Anne Klein (fashion designer)

Anne Klein
Born
Hannah Golofsky[1]

(1923-08-03)August 3, 1923[1]
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.[1]
Died(1974-03-19)March 19, 1974 (aged 50) [1]
New York City, U.S.
Other namesHannah Golofski
EducationTraphagen School of Fashion[2]
LabelAnne Klein & Co
Spouses
  • Ben Klein
  • Matthew Rubenstein

Anne Klein (born Hannah Golofsky; August 3, 1923 – March 19, 1974) was an American fashion designer, businesswoman, as well as a founder and the namesake of Anne Klein & Company[1] (owned by WHP Global as of July 2019).[3]

She co-founded Anne Klein & Company in 1968 with Gunther Oppenheim, and within ten years her designs were being sold in over 750 department stores and boutiques in the USA.[3]

Her design career began in 1937 when she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Traphagen School of Fashion,[4] which led to her first job as a sketcher for dress firms on Seventh Avenue.

In 1948 she married clothing manufacturer Ben Klein, with whom she launched the Junior Sophisticates clothing line.[2] Junior Sophisticates offered styles to younger women with smaller figures. Anne Klein was the principal designer at Junior Sophisticates until 1960, when her marriage ended. In 1963, she married her second husband, Matthew "Chip" Rubinstein, and in 1968, they founded Anne Klein & Company on 39th Street. She also opened Anne Klein Studio on 57th Street. [5] A large aspect of her brand is being centered around understanding of the average working women’s clothing needs, as well as empowering women in general.[6][7]

Beginning in 1954 with the Mademoiselle Merit Award, Anne Klein won numerous fashion awards and gained international recognition.

In 1967, she patented a girdle designed for the miniskirt.[2]

In 1973, she was the only woman invited to participate in the Battle of Versailles, a competitive fashion show consisting of five American designers against five French designers, intended to raise money for renovations at Versailles [8][9]

On March 19, 1974, Anne Klein died of breast cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY.[10]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Klein, Anne (1923–1974)". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Francesca Sterlacci; Joanne Arbuckle (June 30, 2017). Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-4422-3909-8.
  3. ^ a b Cassavechia, Jamie (July 17, 2019). "WHP Global Launches as New Brand Management Platform with $200 Million Equity Fund Commitment from Oaktree". Business Wire. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  4. ^ "The Traphagen School: Fostering American Fashion". Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  5. ^ Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. June 30, 2017. p. 264. ISBN 9781442239098. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  6. ^ Montanera, Doris (March 7, 2005). "Fashion designer, Anne Klein". Elle Canada. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  7. ^ Campbell, Nicky (November 16, 2018). "THE ENDURING LEGACY OF ANNE KLEIN". CFDA. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "The secret history of fashion's ultimate showdown | Dazed". Dazeddigital.com. March 23, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  9. ^ Morris, Bernadine (September 10, 1993). "Review/Design; When America Stole the Runway From Paris Couture". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Morris, Bernadine (March 22, 1974)."Fashion's Family Gathers to Mourn and Honor Anne Klein". The New York Times