Liz Claiborne

Founded in 1976 in New York by Liz Claiborne, the company was an immediate success. It was the first company in the Fortune 500 to be founded by a woman when it went public in 1986. In 1999, Liz Claiborne, Inc. acquired 85% of Lucky Brand Jeans. In 2001, they acquired Mexx and in 2003 they bought another large fashion company, Juicy Couture. Liz Claiborne markets many own brand fragrances as well as others for its subsidieries.