Nudie “The Tailor” Cohn was the original “Rhinestone Cowboy”.
That’s him with Gram Parsons.
Nudie Cohn was born in the Ukraine, and changed his name from Nuta Kotlyarenko after he immigrated to the US. His decorative rhinestone-covered suits are known popularly as “Nudie Suits”.
These elaborate stage costumes are centered somewhere between tacky and amazing. (I’m leaning more towards amazing)
He designed for celebrities as diverse as Elvis, Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash, Porter Wagner, Roy Rogers, Dwight Yoakam, Chris Issac, Sonny & Cher, ZZ Top , John Lennon, Brian Setzer, David Lee Roth, Dolly Parton and Elton John.
Here’s just a small sampling of album covers that Nudie’s creations graced…..
Nudie was also famous for his customized automobiles. They were just as outrageous as his suits.
Y’all may have even seen one on an album cover….
or 2,
Wanna know more about Nudie Cohn? (or any of the other brilliant golden age of western wear designers)
Grab the book How the West Was Worn from Amazon here.
Didn’t know that the west was so sparkly, did ya?
THE CAVENDER DIARY 
DEFINITELY works of art!
Takes a big personality to pull these looks off!
Love it!
It’s been a long time since I had heard Nudie’s name. Growing up with country music in the house, I knew how famous his custom suits were. What I didn’t know was this awesome car collection, very cool. Fun post you guys!
I always knew that he dressed Porter Waggoner, but not ZZ Top. Even Kidd Rock understands! He owns that car on his album cover. Glad we could make your day.
Your consistent appreciation for all things eclectic warms my heart. We share the same fondness for kitsch. 😀 Thanks for making me smile today, my friend.
So glad that you are smiling! Hope you think of us every time you see a star in one of these sparkly creations! Ohhh, think of Nudie too…….of course.
Definitely Amazing ! I have been on two state rodeo queen committees (Arizona and Texas), and the young ladies who compete for rodeo royalty titles keep this glitter alive. Nudie was the original, then Manuel followed suit (haha, unintentional pun, but I like it). Rickrageous now makes some similarly embroidered and rhinestoned outfits, but nobody really comes close to Nudie. Thanks for a delightful reminder 🙂
Patty, Jamie showed in horse competitions for years……and we still make it to 1 or 2 each year, so Yepp, we’ve seen the girls there in all the western glitter. Just love it! So glad that you do too!
What a fun surprise to see while reading through my blog feed today! I love your blog, and am thrilled that you love Nudie. I’m the new creative director and head designer for Nudie’s, working with Jamie Nudie to revive and relaunch her family brand. We’ve been working hard the past couple of months, and will be showing our new RTW line and custom work at the NFR in Vegas this December. I personally come from a western wear design background, making a lot of fab custom stuff for rodeo queens and country stars. Please visit our website to see some of our new stuff! Thanks again, most sincerely. 🙂
Wow Jess!!!! What a thrill that you found us. How could anyone NOT love Nudie and his unique style? Please “Keep on, Keeping on”……I’m very excited to see what the future holds for the Nudie line.
Hi – great to see these images, thanks for the post! I don’t think they are all Nudie suits, though! Dwight Yoakam’s suits are usually either by Manuel Cuevas (formerly Nudie’s head tailor) or Jaime Castenada.