1994 – New York City
Since 1968, husband and wife David and Joan Helpern have brought to the footwear industry innovative, hand-crafted fashions designed by Joan for the international woman who juggles many lives. Over the years their achievements have been recognized by their peers with the Coty Award for design (1978), the Cutty Sark Award for men’s footwear design (1986), Footwear Designer Award from Fairchild Publications and Footwear News (1988), the 1990 Hall of Fame Award from Fairchild Publications, and the Michelangelo Award for design from the Italian Trade Commission (1993). Ms. Helpern was honored as Woman-of-the-Year (in the fashion world) by the Girl Scouts of America and was also named one of the 50 Outstanding Business Women by NBWO and Working Woman (the Art of Achievement Awards) in Washington DC, in September of 1995. Ms. Helpern has been a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America since 1987. She is also one of the original organizing members of the Committee of 200, established in 1982 as a forum for women executives to encourage and support women in entrepreneurial and corporate executive positions, while increasing the visibility of women as business and organizational leaders. Married for thirty-four years and the parents of two children, Joan and David divide their time among New York, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Florence, Montecatini and Cap d’Antibes. According to them, “home is actually everywhere.”
