1884-1966
Cosmetic Executive

Entrepreneur.

Elizabeth Arden reached heights of business success traditionally reserved for men by building a business that relied upon women for support. She astutely tapped into several important trends of the twentieth century when she entered the cosmetic business, taking advantage of the rise of a growing youth culture and consumerism and the increasing presence of women in the workforce. A strong-minded, driven woman who fit the classic image of the American entrepreneur, she relied on implementing good ideas, innovation, and invention to make her business prosper.

Background.

Florence Graham, the future Elizabeth Arden, was the fourth of five children born in Canada to immigrant tenant farmers; her mother was from England, her father from Scotland. Upon reaching adulthood she tried a variety of jobs, working as a dental assistant, cashier, and stenographer before she moved to New York City with her brother...