Anna Potok

[4] The Apfelbaums survived the 1903–06 pogroms due to their supplying furs to the highest levels of Polish society, including the President of Poland and the Mayor of Warsaw.

[5] The brother and sister decided to return to Warsaw to rescue the rest of the family, although they could only save her husband and son and Maximilian's daughter, whose mother had to stay behind, and was never seen again.

Maximilian expressed his distaste for the functional cold-weather furs for bureaucrats and their wives that had been their typical Polish output, and wanted to attract a more glamorous Hollywood clientele.

[5] Their first fashion shows attracted wealthy clients such as Marjorie Merriweather Post, Mrs. Loel Guinness, Thelma Chrysler Foy and Babe Paley.

[5] Other customers included Helena Rubinstein, Diana Ross, Sophia Loren and the Duchess of Windsor, for whom Potok designed her first suit in Russian broadtail.

This resulted in Partos emigrating to New York, terminating his contract with Dior, and staying with Maximilian until 1955 when he was offered a job as head furrier for Bergdorf Goodman.

[1] The quality of Maximilian continued after the sale, with a 1978 article for Routes describing the ongoing creativity, uniqueness and extravagance of Potok and Gilles Dufour's designs for the brand and the wide range of garments, from raincoats to ponchoes to short jackets.