Born Anne Elisabeth Jane Claiborne in Brussels, Belgium in 1929, Liz Claiborne was a New York-based fashion designer who became well known for her stylish yet affordable clothing for career women.
She & her husband, Art Ortenberg, co-founded Liz Claiborne, Inc. Claiborne was the first woman to become a chair and CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
In May of 1997, it was discovered Claiborne had a rare form of cancer in the lining of her abdomen. It would take her life ten years later on 26 June 2007. She was 78.
Photo credit: Liz Claiborne in 2000, at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards. © AP/Wide World Photos.