Julie Chaiken

Julie Chaiken
Born Julie Chaiken
(1967-12-22) December 22, 1967
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Residence Marin County, California, United States
Alma mater University of California, Los Angeles
New York University Stern School of Business
Occupation Entrepreneur, fashion designer
Board member of Center for Reproductive Rights, The Chaiken Family Foundation, MPMS, The Weekend To Be Named Later
Website Chaiken Clothing

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

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.

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

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

Chaiken sits 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 a founding board member of The Weekend To Be Named Later,[19] which she co-organizes 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

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ De Carlo, Lauren. "A Decade of Chaiken". December 16, 2004. Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Minkoff, Jessica. "A Business With Legs". November 2, 2012. Style. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  3. ↑ Fishman, Alana. "Lookbook Love: Chaiken Spring 2013". Spring, 2013. Lucky. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "Carole C. Chaiken". July 2013. J Weekly. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "CFDA Members". 2013. CFDA. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Alumni In The News: Julie Chaiken, 1993". 2004. NYU School of Business. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  7. ↑ Staff. "Sartorial Stars: Julie Chaiken of Chaiken and Capone". April 21, 2011. Truth Plus. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. ↑ Marsh, Lisa. "Designer Julie Chaiken Dishes on Chaiken and Capone's Return to Retail". January 4, 2011. Stylelist. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  9. 1 2 Sprauve, Angella. "The Perfect Fit: Julie Chaiken Launches New Collection". April 1, 2013. Haute Living. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  10. ↑ Staff. "Chaiken: Racked SF". 2012. Racked: Shopping and Styling Intelligence. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  11. 1 2 Durbin, Samantha. "Do Call It a Comeback: Chaiken and Capone". August 11, 2011. 7 x 7. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  12. ↑ Bower, Amanda. "Expect the Best". December 18, 2008. Time Magazine. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "QVC Expands New York Fashion Week Presence Launches First NYC Pop-Up Location". July 7, 2010. Bloomberg (Via PR Newswire). Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  14. ↑ Schnicker, Lauren. "Chaiken and Capone Makes a Comeback for Spring 2011". January 10, 2011. Fashion Etc. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  15. ↑ King, Joyann. "Julie Chaiken's Back! Chaiken Relaunches for Spring". January 20, 2011. Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  16. ↑ C Fashion Staff. "Busy Body". March 14, 2013. California Style. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  17. ↑ "2014 Women to Watch Honorees". jwi.org. Jewish Women International. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  18. ↑ "Our Mission". 2013. The Center for Reproductive Rights. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  19. ↑ Schomer, Stephanie. "TONY BLAIR'S SECRET CLUB AND OTHER CLUBS WE WANT TO CRASH". 2012. Fast Company. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  20. ↑ Hoffman, Reid, Cashnocha, Ben. "THE START-UP OF YOU". Spring 2013. Leader to Leader Journal. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  21. ↑ Photo Essay. "The Long View". Spring, 2013. Oprah. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  22. ↑ Kaplan, Julie. "Chaiken to Relocate to San Francisco". July 28, 2008. Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 30 October 2013.

External links

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