Bridal pioneer of Kleinfeld’s dies, leaving lasting legacy

NEW YORK (AP) — Hedda Kleinfeld Schachter, a bridal industry pioneer and Holocaust survivor who decided over a half century ago that brides deserved better than cookie-cutter dresses, has died. She was 99. Word of her March 29 death has spread steadily, drawing her praise and reflecting her decades-long impact on an industry that once offered few bridal dress options. Born in Austria, Schachter fled with family members in 1939 to Cuba, before moving to Brooklyn a year later, where her father opened a fur shop. In the late 1960s, Schachter began selling dresses. Within two decades, it became the go-to place for brides worldwide to find a gown.