Annie Hurlbut

Annie Hurlbut is an American entrepreneur who in 1976 with her mother Biddy founded the high-end mail order and retail apparel company Peruvian Connection.

Biography

Hurlbut grew up on her family's farm in Tonganoxie, Kansas. She attended Yale University and studied anthropology. In 1976 while engaged in travel pertinent to her studies she approached the hour of her return to the U.S in time for her mother's 50th birthday. Therein short of funds she happened upon an alpaca wool sweater-coat for around $50 U.S.. Upon her return her delighted mother referred to the garment as the "prettiest thing she had ever seen". Soon many of Biddy's friends were anxious to get similar items and so Annie borrowed $4,000 against an insurance policy and invested in importing such clothes from Peru. Soon Annie got Peruvian knitters to recreate the stunning sweater-coat which had caused the stir and Biddy arranged for local merchant orders and thus Peruvian Connection was born.

Today Peruvian Connection originally exclusively a mail order merchant also has seven brick and mortar retail locations, is among Working Woman magazine's Working Women 500, a list of the largest women-run businesses, and is ranked among Internet Retailer’s Top 500 online retailers. Among those who have worn the company's garments over the years are Michael Keaton, Sheryl Crow, Frances Shand Kydd and Angela Lansbury who says of their sweaters "the handwork is superb, and the colors are unbelievable”.

Annie Hurlbut is a member of the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri Kansas City Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. She is also a noted antique collector whose collection has been profiled in the pages of the New York Times. Hurlburt has founded two daycare centers for the company's Peruvian worker's children.

She is married to the songwriter Rick Zander.

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