Anne Klein (born Hannah Golofsky; August 3, 1923 – March 19, 1974) was an American fashion designer and businesswoman, the founder and namesake of Anne Klein & Company (owned by WHP Global as of July 2019). She co-founded Anne Klein & Company in 1968 with Gunther Oppenheim, and within ten years her designs were being sold in over 750 department stores and boutiques in the USA. Her design career began in 1937 when she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Traphagen School of Fashion, which led to her first job as a sketcher for dress firms on 7th Avenue. In 1948 she married clothing manufacturer Ben Klein, with whom she launched the Junior Sophisticates clothing line. Junior Sophisticates offered styles to younger women with smaller figures. Anne Klein was the principal designer at Junior Sophisticates until 1960, when her marriage ended. In 1963, she married her second husband, Matthew "Chip" Rubinstein, and in 1968, they founded Anne Klein & Company at 39th Street. She also opened Anne Klein Studio at 57th Street. Beginning in 1954 with the Mademoiselle Merit Award, Anne Klein won numerous fashion awards and gained international recognition. In 1967, she patented a girdle designed for the miniskirt. In 1973, she was the only woman invited to participate in the Battle of Versailles, a competitive fashion show consisting of five American designers against five French designers, intended to raise money for renovations at Versailles <ref name="fashion"</ref) On March 19, 1974, Anne Klein died of breast cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY. Early life and education Anne Klein was born August 3, 1923, in Brooklyn, New York, as Hannah Golofski. Her father, Morris Golofski, owned a fleet of taxicabs; her mother was Esther Golofski. She was known to say that she changed her name from Hannah to Anne because it was more aesthetically pleasing. It was while studying art at Girls' Commercial High School (now known as Prospect Heights High School) that she discovered her talent for design. Within a year's time, she was employed at her first job in the garment industry with Varden Petites. There, she worked to redesign the firm's collection and introduced a new style of ready-to-wear clothing for young, smaller figured women that would come to be known as "Junior Miss". In 1937 she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Traphagen School of Fashion which led to her first job