American women have Claiborne to thank for their working wardrobes. She was the designer who, in the mid-1970s, started a sportswear line that became the popular alternative to the suit. A working mother, Claiborne was inspired by her own lack of sartorial choices. She hit a sweet spot in the fashion industry—more and more women were working, and fewer and fewer of them wanted to dress like men. By the mid-'80s, Liz Claiborne Inc. made the FORTUNE 500 list of the largest companies in the U.S.
Born in Brussels to American parents, Claiborne aspired to become an artist but ended up studying pattern-making. After working for 15 years as the chief designer for Youth Guild, a junior-dress manufacturer, she started her business with $50,000 in personal savings and $200,000 borrowed from family and friends. At the time of her death, Claiborne's namesake company—which now includes brands like Ellen Tracy and Juicy Couture—had reached $5 billion in sales.