Remembering Liz Claiborne

There are alot of women out there in mourning these days.

This past Tuesday saw the passing of fashion designer Liz

Claiborne after a long battle with cancer. Liz revolutionized

the fashion industry, designing and producing stylish, classic,

and affordable casual sportwear and coordinated outfits and

that were serious yet so very attractive. Her fashion and sense

of style were aimed at the influx of women entering the work-

place and climbing up the corporate ladder in the 70's and 80's.

Elisabeth Claiborne was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1929 and

came to the U.S. in the 1940's to pursue a career in fashion.

(She married twice and had one son.) After working for years

as a relatively unknown dress designer, Liz, together with her

husband Art Ortenberg and 2 business partners, launched the

Liz Claiborne line of clothing in 1976. It would not take long for

her to totally turn department store clothing policies and sales

upside down; her clothes became an instant hit, and in 1981

Liz Claiborne entered the stock market. In 1985, Liz Claiborne

Inc. became the first company headed by a woman to be listed

in the Fortune 500. So, as you can see, she broke the barriers

and set the table for other successful women that would follow

her (such as another one of my faves, Martha Stewart). Liz

retired from day to day operations in 1989, but stayed active

through various charities and foundations, most recently with

the Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation, dedicated to

wildlife conservation. I was in high school when I first started

buying Liz's clothes; the styles and colors were conservative,

classic, yet very attractive, high in quality yet sporty, all while

being affordable. Furthermore, the lines and cuts of the clothes

fit me well, something not easily accomplished due to my height,

arm length, hips, and bra size. When Liz entered the accessory

line, she sold me there too; shoes in large sizes, fantastic belts,

wallets, and purses....the total package. The only designer that

can come close to her accessory line is Aigner, but in clothing,

no one topped Liz. A pioneer for the non-stick figure, moderate

income woman who wants to turn heads in a non-flashy way,

who desires to wear fashionable and comfortable clothes that

last without going out of style - thank you Liz Claiborne, you

will be missed.