Barbara Randall
Executive Director, The FashionCenter Business Improvement District Inc. The FashionCenter sculpture of a gigantic button and sewing needle at the corner of Second Ave and 39th Street is an internationally recognized landmark. The group responsible for that and many other enhancements is the FashionCenter Business Improvement District Inc. The FCBID is a nonprofit corporation which, over the last 15 years, has transformed the Garment District into an easy-to-navigate, clean, safe cluster of neighborhoods. Fashion industry showrooms and corporate offices are intermingled with retail, commercial, hotel, restaurants and theaters, all under the familiar button banners. WWD correspondent Janelle Boucher spoke with the FCBID's executive director Barbara Randall. |
Lia Valerio
Founder, Malia Designs Inc. Malia Designs Inc. creates handbags and scarves through producers in South East Asia and brings them to the American market with the goal of creating employment opportunities for women in developing countries. The Chicago-based firm, founded by Lia Valerio and Maria Forres, says supporting these overseas jobs keeps women and children from the hopelessness and devastation of a life of prostitution. In addition to finding solutions to poverty at a grass-roots level, Malia Designs donates a portion of its profits to organizations that aid victims of human trafficking and sex slavery. WWD correspondent Janelle Boucher spoke with Valerio about the company, design inspirations and handbags that carry a cause. |
Andy Frankl
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ibex Construction Andy Frankl, the chairman and chief executive officer of Ibex Construction, has more than 30 years of experience in general contracting, construction management and consulting. Frankl is the driving force behind Ibex, and many of the company's high-end retail, corporate, residential and institutional projects. Ibex, which has offices in New York, Ft. Lauderdale, Washington and Boston, has managed the construction of some of retail's top brands and projects such as the retail collection at the Plaza Hotel, Bebe stores, Nordstrom, Cole Haan, H. Stern, and London Jewelers, among others. WWD correspondent Janelle Boucher talked with Frankl about the retail market and how Ibex differentiates itself in this highly competitive industry. |
Sara Blakely
Founder and Owner, SPANX As founder of shapewear company SPANX, Sara Blakely's goal is to make the world a better place-"one butt at a time." She started the Atlanta-based company in 2000 with $5000 in savings and a patent on a pair of footless pantyhose. Today, her company earns $150 million annually in retail sales, has a sister product line for Target, and has developed new products like slimming camis, full-coverage bras and maternity wear. Blakely spoke to WWD Correspondent Jessica Goldbogen Harlan about her reality-TV notoriety, the foundation she launched last year, and how SPANX has made foundation garments "cool." |
Steve Madden
Designer, Steven Madden Ltd. Steve Madden, namesake designer at footwear and accessories firm Steven Madden Ltd., describes himself as a pop culture fanatic. He prowls the streets for inspirations, and has even allowed his customers to create their own shoe designs. Always on the go, Madden has also taken his designs into other segments such as handbags, belts, socks and women's wear. The payoff for the $500 million company is a growing brand with a loyal following in a highly competitive market. WWD.com correspondent Janelle Boucher discussed Madden's inspirations as well as how he spends a typical day, which will likely change following the birth of his twins. |
Maurice Pilosof
Intellectual Property Attorney , Maurice Pilosof Faced with ongoing consolidation, stepped-up marketing efforts from the competition and increasing counterfeit product distribution in the market, start-up designers and established businesses alike must work to protect their brands. Los Angeles-based attorney Maurice Pilosof works with clients on trademarks and licensing, and assists them in building relationships in the retail, design and hospitality industries. Securing domain names, negotiating product-licensing deals and developing brands are just a few areas of his expertise. Pilosof's clients range from the Bowery and Maritime Hotels in New York City and the Personality Hotel Group in San Francisco to new projects such as the World Jewelry Center in Las Vegas and up-and-coming lines such as Kowboys, Testament, Jet Lag jeans and Hale Bob. He was tapped as co-counsel to bring the first, freestanding Aaron Basha boutique to Tokyo, which opened in the spring. Most recently, he secured a deal to bring Paris nightlife hot spot Buddha Bar to Kiev, Ukraine (its first outpost in Eastern Europe). Pilosof discussed with WWD correspondent Dawn S. Kissi the importance of trademarks, product licensing, branding and proper deal structuring within the retail, fashion and design communities. |
Charles Milite
