Kikka Hanazawa

Kikka Hanazawa
Kikka Hanazawa
Born	October 26, 1970 (age 56); Tokyo, Japan
Occupation(s)	Fashion entrepreneur, CEO, social entrepreneur
Known for	CEO and co-founder of Yabbey; co-founder of Fashion Girls for Humanity; former CEO of VPL; board member of Mercari

Kikka Hanazawa (花沢菊香, born October 26, 1970) is a leader in social entrepreneurship and nonprofit initiatives, focusing on social impact, female entrepreneurship, and sustainable practices within the fashion industry. She is the CEO and co-founder of Yabbey, a digital repository for fashion designs, and also co-founded Fashion Girls for Humanity, a recognized nonprofit organization. Additionally, Hanazawa holds a board position at Mercari, a publicly traded Japanese e-commerce platform. Her previous roles include serving as CEO of VPL, a U.S.-based fashion label certified as a B Corporation.

Early life and education

Hanazawa was born in Tokyo to Ikue Hanazawa, who managed an haute couture enterprise, and Kiyoshi Yokoyama, an entrepreneur who later became a Tendai Buddhist monk. She is related to Tomiyo Hanazawa, a prominent fashion designer credited with organizing the first kimono runway event in America in 1957. Both Ikue and Tomiyo began their careers collaborating with Chiyo Uno, the founder of Japan’s inaugural fashion magazine and an influential feminist writer. Heeding Uno’s counsel to embrace independence, they chose to remain single and dedicated themselves entirely to their fashion careers. Despite this family background, Hanazawa initially had no plans to enter the fashion industry professionally.

Hanazawa earned her B.A. in Art History & Architecture Theory from Columbia University in 2000, graduating magna cum laude. To support her education financially, she worked at Itochu in New York City, where she became one of the youngest female managers. She completed her M.B.A. at Harvard Business School in 2002.

Career

Until 2022, Kikka Hanazawa was the CEO of VPL, a prominent brand specializing in women's activewear. Following this, she co-established Yabbey, a social enterprise housing one of the most extensive digital libraries of fashion designs and patterns. Earlier in her career, Hanazawa was part of the executive team at Theory, managing its initial public offering before its acquisition by Fast Retailing. She also initiated and led a management buyout of Cygne Designs’ international division, which she later sold.

Philanthropy

Hanazawa has contributed her expertise through board and advisory positions with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. She provides counsel to the Metropolitan Government of Tokyo and Japan’s Ministry of Education’s Tobitate Program, alongside advising startups operating within fashion, artificial intelligence, and technology sectors across the United States, Japan, and India. In 2023, she was appointed to the board of Columbia University.

Awards

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

External links