John Weitz

John Weitz (1923-2002) was a German American menswear designer who started his business John Weitz Designs Inc. in 1954. He was born Hans Werner to a German Jewish family in Berlin and completed his education in London including being apprenticed to fashion designer Edward Molyneux. He initially designed women's sportswear and worked for retailer Lord & Taylor from the late 1940s but moved into menswear in the 1960s. He was known for emphasising functionality and practicality in his designs.

He was an entrepreneurial businessman who was one of the earliest American designers to enter into licencing agreements. Between about 1966-1968 John Weitz was contracted by British menswear company Austin Reed to develop a range for their boutique Cue and in the mid-1970s Burton licenced his name with a collection. He became well known in the 1970s for his opinions on men's fashion design. In 1979 he returned to womenswear and he continued to design men's and women's fashion for the rest of his career.