette Barsa was born as Odette Matouk on 29 December 1901, in Damascus, Syria. She immigrated to the United States in 1921. She married Simon Barsa (1888–1977) in 1972 in Rye, New York, a Syrian-born businessman. They had three children, Gabriel, Albert, and Nadia, all born in New York state.

After the 1929 stock market crash, her husband's business struggled, so she started making products. In the 1930 census, he was described as "Manufacturer, Rugs".[citation needed] Barsa started her lingerie business in 1931. In 1942, the company registered her name in the United States Patent Office, and in 1944 they patented her new logo. Over time her business grew to occupy a whole floor of 16 East 34th Street, New York City.

Barsa died on 8 January 1975, in New York City. Her business continued for some time after her death, run by her sons.

Her designs are represented today in the holdings of the Texas Fashion Collection, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Goldstein Museum of Design.

References

  1. ↑ "Odette Barsa Inspired By Portraits". Austin American-Statesman. November 26, 1946. p. 9. Retrieved 2026-04-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Lingerie's emphasis comfort". Mount Vernon Argus. September 18, 1977. p. 43. Retrieved 2026-04-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 "Obituary for Odette Barsa". The Daily Item. January 9, 1975. p. 16. Retrieved 2026-04-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Barsa, Odette". vintagefashionguild.org. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  5. 1 2 "United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Obituary for Simon Barsa". The Daily Item. October 17, 1977. p. 10. Retrieved 2026-04-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 "Petticoat Junction". Citizen Register. February 13, 1987. p. 35. Retrieved 2026-04-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Lingerie (continued)". Citizen Register. 1987-02-13. p. 37. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  9. ↑ United States Patent Office (November 1944). Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office. U.S. Patent Office. p. 407. Odette Barsa, New York, N. Y. Filed May 27, 1944. Odette Barsa ORIGINAL The name " Odette Barsa " shown is applicant's facsimile signature . No claim is made to the word " Original " apart from the mark.
  10. ↑ "Search Results: Barsa, Odette". The Portal to Texas History. UNT Libraries. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  11. ↑ "Search results: person: Barsa, Odette". V&A Collections. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  12. ↑ "barsa: Goldstein Museum of Design". Collections: Goldstein Museum of Design. Regents of the University of Minnesota. Retrieved 24 July 2025.