EXHIBIT 10.6.1

                     AMENDMENT #1 TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                     ------------------------------------



            This AMENDMENT #1 (this  "Amendment") is entered into as of the 16th
day of  February,  2000,  by  and  between  ANNTAYLOR  STORES  CORPORATION  (the
"Company")  and  PATRICIA  DEROSA  ("Executive"),   and  amends  the  Employment
Agreement  between the Company and the  Executive,  dated November 25, 1996 (the
"Employment Agreement").

            For good and valuable consideration,  the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged by the parties, the Company and Executive agree as
follows:


      1. All  capitalized  terms  used and not  defined  herein  shall  have the
meanings ascribed to them in the Employment Agreement.

      2. (a) The Term of Executive's  employment by the Company  provided for in
Section 2 of the Employment Agreement, is hereby extended to February 28, 2003.

         (b) The first sentence of Section 3 of the  Employment  Agreement is
hereby amended to read as follows:  "The Executive  shall serve as President and
Chief  Operating  Officer of the Company  with, in addition to her other duties,
responsibility  and direct  reporting  relationships  for management of the "Ann
Taylor"   brand,   including   marketing,   merchandising,   sourcing,   product
development,   product   design   and  store   design,   and  shall   have  such
responsibilities,  duties and authority  consistent  with such  positions as may
from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company."

      3.  Section  5(a)(i)  of the  Employment  Agreement  is hereby  amended to
provide that, commencing April 1, 2000,  Executive's annual base salary shall be
increased to a rate of $750,000.

      4. The fourth sentence of Section 5(a)(ii) of the Employment  Agreement is
hereby  amended  to read as  follows:  "Commencing  with the  Fiscal  Year  2000
Performance  Period under the  Performance  Plan,  the  Executive's  Performance
Percentage  (as that term is defined in such Plan) shall be  established  at 60%
per annum during the Term." Section 5(a)(ii) is hereby further amended by adding
the following at the end thereof:  "Executive also shall participate in the Long
Term Cash Incentive  Compensation Plan currently  maintained by the Company, and
her Target Award (as defined in such Plan) shall be 40%."

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      5. The second sentence of Section 6(a)(iv) of the Employment  Agreement is
hereby  amended  to read as  follows:  "For  purposes  of  this  Agreement,  the
Executive  shall have "Good  Reason" to terminate her  employment  hereunder (1)
upon a failure by the  Company to comply  with any  material  provision  of this
Agreement which has not been cured within ten (10) business days after notice of
such compliance has been given by the Executive to the Company,  (2) upon action
by the Company  resulting in a diminution of the Executive's title or authority,
(3)  upon  the  Company's  relocation  of the  Executive's  principal  place  of
employment  outside the New York City Metropolitan Area, or (3) one year after a
Change in Control."

      6. Section 6(e)(ii) of the Employment  Agreement is hereby amended to read
as follows:  "(ii) (A) unless clause (B) below applies,  then following the Date
of  Termination  and for the  longer of twelve  (12)  months  thereafter  or the
balance of the Term, but in no event greater than twenty-four  (24) months,  the
Company  shall pay to the  Executive  monthly an amount  ("Severance  Payments")
equal to the quotient of (1) the  Executive's  annual base salary at the rate in
effect as of the Date of  Termination  (the "Base  Salary"),  divided by (2) the
number twelve (12), or (B) in the event the Date of Termination occurs following
a Change in Control,  then,  within five (5) days after the Date of Termination,
the  Company  shall pay to the  Executive  in a lump sum an amount  equal to the
product of (1) the sum of the  Executive's  Base  Salary and the  average of the
annual  bonuses earned by the Executive in the three fiscal years of the Company
ended  immediately prior to the Date of Termination (or, if higher, in the three
fiscal years of the Company  ended  immediately  prior to the Change in Control)
multiplied  by (2) the number of full and partial  years  remaining  in the Term
(but in no event less than the number one (1)). For purposes of this  subsection
(ii): (I) if the Date of Termination  occurs prior to the occurrence of a Change
in  Control  but during  the  pendency  of a  Potential  Change in  Control  (as
hereinafter defined),  such Date of Termination shall be deemed to have occurred
following a Change in Control and (II) a "Potential  Change in Control" shall be
deemed to have  occurred  if the  event  set  forth in any one of the  following
clauses shall have occurred:

          (1) the Company enters into an agreement,  the  consummation  of which
    would result in the occurrence of a Change in Control;

