How a Homeless Immigrant Invented the Tube Top and Built a Billion-Dollar Fashion Empire

He arrived in New York with $100, slept in parks, showered at the YMCA — and went on to invent the tube top, dress Studio 54, and build a billion-dollar fashion empire. In this episode of The Burnouts, fashion icon Elie Tahari joins Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni alongside his son and CEO Jeremey Tahari for a rare, multi-generational conversation about survival, ambition, taste, and legacy. Elie walks through his unbelievable journey: immigrating to New York alone, working as an electrician by day and selling clothes by night, sneaking into a fashion show through a back door, and accidentally creating one of the most iconic garments of the 1970s. From disco dresses to power suits, he explains how watching women on New York streets — not runways — taught him how to anticipate what they’d want next. Jeremey opens up about growing up inside the business, stepping out of his father’s shadow, and eventually taking over as CEO — while expanding the company into real estate, licensing, and global scale. Together, they unpack what it really looks like to work with family, disagree on taste, hand over control, and build something meant to last 50+ years. This episode is about the American dream in its rawest form — luck, hustle, intuition, ego checks, and building success with heart. If you’re building from scratch, navigating family dynamics at work, or trying to define success on your own terms, this one’s required listening. Chapters 00:00 – Arriving in NYC with $100 01:00 – Sleeping in parks & finding community 03:00 – From electrician to fashion hustle 04:30 – Inventing the tube top 06:30 – Sneaking into a fashion show & landing 250K orders 08:30 – Studio 54, disco & early fashion moments 11:00 – Dressing women entering the workforce 13:00 – Building a fashion empire 15:00 – Real estate, licensing & vertical integration 17:00 – Father–son dynamics in business 19:30 – Taking over as CEO 22:00 – Disagreeing on taste & generational shifts 25:00 – Persian culture, fashion & femininity 27:30 – Leadership, hiring & humility 30:00 – Legacy, luck & advice for the burnouts 🔗 FOLLOW US Phoebe Gates Sophia Kianni Elie Tahari Jeremey Tahari Tahari Group 🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTS Instagram TikTok LinkedIn 📲 Support What We’re Building Phoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts — they’re the founders of Phia, a fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Try it now → https://www.phia.com About The Burnouts The Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond headlines to explore the real stories, breakdowns, and breakthroughs that define your 20s. Past guests include Paris Hilton, Tommy Hilfiger, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and other entrepreneurs redefining our generation. 🔔 Subscribe for the insider playbook to build your dream career. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.