Alexandra Penney

Alexandra Penney is an American artist, journalist and author.

She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Greek-American parents. Graduate of Smith College, BA Philosophy, MA degree in Studio Art and Criticism, Hunter. Upon graduation, Penney started her career as a painter with several group shows in New York to her credit. Pressing financial needs as a single mother propelled her into journalism. Her first job was as assistant editor at Vogue, which she left to complete her master's degree in art. She continued to paint and work as a freelancer for various magazines and wrote a weekly column at the New York Times Magazine. She was the author of the best-seller, How to Make Love to a Man, which was on The New York Times best-seller list for over a year. She returned to Conde Nast as editor of Self, where she conceived and created the Pink Ribbon. With the help of Self editors and the support of her friend and breast cancer survivor, Evelyn Lauder, propelled the ribbon into an international symbol. During the years she was an author and journalist, Penney continued to paint small-scale work. She returned full-time to art the week after 9/11.

As an artist she has had numerous solo exhibitions in New York, Germany and Miami Basel.

As editor of Self magazine, Penney succeeded the founder, Phyllis Starr, who died of breast cancer. Wanting to pay tribute to Starr and knowing that breast cancer was nationally underfunded, Penney, working with Nancy Smith, the executive editor of Self, created the first pink ribbon with SI Newhouse Jr's, (owner of Conde Nast), permission. At a meeting on the same day that the ribbon was created, she called Evelyn Lauder, a friend and breast cancer survivor, to edit the first breast cancer issue of Self and to ask for her help in getting the pink ribbon to Estee Lauder customers. Lauder, then Sr VP of Estee Lauder, immediately responded positively and began to take the pink ribbon global through Estee Lauder sales counters. Lauder and Penney worked tirelessly to popularize the ribbon through the magazine and through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which was founded by Lauder. Both Penney and Lauder were commended at the White House by President and Mrs Clinton.

Having been employed by the magazine since 1989, Penney left in 1994 to assume a role as consultant for start up magazines looking for opportunities in print and new media. Less than a week later Penney announced that she would stay at Self where she wanted to continue the challenge of surpassing the magazines records for advertising revenue and circulation that had been set during her tenure there.

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