After his death, the chair of the British Fashion Council Harold Tillman described him as: "a great designer, retailer and entrepreneur".

He began to sell Kenzo sweaters in Salon 33, and in 1972 the first Joseph clothes store opened underneath the hairdressing premises.

[7][8] Kenzo sweaters in the store’s window were spotted by then Sunday Times fashion editor Michael Roberts and used in a photo shoot – a move credited with simultaneously launching both minimalist European fashion and the Joseph retail name to a wider UK audience.

[9] A high-tech Norman Foster-designed flagship store opened in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge in 1979, after which Joseph Ettedgui’s place as a retail pioneer was cemented.

[1][3] Joseph Ettedgui assisted emerging fashion designers, including Margaret Howell, Katharine Hamnett, John Galliano and Azzedine Alaïa.