April 27, 2021

Fashion Design alumna Carole Hochman ('66, Honorary Degree '86), former CEO and Chief Creative Director of Naked Brand Group, is the recipient of a 2021 Harriett E. Worrell Society Award from Drexel Alumni. The Harriet E. Worrell Society Award is presented to an alumna whose professional achievements, contribution to the community, and service to her alma mater embody Worrell's spirit of commitment and integrity. Past awardees comprise the Society, and make selections for future recipients.

Carole Hochman’s career began as a student at Drexel with a job in the Lingerie Department at Bergdorf Goodman. She was hired soon after by a lingerie company where she had the opportunity to design sleepwear for Bonwit Teller. Even without knowing about garment construction or the fabrics required to produce them, she perfected the collection on the first try and launched her career in intimate apparel.

The following year, Hochman joined a small, New York-based intimate apparel design firm. She pioneered new directions in intimate apparel, and in 1985, as a testament to her vision and talent, the company was renamed the Carole Hochman Design Group.

Traveling several times a year to Europe, she mastered the art of flawless construction and experimented with different textiles and fabrics. Under her guidance, the Carole Hochman Design Group built an impressive portfolio of brands: it manufactured not only the Carole Hochman brand of sleepwear, loungewear, and daywear, but also owned OnGossamer, Jane and Bleeker, Midnight, and the licenses to several collections including Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Jocker, Donna Karan, and Betsey Johnson.

In 2010, she sold the Carole Hochman Design Group and in 2014, became CEO of the publicly traded Naked Brand Group, which at the time was only a small company marketing men’s underwear. Under Hochman’s leadership, Naked evolved to include women’s intimates, sleepwear, and loungewear. She retired in 2019 following the successful merger of Naked with Bendon.

Hochman serves on the board of the Westport Country Playhouse and HUG: Project Help Us Give, and she is a former board member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Carole supports an endowed scholarship, the Carole Stein Hochman & Steven Stein Endowed Scholarship Fund, which benefits Fashion Design majors in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. Additionally, she provides an annual award for a Fashion Design senior, presented as part of the annual Drexel Fashion Show.