Julie Chaiken

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Julie Chaiken
Born
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
New York University Stern School of Business
OccupationEntrepreneur

Julie Chaiken is an American entrepreneur and fashion designer. She is best known as the founder of Chaiken, a San Francisco-based clothing line.[1][2][3]

Early life and education[edit]

Chaiken, who was born in Detroit, grew up in Northern California, the daughter of Carole Chaiken, who raced, bred, and trained horses, and Donald Chaiken, a real estate developer.[4] She attended high school in Lafayette, California, and received a BA in history from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1989.[citation needed]

Her interest in entertainment prompted Chaiken to move to New York City following graduation; she worked in the original programming department at the USA Network before deciding to pursue an MBA. Enrolling at the New York University Stern School of Business, Chaiken earned an MBA in corporate finance in 1993.[5]

Career[edit]

In 1994, recognizing the then-limited clothing options available to fashion-forward women, Chaiken teamed with a friend, Pamela Capone, to found Chaiken and Capone. "I wanted to create something that spoke to who I am, and I came up with the idea of a clothing company to create clothes for women like myself," Chaiken said in an interview in 2004.[6] Chaiken and Capone's first offering included a successful line of pants, which were described as "revolutionizing the pants market."[2][7][8][9]

Initially, Capone focused on design while Chaiken focused on the business and business strategy. In 1998, she bought out Capone; by 1999, the line was being carried in more than 400 boutiques and high-end retailers,[9] including Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. Chaiken, while primarily focused on growing the company, subsequently expanded her role as CEO to include clothing and accessory design.[10][11]

In 2001, at the request of Chaiken clients including Cindy Crawford and Vendela, Chaiken created a maternity line, Chaiken With Child. Chaiken and Capone's signature pants, with elastic in the waistband, and an "emphatic lack of ugly front pouches," were successful and orders at high-end department mandated wide production. "Business school 101 is find a need and fill it," Chaiken said. The Chaiken with Child spring collection in 2012 represented 15% of Chaiken and Capone's overall sales.[12]

in 2008, Chaiken—a single mother of two—went on a two-year hiatus. Returning to the company in 2010, she reconfigured her late-1990s dress line Anonymity to include all categories and relaunched it through QVC.[13] A ready-to-wear collection returned to the market in 2010 and, although successfully relaunched as Chaiken and Capone,[2] the company became known as simply Chaiken in 2012.[11][14][15][16]

In 2014, she was honored as a "Woman to Watch" by Jewish Women International.[17]

In 2015, she retired from fashion and is currently focusing on her family and her philanthropic work.

Philanthropy[edit]

Chaiken served eight years on the board of directors for the Center for Reproductive Rights, an international non-profit organization which uses the law to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental human right that all governments are legally obligated to protect, respect, and fulfill.[18] Chaiken is also on the board of The Chaiken Family Foundation. She is currently the Leadership Council Co-Chair for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

She is a founding board member of The Weekend To Be Named Later,[19] which she co-organized with Nancy Lublin, the founder of Dress for Success. LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman, also a co-organizer, describes the event as a "Franklin-inspired gathering of ambitious friends, to brainstorm ways to change the world."[20]

Personal life[edit]

Although frequently in New York, Chaiken lives in Marin County in Northern California. She has two children.[21][22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ De Carlo, Lauren (December 16, 2004). "A Decade of Chaiken". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Minkoff, Jessica. "A Business With Legs". Style.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  3. ^ Fishman, Alana. "Lookbook Love: Chaiken Spring 2013". Spring, 2013. Lucky. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  4. ^ Aronovsky, Aron Nathan (July 12, 2013). "Carole C. Chaiken". J Weekly. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  5. ^ "CFDA Members". CFDA. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  6. ^ "Alumni In The News: Julie Chaiken, 1993". 2004. NYU School of Business. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  7. ^ Staff (April 21, 2011). "Sartorial Stars: Julie Chaiken of Chaiken and Capone". Truth Plus. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  8. ^ Marsh, Lisa. "Designer Julie Chaiken Dishes on Chaiken and Capone's Return to Retail". Stylelist. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Sprauve, Angella (April 1, 2013). "The Perfect Fit: Julie Chaiken Launches New Collection". Haute Living. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  10. ^ Staff. "Chaiken: Racked SF". 2012. Racked: Shopping and Styling Intelligence. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  11. ^ a b Durbin, Samantha (August 11, 2011). "Do Call It a Comeback: Chaiken and Capone". 7x7. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  12. ^ Bower, Amanda. "Expect the Best". The Stork. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  13. ^ "QVC Expands New York Fashion Week Presence Launches First NYC Pop-Up Location". Bloomberg (Via PR Newswire). July 7, 2010. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  14. ^ Schnicker, Lauren (January 10, 2011). "Chaiken and Capone Makes a Comeback for Spring 2011". Fashion Etc. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  15. ^ King, Joyann (January 20, 2011). "Julie Chaiken's Back! Chaiken Relaunches for Spring". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  16. ^ C Fashion Staff (March 14, 2013). "Busy Body". California Style. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  17. ^ "2014 Women to Watch Honorees". jwi.org. Jewish Women International. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  18. ^ "Our Mission". 2013. The Center for Reproductive Rights. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  19. ^ Schomer, Stephanie (May 2011). "Tony Blair's Secret Club And Other Clubs We Want To Crash". Fast Company. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  20. ^ Hoffman, Reid; Cashnocha, Ben (Spring 2013). "The Start-Up of You". Leader to Leader Journal. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  21. ^ "The Long View". Oprah.com. Spring 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  22. ^ Kaplan, Julie (July 28, 2008). "Chaiken to Relocate to San Francisco". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
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