          (2) the  Company or any person (as  defined in Section  3(a)(9) of the
    Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,  as  amended  (the  "Exchange  Act"),  as
    modified and used in Sections  13(d) and 14(d) thereof (a "Person"),  except
    that such term shall not include (i) the Company or any of its subsidiaries,
    (ii) a trustee  or other  fiduciary  holding  securities  under an  employee
    benefit plan of the Company or any of its  affiliates,  (iii) an underwriter
    temporarily  holding securities  pursuant to an offering of such securities,
    or (iv) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly,  by the stockholders of
    the Company in  substantially  the same  proportions  as their  ownership of
    stock of the Company) publicly announces an intention to take or to consider
    taking actions which, if consummated, would constitute a Change in Control;
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          (3) any Person becomes the beneficial  owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3
    under the  Exchange  Act),  directly or  indirectly,  of  securities  of the
    Company representing 15% of or more of either the then outstanding shares of
    common  stock of the Company or the combined  voting power of the  Company's
    then  outstanding  securities (not including in the securities  beneficially
    owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from the Company); or

          (4) the Board adopts a resolution to the effect that,  for purposes of
    this subsection (ii), a Potential Change in Control has occurred.

For  purposes  of this  Agreement,  the period  during or with  respect to which
Executive  is  entitled  to receive  payments  hereunder  is  referred to as the
"Severance Period";"

      7. Section  6(e)(iii) is hereby  amended by changing the word  "season" to
"fiscal year" each time such word occurs in such Section.

      8. Executive is hereby awarded fifty thousand  (50,000)  restricted shares
of Company  Common Stock under the  Company's  1992 Stock Option and  Restricted
Stock and Unit Award Plan (the "Option Plan"). Executive's rights to such shares
shall vest, and the  restrictions  thereon shall lapse, (i) as to 16,666 shares,
on February 28, 2001,  provided  that the Company  shall have  achieved at least
110% of the net income provided for in the Company's  fiscal year 2000 operating
budget as approved  by the Board of  Directors  of the  Company in the  ordinary
course,  (ii) as to 16,667  shares,  on February  28,  2002,  provided  that the
Company shall have achieved at least 110% of the net income  provided for in the
Company's  fiscal  year  2001  operating  budget  as  approved  by the  Board of
Directors of the Company in the ordinary  course,  and (iii) as to the remaining
16,667  shares,  on February  28,  2003,  provided  that the Company  shall have
achieved at least 110% of the net income  provided for in the  Company's  fiscal
year 2002 operating  budget as approved by the Board of Directors of the Company
in the ordinary course.  If any of the restricted shares do not vest on the date
specified in any of clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) as a result of the failure of the
Company  to achieve at least  110% of  budgeted  net income for the fiscal  year
referenced in such clause,  then Executive's rights to such unvested  restricted
shares  shall  automatically  be  forfeited  by  Executive on such date and such
shares shall be canceled.

      The Company  shall enter into a  Restricted  Stock  Award  Agreement  with
Executive for the above grant of restricted  shares,  incorporating  the vesting
terms set forth above and otherwise on the terms and conditions set forth in the
form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement previously approved by the Compensation
Committee of the Board of Directors for restricted stock awards under the Option
Plan,   including,   but  not  limited  to,  terms   providing  for  accelerated
exercisability  upon the occurrence of an Acceleration  Event (as defined in the
Option Plan).

      9. Executive is hereby awarded a non-qualified  performance-vesting  stock
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option to purchase 100,000 shares of Common Stock under the Option Plan,  having
an exercise price equal to the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date
of this Amendment.  Such option shall become  exercisable in accordance with the
vesting  schedule set forth in Exhibit A to this  Amendment and shall be treated
as a  Performance  Option  within  the  meaning  of  Section  6(e)(vii)  of  the
Employment Agreement.

      The Company shall enter into a Stock Option  Agreement  with the Executive
for the above stock option grant,  incorporating  the vesting terms set forth on
Exhibit A and the provisions of Section  6(e)(vii) of the  Employment  Agreement
and otherwise substantially on the terms and conditions set forth in the form of
the  Company's  standard  Stock  Option  Agreement  applicable  to  "performance
vesting" options previously approved by the Compensation  Committee of the Board
of Directors,  including,  but not limited to, terms  providing for  accelerated
exercisability  upon the occurrence of an Acceleration  Event (as defined in the
Option Plan).

      10. From and after the date hereof,  the term  "Agreement"  as used in the
Employment  Agreement,  shall mean the  Employment  Agreement as amended by this
Amendment,  and the Employment Agreement,  as so amended, shall continue in full
force and effect.


