You may not recognizer the name, but Hannah Golofski, who was born in Brooklyn on August 3, 1923, would grow up to become the award winning fashion designer Anne Klein.
Anne Klein was a design trailblazer who completely changed the way women dress. Her contributions to American fashion are invaluable and we can credit her with many of the fashion norms we now take for granted. Klein introduced American women to the concept of wearing menswear inspired separates like jackets, trousers, shirts, etc., to create a coordinated wardrobe. It's hard to comprehend what fashion was like in the early part of the 20th century, but the concept of women's mix and match wardrobes was a foreign one.
In 1973, Klein was one of 5 designers invited to participate in the now iconic "Battle Of Versailles" in France. Anne joined Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, Halston, and Bill Blass as they introduced American contemporary fashions along with the top French designers of the time. Donna Karan, who worked for Anne Klein at the time, was part of the team that traveled to France.
The famous Anne Klein lion logo was inspired by her Leo zodiac sign and is still one of the most recognizable labels today. Sadly, Anne Klein died of breast cancer on March 19, 1974. Donna Karan and Louis Dell’Olio took over the responsibility of designing for the brand. Donna Karan stayed at Anne Klein for 10 years.
Anne Klein won numerous awards including the Mademoiselle Merit Award in 1954, The Coty American Fashion Critics Award in 1955, 1969, and 1971, the Neiman Marcus Award in
1959 and 1969 – (the first designer to receive this award twice), The Lord & Taylor Award in
1964, The National Cotton Council Award in 1965, and she was inducted into the Coty Fashion Hall of fame in 1971.