On June 11, 1967, Barbra Streisand attended the Rally for the Survival of Israel, dressed in a striped, candy-colored skirt and jacket, paired with a matching pussy-bow, head scarf, and handbag. This outfit reflected the vibrant and exuberant spirit of the youthquake fashion movement, which surged in popularity in the mid-1960s.

The Rally for the Survival of Israel took place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA, to raise funds for the survival of Israel after the Six-Day War. In The Jewish Journal, Tom Tugend recalled that the event was hastily organized but drew 20,000 attendees and over 4,000 financial contributions. Tugend noted, “In attendance were California Gov. Ronald Reagan, U.S. Sen. George Murphy, Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty and dozens of Hollywood celebrities, such as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Danny Kaye and Carl Reiner.” ¹ A short transcript from the rally can be read at American Jewish Archives.

This was a very busy week for Streisand, who was filming the Funny Girl movie and preparing for her Happening in Central Park concert just five days later. In the below photo from the same day as the rally, Streisand and Omar Sharif can be seen recording vocals for the Funny Girl film.

In Marc Lee Raphael’s book The History of the United Jewish Appeal, he explains that Jewish Philanthropy in America reached new heights after the Six-Day War. “American Jews assumed financial responsibility for the vast and unprecedented health, education, welfare, relief, and resettlement needs of immigrants and residents in Israel which the Israeli economy could not absorb.” ² Even prior to the release of her first film, Streisand was a massive star, and her appearance at the event most certainly helped to draw crowds and raise funds.

Though the designer of Streisand’s bold rally outfit has been a subject of speculation for many years, my research has led me to believe that it was made for her by Arnold Scaasi. Throughout the 1960s, Streisand collaborated extensively with Scaasi, often sketching her own ideas, which he helped bring to life. Together, they co-designed numerous looks, many featuring similar matching head wraps. The April 1, 1967 edition of Vogue featured model Editha Dussler wearing a near identical striped outfit as the one Streisand wore two months later. In this photo, the look was paired with Marvela earrings and orange Julianelli shoes. Streisand likely had Scaasi make her matching accessories for this look to make it her own. In Scaasi’s 1996 book “A Cut Above”, he describes the outfits as “playfully striped suits of printed wool jersey.”

Vibrant and fun prints similar to these rose in popularity during the “Youthquake” movement in the mid-1960s. This term was coined by Vogue magazine editor Diana Vreeland in 1965 after the fashion industry began to cater to the whims of teenagers for the first time. ³ This shift started in London and was largely fueled by young people’s desire to rebel from the trends of the previous decade and the things their parents found to be fashionable and acceptable. London was the nexus of this movement, and designer Mary Quant’s boutique and mini-skirts helped to lead the way. The demand for these new fun and bold fashions recalibrated the way things had been in the years prior when Paris Couture dictated which fashion trends were licensed to be reproduced. Youthquake fashion quickly spilled over into the US, where many boutiques were opened to keep up with the demand. These boutiques often featured “clothes displayed like art in a gallery, cooler-than-thou young salesgirls, and rock and roll blaring from the speakers—shops that marketed clothes as part of a whole, deliriously amusing lifestyle”. ⁴

Arnold Scaasi swiftly adjusted his designs to align with this cultural shift, but rather than following other designers in launching ready-to-wear collections for their boutiques, he made the bold decision to shut down his RTW company in 1964—just as the youthquake was emerging. Instead, he established a made-to-order house at a time when many designers were struggling to sustain theirs. This move would turn out to work in his favor, and he established a loyal following of celebrities and high-society clientele over the years. ⁵

Streisand was quick to embrace the latest trends during this period. She had always had a fearless approach to style and often rejected fashion rules, so she naturally resonated with the spirit of the youthquake movement. Her fashion choices not only reflected the shifting styles of the era but also inspired countless admirers to emulate her outfits. It’s clear that while collaborating with Scaasi, they both helped push each other to new creative heights.

Footnotes/Sources:

1. https://jewishjournal.com/cover_story/219888/los-angeles-rallied-around-israel-67/ ↩︎
2. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvzpv5n7.12?searchText=AMERICAN+JEWISH+PHILANTHROPIC+RESPONSE+TO+THE+SIX+DAY+AND+YOM+KIPPUR+WARS&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DAMERICAN%2BJEWISH%2BPHILANTHROPIC%2BRESPONSE%2BTO%2BTHE%2BSIX%2BDAY%2BAND%2BYOM%2BKIPPUR%2BWARS%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A1eebed47c8af9258d16e9b229526f2b8&seq=1 ↩︎
3. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/12/youthquake-is-oxford-dictionary-word-of-the-year?srsltid=AfmBOopdyZhgs5hZ_m7V-sYiTvm2Tmc2NkQ53LZx9DRiGErcxZS6jV50 ↩︎
4. https://nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/fashion/spring03/n_8337/ ↩︎
5. https://wwd.com/feature/arnold-scaasi-dies-at-10196546/ ↩︎