Partner, Gotham City Restaurant Group Charles Milite is a partner in Gotham City Restaurant Group, owners of Union Square hot spots, Coffee Shop, Luna Park and the Union Square Ballroom. The company also owns Live Bait on 23rd Street. Gotham City Restaurant Group celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Milite's prior career was as a fashion model for the Wilhelmina Agency, and he appeared in GQ, Men's Vogue, Men's Bazaar, and Men's Vogue Italian Bazaar. Milite's business partners include former models Carolyn Benitez and Eric Petterson. Milite discussed a typical day at work, what inspires him and life after modeling with WWD.com correspondent Janelle Boucher. |
John Haugh
President, Mars Retail Group Offering shoppers an alternative to the mid-afternoon java break, the Illinois-based Ethel's Chocolate Lounge serves up truffles, fondue and cocoa drinks in some of Chicago and Las Vegas' most-trafficked retail areas. John Haugh, president of Mars Retail Group, which operates the lounges, speaks with WWD correspondent Molly Fergus about making award-winning chocolate while maintaining a contemporary brand. |
Tamara Stenn
Fair Trade Knitwear Entrepreneur, Kusikuy Clothing Company Inspired by her 1997 Peace Corps stint in Bolivia, Tamara Stenn started up Kusikuy Clothing Company - a fair trade knitwear retailer and wholesaler that specializes in Alpaca wool pieces made by indigenous Bolivians. Here, the entrepreneur talks with WWD correspondent Molly Fergus about fair-trade shopping and the recent popularity of socially conscious consumerism. |
Radha Chadha and Paul Husband
Authors, "The Cult of the Luxury Brand: Inside Asia's Love Affair with Luxury" Asia is currently the world's largest market for Western luxury brands. Asian consumers at home and abroad account for over 50% of the annual U.S. $80 billion global luxury market, more than Americans and Europeans put together according to a book about the popularity of luxury goods in Asia. WWD.COM correspondent Liza Casabona spoke to the authors of the book Radha Chadha and Paul Husband. They co-authored "The Cult of the Luxury Brand: Inside Asia's Love Affair with Luxury", which was first published in 2006. |
Betty Bes
Dog clothing and accessories designer, Doginparis.com With designer Betty Bes in charge, a dog's life can be rather cushy. Founder of Dog in Paris, a pet clothing and accessories company, Bes caters to a pet-pampering customer with runway-based designs for collars, knit coats and totes. She spoke with WWD correspondent Molly Fergus about the popularity of haute canine couture. |
Tevis Gale
Founder, Balance Integration Tevis Gale integrated her love of yoga and mediation and her experiences in business and corporate culture to create Balance Integration, which offers relaxation and centering practices and tools to corporations throughout the country to help employees balance their work lives with their personal lives. WWD.com correspondent Carla O'Connor spoke to Tevis Gale about her company, its beginnings and how what she teaches impacts the work life of her clients' employees. |
Wendy Klein
Unique Mask Designer, WendyKlein.com Woodstock, N.Y. mask maker Wendy Klein is carrying on an ancient tradition, but with designs that evoke a modern sensibility. Klein, who works out of a studio just outside her house in the Catskills, calls her designs an "inexplicable harmony of line and form." She uses leather and other materials in her handcrafted masks, which can be seen at wendyklein.com and are available in three collections including a mask that can be worn without a headband. Klein spoke with WWD correspondent Janelle Boucher about her inspirations, unique mask designs and the customers who buy her masks. |
Elsweet Rufino
Corporate Communications Officer and Press Manager, Hong Kong Fashion Week / World Boutique Hong Kong Fashion Week is in its 13th year, and has grown into a must-attend event for buyers sourcing fashion goods in the region. The spring/summer show runs July 10 to July 13 this year, and for the past five years, Elsweet Rufino has managed all of the event's public relations and advertising. Rufino fields calls from the media and helps spread the word that HKFW is an international event. Rufino, corporate communications officer and press manager for the show, which is produced by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, spoke to WWD correspondent Janelle Boucher about fashion week and the role of the event in a global market. |
Hudson Jeans
Peter Kim, President/Chief Executive Officer, Rick Spielberg, Vice President Hudson Jeans debuted in 2002 during the industry's denim craze. Five years later, despite deceleration in some segments of the category, the brand is a force in the denim world. The company achieved that success while offering a highly-edited collection and maintaining a very controlled distribution. Hudson president and chief executive officer Peter Kim, along with vice president Rick Spielberg spoke to WWD Correspondent Dawn Kissi about the company's evolution, jean culture, Hudson "style" and what's next for the brand. |
