Kay Unger
Encyclopedia
Kay Unger is an American fashion designer, currently she is 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. Kay resides in New York City’s SoHo
neighborhood where her two sons often come by to visit.
in New York City
.
Upon graduation from The Parson’s New School for Design in the late 1960s, Kay worked as one of three apprentices for Geoffrey Beene
. After a year, she decided to develop her own line. Modeling the client after herself, Kay set out to fill a void in the fashion industry for “clean dinner dresses.” In 1972, along with her two business partners, Howard Bloom and Jon Levy, she founded The Gillian Group. Kay sold her dresses under the Gillian label, where the group and its many divisions quickly became one of the largest suppliers of women’s apparel in America. They grew into a $125 million company before going bankrupt in 1994.
among others.
In 1999, Kay 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
.
The Kay Unger New York and Phoebe Couture labels have been worn by Oprah Winfrey
, Salma Hayek
, Vanessa L. Williams
, Tyra Banks
, Kathie Lee Gifford
, Paris Hilton
, Dakota Fanning
, Angela Bassett
, and Marcia Cross
. Her designs have been featured on television programs including “Gossip Girl
,” “The Sopranos
,” “Ugly Betty
," ”Pushing Daisies
,” “30 Rock
,” “Two and a Half Men
,” “The Today Show,” “Sex in the City,” “Tim Gunn's Guide to Style
,” and “Dancing with the Stars
”.
Kay prides herself on customer relationships. She makes frequent in-store appearances where she offers advice on clothing flattery techniques and personal style.
Kay is an active member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America
(CFDA). Additionally, she is on the Board of Directors at her alma mater, Parsons/The New School for Design, as well as a participant in their education program in the Dominican Republic, where she has traveled as a guest instructor.
Kay has been a longtime member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, of which she also served as the first woman board member. Her passion for women’s causes led to her role as board member and founding member of The Committee of 200
, an organization that advances women’s leadership in business, and the Women’s Campaign Forum. A cancer survivor
herself, Kay has a personal interest in funding cancer research and raised over $250,000 for cancer research while she served as the president of the Fashion Group International. Today, she continues her efforts working with Stand Up To Cancer
, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to accelerating cancer research while bringing new therapies to patients more quickly, by raising funds and awareness in the fashion industry. On May 4, 2009, Kay Unger was recognized by City of Hope
as a "Woman of the Year" who has made notable contributions to her profession, her community, and her charitable causes.
SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
neighborhood where her two sons often come by to visit.
Biography
Kay 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 DesignParsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School For Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is the art and design college of The New School university. It is located in New York City's Greenwich Village, and has produced artists and designers such as Marc Jacobs, Dean and Dan Caten, Norman Rockwell, Donna Karan, Jane...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Upon graduation from The Parson’s New School for Design in the late 1960s, Kay worked as one of three apprentices for Geoffrey Beene
Geoffrey Beene
Geoffrey Beene was an American fashion designer.Beene was born in Haynesville, Louisiana. He studied medicine at Tulane University, but dropped out in 1946, after three years. He moved to New York in 1947 to attend the Traphagen School of Fashion...
. After a year, she decided to develop her own line. Modeling the client after herself, Kay set out to fill a void in the fashion industry for “clean dinner dresses.” In 1972, along with her two business partners, Howard Bloom and Jon Levy, she founded The Gillian Group. Kay sold her dresses under the Gillian label, where the group and its many divisions quickly became one of the largest suppliers of women’s apparel in America. They grew into a $125 million company before going bankrupt in 1994.
Company/Brand History
15 days after closing the Gillian Group, Kay and the former president of the dress firm, Rob Feinberg, founded Phoebe Company LLC. It was here where Kay 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 HepburnAudrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
among others.
In 1999, Kay 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
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
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
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The Kay Unger New York and Phoebe Couture labels have been worn by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek
Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez de Pinault is a Mexican film actress, director and producer. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Frida Kahlo in the film Frida.-Early life:...
, Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
, Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks
Tyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough...
, Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
, Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
, Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
, Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
, and Marcia Cross
Marcia Cross
Marcia Anne Cross is an American actress. She is known for her television roles as Bree Van de Kamp on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and as Dr...
. Her designs have been featured on television programs including “Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
,” “The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
,” “Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
," ”Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
,” “30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
,” “Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
,” “The Today Show,” “Sex in the City,” “Tim Gunn's Guide to Style
Tim Gunn's Guide to Style
Tim Gunn's Guide to Style is an American reality television series, hosted by Project Runway's Tim Gunn and cohosted by model Veronica Webb in the first season, and cohosted by Gretta Monahan in subsequent seasons. It focuses on style and fashion. The first episode aired on September 6, 2007 on the...
,” and “Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
”.
Kay prides herself on customer relationships. She makes frequent in-store appearances where she offers advice on clothing flattery techniques and personal style.
Kay is an active member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America
Council of Fashion Designers of America
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. is a not-for-profit trade association of over 350 of America’s foremost fashion and accessory designers. As of 2009, Diane von Fürstenberg is the group's President and Steven Kolb is the Executive Director...
(CFDA). Additionally, she is on the Board of Directors at her alma mater, Parsons/The New School for Design, as well as a participant in their education program in the Dominican Republic, where she has traveled as a guest instructor.
Philanthropy
The Committee of 200
The Committee of 200 is an invitation-only membership organization of successful women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders.-History:It was created in 1982 by a small handful of successful and powerful women in business, including fashion designer Kay Unger and American comic book editor and...
, an organization that advances women’s leadership in business, and the Women’s Campaign Forum. A cancer survivor
Cancer survivor
A cancer survivor is an individual with cancer of any type, current or past, who is still living. About 11 million Americans alive today—one in 30 people–are either currently undergoing treatment for cancer or have done so in the past." Currently nearly 65% of adults diagnosed with cancer in the...
herself, Kay has a personal interest in funding cancer research and raised over $250,000 for cancer research while she served as the president of the Fashion Group International. Today, she continues her efforts working with Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer is a charitable program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation established by media, entertainment and philanthropic leaders who have been affected by cancer. SU2C aims to raise significant funds for translational cancer research through online and televised efforts...
, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to accelerating cancer research while bringing new therapies to patients more quickly, by raising funds and awareness in the fashion industry. On May 4, 2009, Kay Unger was recognized by City of Hope
City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope National Medical Center, is a private, not-for-profit clinical research center, hospital and graduate medical school located in Duarte, California, United States...
as a "Woman of the Year" who has made notable contributions to her profession, her community, and her charitable causes.