In the fashion industry, Gary Wassner, Co-CEO of Hilldun Corporation, known as the company behind many of Seventh Avenue's most prestigious fashion companies, has provided financing and factoring for many of America's most iconic designer labels. Derek Lam, Peter Som, Jason Wu, Maria Cornejo, Yeohlee, Alexander Wang, Nanette Lepore, Rebecca Taylor, Twinkle, Naeem Kahn, Zang Toi, Vivienne Westwood, Timo Weiland, Chris Benz, Mara Hoffman, Thom Browne, Betsey Johnson, Marc Jacobs and Alexis Bittar are only a few of fashion’s finest that have benefitted from the discerning eyes and business acumen of he and his business partner of twenty years, Jeffrey Kapelman.
Recently named one of Fashionsita’s 50 Most Influential People in Fashion, Gary is also a member of the CFDA Advisory Board and a mentor for the CFI Incubator program, an advisory board member of Fordham Law School’s Fashion Law Institute, as well as a member of Senator Gillibrand’s Fashion Industry Working Group and a passionate supporter of the Save The Garment Center movement and all causes related to supporting the Fashion Industry in NYC.
In addition to being a force in the fashion industry, he is a well respected fiction writer and children’s book author. His Gemquest series is popular among sci-fi and fantasy readers and one of his children's book, The Mystery of the Jubilee Emerald published by Mondo Publishing, is available everywhere. In 2011 he published Isabella Cucharella, Fashion Designer Extraordinaire, a picture book for budding young fashion stars, 50% of the proceeds of which he donated to the CFDA Fashion Incubator. In January of 2012 he published the next two books in the Adventures of Cristopher and Erica series, The Candle Rock Mystery and The Mystery of the Presidential Papers.
Wassner resides in New York with his wife Cathy. He has three sons, Brien, Christopher and Cole, two daughters-in-law, Mary and Lauren, and four dogs, Kiefer, Oakley, Alexa Rose and Piper Lily.