                              [Continued Next Page]

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      11.  Sections 11 through 15 of the Employment  Agreement are hereby made a
part of, and are incorporated by this reference into, this Amendment.

      12. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment this 16th
day of February, 2000.

ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION                          EXECUTIVE


By:  /s/ J. Patrick Spainhour                         /s/ Patricia DeRosa
     -----------------------------------              -------------------
       J.Patrick Spainhour, Chairman and                  PATRICIA DEROSA
       Chief Executive Officer

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                                    EXHIBIT A
                          STOCK OPTION VESTING SCHEDULE

Total Grant:            100,000
Grant Date:       February 16, 2000
Exercise Price:   Fair Market  Value of the Common Stock on February 16,
                  2000 (i.e.,  closing  market  price of the Common Stock on the
                  NYSE on February 15, 2000).

Vesting Schedule:

1.    On each Vesting  Date set forth in Column A below,  if for the fiscal year
      set forth in Column C corresponding to such date:

      (i) the Company  shall have achieved net income per share equal to or more
      than the target net  income  amount set forth in Column F for such  fiscal
      year,  then on that  Vesting  Date,  the  option  shall  vest  and  become
      exercisable with respect to 100% of the corresponding number of shares set
      forth in column B;

      (i) the Company shall have achieved net income per share that is less than
      the amount  set forth in Column F for such  fiscal  year,  but equal to or
      more than the  minimum  net income per share  amount set forth in Column E
      for such fiscal year,  then on that Vesting Date the option shall vest and
      become  exercisable  with  respect to a  percentage  of the  corresponding
      number of shares set forth in column B determined in  accordance  with the
      following formula:

      % Vesting =    Actual Net Income minus Col. D Budgeted Net Income
                  -----------------------------------------------------------
                  Col. F Target Net Income minus Col. D Budgeted Net Income

See example set forth below table.

- ---------------:-------------:--------:-------------:-------------:------------
               :             :        :             :             :
   Column A    :     B       :   C    :      D      :     E       :    F
- ---------------:-------------:--------:-------------:-------------:------------
 Vesting Date  :# of Shares  : Fiscal :   Budgeted  : Minimum Net :   Target
               : Subject to  :  Year  :  Net Income : Income Per  : Net Income
               :  Vesting    :        :  Per Share  :   Share     : Per Share
- ---------------:-------------:--------:-------------:-------------:------------
    2/28/01    :    33,333   :  2000  :     $[****]*:    $[****]* :   $[****]*
- ---------------:-------------:--------:-------------:-------------:------------
    2/28/02    :    33,333   :  2001  :     $[****]*:    $[****]* :   $[****]*
- ---------------:-------------:--------:-------------:-------------:------------
    2/28/03    :    33,334   :  2002  :     $[****]*:    $[****]* :   $[****]*
- ---------------:-------------:--------:-------------:-------------:------------
    3-Year     :             :        :             :             :   $[****]*
   Aggregate   :             :        :             :             :
- ---------------:-------------:--------:-------------:-------------:------------

EXAMPLE:  If the  Company  earns net income  per share for  fiscal  year 2000 of
$[****]*,  options to purchase  23,666 shares (71% of the 33,333) shall vest and
become exercisable on 2/28/01.

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*    Confidential Treatment Requested by AnnTaylor Stores Corporation.
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2.    If the  Company  shall  have  achieved  cumulative  net  income  per share
      aggregating at least $[****]* for the three fiscal year period from fiscal
      2000 through  fiscal 2002,  then any options that did not vest pursuant to
      Section 1 above shall vest and become exercisable on February 28, 2003.

3.    Any options that have not vested by February 28, 2003  pursuant to Section
      1 or Section 2 above, shall be automatically be terminated and canceled on
      such date, without becoming exercisable.

4. For purposes of this Exhibit A:
      (a)a "fiscal  year" of the Company  shall mean the fiscal year  commencing
         on the Sunday closest to January 31 in the year mentioned (for example,
         "fiscal year 2000" means the fiscal year that began on January 30, 2000
         and ends on February 3, 2001);

      (b)"net  income"  shall mean that net  income  set forth on the  Company's
         audited  consolidated  operating  statement  for  the  fiscal  year  in
         question,  and "net  income  per  share"  shall mean the net income per
         share,  on  a  diluted  basis,  set  forth  on  the  Company's  audited
         consolidated operating statement for the fiscal year in question.



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*    Confidential Treatment Requested by AnnTaylor Stores Corporation.