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Kikka Hanazawa

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Japanese businesswoman
Kikka Hanazawa
Born (1970-10-26) October 26, 1970 (age 54)
Tokyo, Japan
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Social entrepreneur and nonprofit founder
AwardsGame Changer Awards (2014)

Kikka Hanazawa (花沢 菊香 born October 26, 1970) is a fashion entrepreneur and co-founder of Fashion Girls for Humanity Fashion Girls for Humanity, a global non-profit organization dedicated to humanitarian efforts.

Early life and education

Kikka Hanazawa, born in Tokyo, is the daughter of Ikue Hanazawa, an haute couture business owner, and Kiyoshi Yokoyama, a business entrepreneur who later became a Tendai Buddhist monk. She is also the niece of Tomiyo Hanazawa, a notable fashion designer who specialized in modern kimonos and staged the first kimono fashion show in the US in 1957. Both Ikue and Tomiyo Hanazawa began their fashion careers working with Chiyo Uno, a prominent feminist author in Japan. Chiyo Uno, who founded 'Sutairu' (Style), Japan's first fashion magazine in 1936, and a boutique in Ginza, greatly influenced them. Heeding Uno's advice to be independent women, Tomiyo and Ikue remained unmarried and dedicated much of their lives to the fashion business alongside Chiyo Uno. Despite growing up surrounded by influential women in fashion, Hanazawa initially did not aspire to pursue a career in fashion.

In 2000, Hanazawa graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with a B.A. in Art History & Architecture Theory. To finance her education, she worked at Itochu in New York, where she quickly rose to become one of the youngest female managers. She continued her education at Harvard Business School, earning an M.B.A. in 2002.

Career

Kikka Hanazawa held the position of CEO at VPL, a prominent women's activewear brand, until 2022. She then co-founded Yabbey, a social enterprise renowned for having one of the largest digital fashion design and pattern libraries. In her previous roles, Hanazawa was instrumental in the core management team at Theory, orchestrating its initial public offering (IPO) before its acquisition by Fast Retailing. Additionally, her tenure at Cygne Designs was marked by her leadership in a management buyout of the company's international division, a successful initiative she both started and later sold.

Philanthropy

Hanazawa has held positions on several prestigious boards and advisory committees. These include the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. In addition, she serves as an advisor to the Metropolitan Government of Tokyo and the Japanese Ministry of Education's Tobitate Program. Her advisory expertise also extends to numerous startups across the United States, Japan, and India, particularly in the realms of fashion, AI, and technology. In 2023, she was elected to join the board of Columbia University.

Awards

  • 2007 Finalist, Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)'s Vogue Fashion Fund
  • 2011 Finalist, WGSN Global Fashion Award for Outstanding New Store
  • 2012 Winner, CFDA Lexus Eco Challenge
  • 2014 Recipient, Asia Society Game Changer Awards (2014)
  • 2014 Forbes Asia 48 Heroes of Philanthropy (2014)
  • 2020 Finalist, Rising Star Award by Harvard Business School Women’s Association of Greater New York
  • 2021 Recipient, FLAIR Award from Harvard Alumni for Fashion, Luxury, and Retail
  • 2021 Finalist, Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas North America (2021) (Fashion Girls for Humanity)
  • 2022 Finalist, Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas (2022) (Yabbey)

References

  1. "Chiyo Uno.(Japanese writer dies)(Obituary)". The Economist. June 22, 1996. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016.
  2. "The Sound of the Wind: The Life and Works of Uno Chiyo". University of Hawaii Press. May 1992.
  3. "「ファッションで社会に貢献する」Overview". Nikkei. June 28, 2015.
  4. "Designer Label Overview". New York. February 1, 2012.
  5. "The Latest Luxury Activewear To Compete With Lululemon". New York. May 23, 2015.
  6. "Getting a Shoe in the Door of Fashion Retailing". HBS Working Knowledge for Business Leaders. February 9, 2004.
  7. "Kikka Hanazawa". Columbia.edu.
  8. "2012 Annual Report" (PDF). CFDA Annual Report. June 2012.
  9. "Board of Trustees". Columbia University School of General Studies. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  10. "WGSN's Global Fashion Awards 2011 shortlist announced". June 21, 2011.
  11. "Asia Game Changer Award".
  12. "Asia Philanthropists". Forbes. June 25, 2014. Archived from the original on August 2, 2014.
  13. "2020 Rising Star". December 31, 2020.
  14. "THE FL&R AWARDS". December 31, 2021.
  15. "World Changing Ideas Awards 2021: North America Finalists and Honorable Mentions". May 4, 2021.
  16. "These projects show how North American companies are working to make the world a better place". May 3, 2022.

External links

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