Jerome A. Chazen (March 21, 1927 – February 6, 2022) was an American businessman who was the founder and chairman of Chazen Capital Partners. He was also one of four and last surviving founders of Liz Claiborne.
Early life and career
Chazen was born to a Jewish family, in New York City, New York where his mother Rose was a seamstress, and his father David worked in commercial heating.[1] and received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1948 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison[2] where he was a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1950. He served in the Navy from 1945–46 and it was at UW-Madison where Chazen met his future wife, Simona, and Liz Claiborne co-founder Art Ortenberg.
Chazen's first job was as an analyst on Wall Street at Sutro Brothers before he transitioned to a career in fashion beginning with Rhea Midwest, an apparel manufacturer. In 1968, Chazen left his job at Winkelman's, where he was hired as a merchandising manager in 1960,[3]