[1][2][3] and received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1948 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison[4] where he was a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1950.
He served in the Navy from 1945–46 and it was at UW-Madison where Chazen met his future wife, Simona, and Liz Claiborne co-founder Art Ortenberg.
[2][1] Chazen's first job was as an analyst on Wall Street at Sutro Brothers before he transitioned to a career in fashion beginning with Rhea Midwest, an apparel manufacturer.
[2][8][9][10][11] Chazen saw the company through a time that significantly changed what women wore to work.
[15][16][17][18] Chazen served on the boards of the Newport Jazz and Louis Armstrong House and was chair emeritus at the Museum of Arts and Design.