Anne Klein looked across and beyond fashion for its latest awards event.
The brand looked to honor a handful of women at its Women Who Do awards luncheon Wednesday in New York, which was hosted at the Rainbow Room by Sara Haines of “The View.” Recipients included InsideLines founder Atoya Burleson, Dr. Hauschka skin care brand chief executive officer Martina Halloran, Northwell Health chief of breast surgery Dr. Karen Kostroff, philanthropist Caroline Kelley Rosen and model Tina Kunakey.
Kunakey and Rosen, who front the brand’s spring campaign, weren’t the only Anne Klein models in the room. Alva Chinn, who modeled for the brand at the 1973 Battle of Versailles, was joined by recent campaign face Joan Smalls.
“Anne Klein was a maverick. She was before our time, she helped spark the careers of amazing people both on and off the runway, including Donna Karan, Pat Cleveland and Alva Chinn,” said Jameel Spencer, chief marketing officer of WHP Global, owner of Anne Klein, during opening remarks, saying that he wanted to focus on the brand’s impact as much as its image.
“We want to take beautiful pictures, but we also want to touch people’s souls,” Spencer said before revealing an ad spot from the brand’s spring campaign.
Looking back, WHP Global executive vice president Lynn Flynn said, “From the beginning, Anne Klein stood for women who led with confidence, ambition, purpose and believe that fashion should support women as they navigate every aspect of their lives, careers, families, passions and communities. That vision continues to guide everything that we do today.”
In accepting her award, Burleson talked about the founding of her podcast, “InsideLines.” That has since led to an ensuing app, “and a community of women who believe in one another, who want to help and support one another,” she said. “We pull up and we show love for one another, that’s what this is really about.”
For Halloran, who has been with Dr. Hauschka for nearly a decade, said her mandate is about purpose over profit. “It’s people before profit,” she added. “Our brand is 100 years old in a time when that can be difficult.
“I challenge us to shift our collective concern, to lean into our collective sense of care, and to move both our concern and our care for the world that we live in to collective action,” she said.
Kostroff described the quality of her team and how she stays up-to-date on the latest technologies as key factors in her success. “Leaders must also communicate effectively to their audience,” she said, “So I will never miss an opportunity when I am speaking to a group of women like all of you to remind you that if you are past due for your annual mammogram, please schedule that appointment. We cannot yet prevent breast cancer but we are really, really good at detecting it.”
Before the final two awards, Aleesha Worthington, vice president of marketing at WHP Global, took the stage to introduce the faces of Anne Klein’s latest campaign. “We couldn’t imagine better women to bring this story to life, women who embody confidence, individuality and modern femininity, women whose connection reflects that very idea that inspired this campaign,” she said.
“Fashion and wellness may seem like different worlds, but to me, they are deeply connected, both about confidence, self-expression and taking care of yourself,” Rosen said. “My hope is to always encourage people to prioritize their health, their happiness and things that truly matter.”
Kunakey acknowledged it was her first time receiving an award and although she felt shy, “I feel very happy. Coming from a brand that [represents] women this way, it means a lot.”
