Liz Claiborne

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Liz Claiborne (born Elisabeth Claiborne^[1] on March 31, 1929, Brussels) is a Belgian-born fashion designer. She married Art Ortenberg after divorcing Ben Schultz.

She immigrated to the United States in 1939,^[1] and was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended St. Timothy's, a boarding school then in Catonsville, Maryland (currently in Stevenson, Maryland.) Rather than finishing high school, she went to Europe to study art. In 1949, she won the Jacques Heim National Design Contest (sponsored by Harper's Bazaar), and then moved to New York City where she worked as a sketch artist at the sportswear house Tina Leser. She worked as a designer for Dan Keller and Youth Group Inc., before starting her own design company, Liz Claiborne Inc., in 1976.^[1] The firm grew from its origins designing affordable active sportswear for women and is now a multi billion-dollar enterprise.

Liz Claiborne Inc. designs and markets an extensive range of branded women's and men's apparel, accessories and fragrance products. The diverse portfolio of quality brands - available domestically and internationally via wholesale and retail channels - consistently meets the widest range of consumers’ fashion needs, from classic to contemporary, active to relaxed and denim to streetwear. The more than 40 brands in the Liz Claiborne Inc. portfolio are available at over 30,000 points of sale worldwide. For more information visit [www.lizclaiborneinc.com].

The company's brands are available at more than 30,000 different retail locations throughout the world, including the company's own specialty retail and outlet stores, and on its e-commerce sites. Brands include Axcess, Bora Bora, C & C California, City Unltd., Claiborne, Crazy Horse, Curve, Dana Buchman, Elisabeth, Ellen Tracy, Emma James, Enyce, First Issue, Intuitions, J.H. Collectibles, Juicy Couture, Kenzie, Kenziegirl, Laundry by Shelli Segal, LIZ, Liz Claiborne, Lucky Brand Jeans, Mac & Jac, Mambo, Marvella, Mexx, Monet, Monet 2, Prana, Realities, Sigrid Olsen, Soul, Spark, Stamp 10, Tapemeasure, Tint, Trifari, Villager, and Yzza.

Liz Claiborne retired from active management in 1989.

On October 16, 2006, Liz Claiborne Inc. named William McComb Chief Executive Officer. [1]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Kenneth T. Jackson: The Encyclopedia of New York City: The New York Historical Society; Yale University Press; 1995. P. 238.