Anne Klein

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 the Anne Klein & Company

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. which led to her first job as a sketcher for dress firms on 7th Avenue.

In 1948 she married clothing manufacturer Ben Klein, with whom she launched the Junior Sophisticates clothing line. A large aspect of her brand is centered around the understanding of the average working women’s clothing needs, as well as women empowerment in the broader perspective.

Her journey was first recognized in 1954 with the Mademoiselle Merit Award, and further on, through numerous fashion awards and international recognition.

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

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

Early life and education

Anne Klein was born on August 3, 1923, in Brooklyn, New York, as Hannah Golofski. She had three sisters, Mae Waldman and twins Rita Kiviat and Jeanne Cohen. She was known to have said that she changed her name from Hannah to Anne because it was more aesthetically pleasing.

While studying fine arts and drawing at Girls' Commercial High School (now Prospect Heights High School), she discovered her talent for design. Anne Klein’s career began when she was only 15 years old working as a freelance sketcher at a wholesale house. Within a year, she was employed at her first official job in the garment industry with Varden Petites. There, she worked to redesign the firm's collection and introduced a new style of ready-to-wear clothing for young, smaller figured women that would come to be known as "Junior Miss".

In 1944, Anne Klein joined Bonnie Cashin and Claire McCardell to later form a female design trio who laid the foundations of the fashion category American sportswear.

In 1948 she married clothing manufacturer Ben Klein. Together, they launched the Junior Sophisticates label. Junior Sophisticates offered elegant styles to young women with smaller figures. Anne Klein was the principal designer at Junior Sophisticates until 1960, when her marriage ended. Part of the inspiration behind Anne Klein’s brand was putting a feminine twist on what was stereotypically menswear, such as jackets and suits. Coco Chanel was the first company to do so, making Anne Klein the second. About this time, she began to win various awards in the fashion industry, including:

1954- the Mademoiselle Merit Award.

1954- the Coty American Fashion Critics Award. Matthew Rubenstein was in the paper bag business when he met Klein. In 1965, she, her husband, and three designers, Don Simonelli, Gerald Feder, and Hazel Haire, came together to make the Anne Klein Design Studio.

In 1964, she was awarded the Lord & Taylor Rose Award for independent thinking, an award first given to Albert Einstein. Donna Karan and Louis Dell’Olio took over the design direction of the company. The main consensus after these uncertain times was that the company needed to focus on going back to Anne Klein’s original values and design choices, as that is where the brand experienced the most success.

Anne Klein is an American privately held company owned by WHP Global who acquired the brand in July 2019. They purchased the company from Premier Brands Group. The group claimed to have sold the company to focus more on other companies they own. Some goals that WHP Global have expressed for the company included growing the company through U.S. retailers including Macy’s and expanding globally. They also wanted to focus on investing in marketing, social media, and digital commerce in hopes of gaining more brand engagement.

The brand markets a complete lifestyle assortment, ranging from apparel to footwear, watches, and jewelry. Anne Klein & Company is based in 60 countries worldwide.

Awards 1954 – Mademoiselle Merit Award 1955, 1969, 1971 – Coty American Fashion Critics Award 1959, 1969 – Neiman Marcus Award (Klein was the first designer to receive this award twice) 1964 – Lord & Taylor Award 1965 – National Cotton Council Award 1971 – Induction into the Coty Fashion Hall of Fame