Sara Blakely: Founder of Spanx
Business Owner · Retail & E-commerce
Sara Blakely turned $5,000 in savings and a pair of cut-off pantyhose into Spanx, then launched the footwear brand Sneex in 2024. She was named to the Time 100 in 2012.
About Sara Blakely: Founder of Spanx
Sara Treleaven Blakely (born February 27, 1971, in Clearwater, Florida) is an American businesswoman and philanthropist who founded Spanx, the intimate-apparel brand, and in 2024 launched the footwear brand Sneex. She is the daughter of an artist and a personal-injury lawyer, attended Clearwater High School and graduated from Florida State University with a communication degree. Blakely planned to become an attorney but scored poorly on the LSAT, so she took a job at Walt Disney World for three months, occasionally performing stand-up comedy, before joining office-supply company Danka. Selling fax machines door-to-door, she was promoted to national sales trainer at 25. Forced to wear pantyhose in the Florida heat, she disliked the seamed foot in open-toed shoes but liked the smoothing control-top, so she cut the feet off a pair and wore them under her slacks; the idea stuck. At 27 she moved to Atlanta and, while still at Danka, spent two years and $5,000 in savings researching the concept. She drove to North Carolina's hosiery mills and was turned away by every representative, until a mill operator in Asheboro called two weeks later and agreed to back her, encouraged by his three daughters. A patent attorney helped with her application for $750, and she bought the "Spanx" trademark on the USPTO website for $150. She won over a Neiman Marcus buyer by changing into the product in the store's restroom to prove the difference. Time named Blakely to its Time 100 list of the world's most influential people in 2012, and Forbes ranked her the 93rd most powerful woman in the world in 2014. Sources: English Wikipedia (Sara Blakely, accessed September 2026).
Basic Information
Founder, Spanx and Sneex
Company Details
Spanx
Fashion, Apparel, Shapewear
Related Business Owner
Latest Articles
Alana Evans Net Worth in 2026 – Income Sources, Career & Earnings
Amy Lee Net Worth 2026: Income Sources, Evanescence Career & Personal Life
Abz Love Net Worth 2026: Five Star’s Career, TV Comeback & Income Breakdown
