Liz Claiborne

Anne Elizabeth Jane Claiborne was born March 31st, 1929, in Brussels Belgium.

On the first of January in 1950 one of her sketches won a contest, which was sponsored by Harper Bazaar Magazine*, and (not surprisingly) their magazine is still doing excellent today.

Starting, also in 1950, two days after she won the sketching contest, Liz started to design sportswear for women. One and a half years later she started to work on seventh avenue, she was a design assistant and a model. She was still also working, designing sports wear for women.

Her career in sportswear ended in 1955.




On the 5th of July, 1957, she married Art Ortenberg, her second husband. Three years later she was the principal designer for the junior dress division at Jonathon Logan.

In 1986 the company became the first founded by a woman (Liz Claiborne) to be listed in the Fortune 500!
On the first of September, in 1986 her company launched  their signature scent. One year later she was elected CEO and chairman of the board. Two years after that in 1989 she retired. Art & Liz started the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation. Liz had started to focus on philanthropy.

After Liz retired, her company's annual sales were more than 1.4 billion dollars.

In 1997 she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that affects the lining of the abdomen. The family has still not revealed the actual form of cancer. Three years later she won the humanitarian award for environmental work at the American Fashion Awards fighting Ivory Trade* in Africa.

On the 26th of June in 2007 she died because of her cancer. Three years later in 2010 the Liz Claiborne brand*** was added to JC Penney.

*Harper Baazar: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/
**Ivory Trade:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_trade
***Liz Claiborne Brand: http://www.jcpenney.com/liz-claiborne/dept.jump?id=dept20020560024