•Claiborne spent many of her early years abroad, and became fluent in both French and English.
•Claiborne and her family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1939, then later moved to Europe, where she studied art.
•Claiborne never earned a high school degree.
•At the age of 19, she won a design contest held by Harper's Bazaar magazine, and soon moved to New York City to pursue a career in the fashion industry.

Early life