Kay Unger
| Kay Unger | |
|---|---|
Kay Unger in her design studio
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| Born |
May 22, 1945 Chicago, Illinois  United States
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| Residence |
SoHo New York, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Parsons The New School for Design Washington University |
| Occupation | Fashion designer/Entrepreneur/Philanthropist |
| Labels | Kay Unger New York; Phoebe Couture; Career Separates by Kay Unger; Kay J’s by Kay Unger |
Kay Unger is an American fashion designer. Until July 2012 she was the creative head and public face of Phoebe Company LLC and its brands; Kay Unger New York, Phoebe Couture, Unger by Kay Unger and Kay J’s by Kay Unger.
Unger was born in Chicago, IL and first studied painting in the Fine Arts Program at Washington University (Missouri) before switching to design at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.
Upon graduation from Parsons in the late 1960s, she worked as one of three apprentices for Geoffrey Beene. After a year, she decided to develop her own line, and, in 1972, along with her two business partners, Howard Bloom and Jon Levy, she founded The Gillian Group to produce dinner dresses. . The dresses were sold under the Gillian label, and the group and its many divisions quickly became one of the largest suppliers of women’s apparel in America, growing to a $125 million company.
Fifteen days after closing the Gillian Group, Unger founded Phoebe Company LLC., where she established the line bearing her name, Kay Unger New York. She began by offering women colorful alternatives to the little black dress and other predictable fashion staples, drawing inspiration from both Jackie O. and Audrey Hepburn among others.
In 1999,she was inducted as a Leading Woman Entrepreneur of the WorldTM. In 2005 the company launched Kay J’s, a whimsical print pajama brand. In 2007, they launched Phoebe Couture, a more youthful and edgier line of dresses for day and evening. Later that same year, they began opening Kay Unger and Phoebe Couture boutiques in China through a licensing agreement with the JT Group of Hong Kong. In September 2008 Kay Unger New York Eyewear and Phoebe Couture Eyewear were launched.
The $40 million company’s dresses, suits, and eyewear are currently sold in more than 24 countries including the U.K., Turkey, Brazil, Australia, and Spain.
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