NEWS worthy Clips (3/3)

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News worthy clips

In the late 1970s, before fashion was with celebrity, designer Liz Claiborne became a household name as one of the first to introduce stylish separates to working women.

Her work with tailored knits gave women climbing the corporate ladder the confidence to walk into the office on feminine terms. The softness of her fabrics was all women, while the neutral colors conveyed a look for the serious-minded. Today Liz Claiborne is a multimillion-dollar New York-based company that includes megabrands such as Juicy Couture, Ellen Tracy and Kate Spade.

Claiborne died June 26 of last year in New York after a long bout with cancer. She was 78. In 1997, she learned she had a rare form of cancer that affected the lining of her stomach.

“ in losing Liz Claiborne, we have not only lost the founder of our company, but an woman who revolutionized the fashion industry 30 years ago, ” said Bill McComb, chief executive officer of Liz Claiborne, Inc.

While Claiborne’s label lives on in outlet malls and as a , her fashion sense is representative of a time and place. By the time the 1990s rolled around, the quiet designer had lost her cachet with the contemporary market, and her clothing, while still functional, was anything but cutting edge.recently, Liz Claiborne has tried to right itself. Designers started focusing on well-fitting pants, which are at the center of current fashion design. Last year, the company also hired Tim Gunn, of the reality show “Project Runway”, to juice up the brands.

It is too early to tell if the new Liz Claiborne will speak to this generation. But maybe Liz Claiborne’s lasting legacy is that while her fashions may have become staid, she stayed true to her core customer. That’s a rarity among brands.

Vocabulary Focus

separates (n pl) ---pieces of women’s clothing that are bought separately and not as part of a suit

roll around (phr v )---to happen or take place

regularlyjuice up (phr v)---to strengthen by making something more exciting or interesting

Specialized terms