Timeline
History of Anne
1923
Brooklyn
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Brooklyn
Anne Klein is born a Leo on August 3rd in Brooklyn, her given name is Hannah Golofsky.
1923
1937
Garment District
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Garment District
Anne wins a scholarship to attend the famous 3737 A year later, she’s sketching School for Fashion professionally on Seventh Avenue.
1937
1938
Petites Grows Up
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Anne works for Varden Petites
Anne goes to work for Varden Petites and elevates junior clothing from frilly “little girl” looks to a refined, grown up aesthetic.
1938
1940
Learning from a Legend
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Learning from a Legend
Anne designs women’s fashions for legend Maurice Rentner just as ready-to-wear becomes vogue.
1940
1940
Head Designer
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Head Designer
With her husband, Ben Klein, Anne develops the first modern, sophisticated fashion line for young women.
1940
1950
Separates
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Separates
Her new mix-and-match blazers, skirts, and dresses start a major trend and make Anne Klein synonymous with interchangeability and versatility.
1950
1954
National Recognition
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National Recognition
Anne wins the Mademoiselle Merit Award, the first of many design honors to come.
1954
1954
First Coty Award
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First Coty Award
Anne receives the prestigious Coty American Fashion Critics Award, confirming her place as the new star of American fashion.
1954
1959
International Recognition
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International Recognition
The Neiman-Marcus Award recognizes fashion design leadership worldwide Anne receives her first in 1959.
1959
1961
Creative Royalty
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American Creativity Award
Anne is one of a select group to receive an American Creativity Award from one of the leading retailers of the period.
1961
1963
Making Her Way
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Making Her Way
With the establishment of her own freelance design studio, Anne begins to fundamentally change how women dress, and becomes a major influence on modern American style.
1963
1964
Independent Thinker
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Independent Thinker
First given to Albert Einstein, the famous Lord & Taylor Award honoring independent thinking is presented to Anne Klein.
1964
1968
Anne Becomes a Brand
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Anne Becomes a Brand
Anne forms Anne Klein and Company with the mission to create elegant sportswear for the modern American woman and changes how women think about and buy clothing. For her new label, Anne sketches a logo based on her astrological sign. The design goes on to become one of the most iconic and recognizable trademarks in the world.
1968
1969
First to be Twice
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First to be Twice
Anne becomes the first designer to repeat as a Neiman Marcus Fashion Leadership Award winner.
1969
1970
First designer Shop
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First designer Shop
Saks Fifth Avenue launches the free-standing Anne Klein Corner, a prototype for designer fashion retailing common today.
1970
1971
Hall of Fame
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Hall of Fame
The Coty Awards name the eighth designer in 28 years to the Coty Hall of Fame: Anne Klein.
1971
1973
Battle Of Versailles
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Battle Of Versailles
Top American designers, including Anne, upstage their French contemporaries at the legendary Versailles fashion show to shift the balance of fashion influence to New York.
1973
1974
The Legagcy lives On
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The Legagcy lives On
Following Anne’s death, design assistants Donna Karan and Louis Dell’Ollio interpret Anne’s vision, the first of many prominent designers to perpetuate the iconic style.
1974
1976
Lifestyle Brand
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Lifestyle Brand
New extensions begin the development of a full lifestyle brand.
1976
1993-2003
Dressed to Lead
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Dressed to Lead
Anne Klein dresses women to succeed with suits, separates and accessories that work from day into night - sophisticated designs that are as effortless as they are empowering.
1993-2003
2001
Relevant Forever
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Relevant Forever
Anne Klein is immortalized by the Fashion Walk of Fame with a plaque on Seventh Avenue where she began a revolution in American fashion.
2001
1993-2018
Continued Creative Leadership
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Continued Creative Leadership
Anne Klein maintains its legacy under various leading designers including Richard Tyler, Patrick Robinson, Kaufman & Franco, Charles Nolan Isabel Toledo and Sharon Lombardo.
1993-2018
2018
50 Years
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50 Years
The brand celebrates 50 years in business, while entering a licensing partnership with Steven Madden for footwear and handbags.
2018
2020
Uniting with Anne's Granddaughter
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Uniting with Anne's Granddaughter
In 2020, the iconic fashion brand unites with Anne Klein’s granddaughter, Jesse Rubinstein
2020
AK x COVID-19 Relief
On April 20, 2020, Jesse joins Anne Klein to launch its COVID-19 Relief efforts
2020
2021
Image and Impact
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Image and Impact
Our mission is equal parts image – serving working women around the world with classic American style – and impact – supporting the causes and communities she holds dear and empowering her ability to make positive change in the world.
2021
AK x African Services Committee
We partner with actress and activist, Ilfenesh Hadera and African Services Committee, a multiservice, human rights organization dedicated to assisting immigrants, refugees and asylees from across the African Diaspora
2021
2022
Inspiring the Next Generation
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Inspiring the Next Generation
Our impact partners in the Fall of 2022 are Golden Globe winning actress Gina Rodriguez and the Fashion Scholarship Fund
2022
The Future is Female
Our impact partners in the Spring of 2022 are supermodel Joan Smalls and Girls Inc.
2022
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