Nine to Watch in 2010

Jeffrey Campbell
Founder; Jeffrey Campbell LLC
With 450 accounts worldwide and an eye toward European expansion in the coming year, the Los Angeles-based brand that started out of Campbell’s garage in 2000 has grown into a nearly $18 million business, banking on moderately priced and fashionable women’s footwear.

Mark Goldstein
Owner; Madison, Diavolina
Goldstein made some notable news this year by relocating the Madison and Diavolina stores on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles to a spot on West Third Street that is connected by a walkway. A party to celebrate the stores in October drew A-listers including Mandy Moore and designer Emily Current. Designers increasingly cite Goldstein as a key independent.

Laura Vinroot Poole
Owner; Capitol
Poole has made her 11-year-old store into one of Charlotte, N.C.’s must-visit luxury spots, with high-end brands such as Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Thakoon and Rodarte, which can’t be found for miles around. Though shoes are only a small percentage of the mix, Poole continues to up the quotient, and helps to boost consumer interest with special events and designer personal appearances.

Rupert Sanderson
Designer
His understated and sophisticated touches are driving growth for Sanderson, who entered a long-term relationship with Karl Lagerfeld, designing his runway shoes starting with the fall ’09 show. Sanderson already sells to 150 stores worldwide — from Harrods and Browns in London to Bloomingdale’s in New York and San Francisco — and he plans to add two of his own stores to the two already open.

Gary Schoenfeld
President, CEO; Pacific Sunwear of California
The former Vans honcho, who was named as head of the teen retailer in June, has said the company’s struggling PacSun stores are getting back into footwear, after largely exiting the category in April 2008. No word yet on brands or depth of the offering, but given Schoenfeld’s past, it’s safe to say surf- and skate-inspired looks will lead the way.

Christian Siriano
Designer
The season four “Project Runway” winner is proving that fierceness and frugality can sometimes come in pairs — as with his highly acclaimed, exclusive collection with Payless ShoeSource. During his runway turn at New York Fashion Week this fall, the diminutive designer paired his couture gowns with shoes from his affordable collection.

Tiffany Tuttle
Founder, Designer; LD Tuttle
The Los Angeles-based designer has been making waves across the price-point spectrum, from her moderately priced collaboration with Urban Outfitters to her new unisex, Italian-made collection, priced at $450 to $600. Tuttle also has been spotted on the runway, most recently providing the shoes for VPL during New York Fashion Week.

Antwain Freeman, Dre Hayes, Ari Langsdorf, Daniel Yadgard
Co-founders; The Foundation
As self-described “brand architects,” this quartet of street fashion-focused sales and marketing gurus is mixing up how smaller brands are sold with a multi-line showroom in New York that features the likes of G-Shock, Keds, Pro-Keds, Generic Surplus, Gourmet Footwear and Stussy. A Los Angeles-based location is said to be in the works.

Jerome Rousseau
Designer
Since debuting in 2008 — and winning Launch of the Year for FN’s Achievement Awards — the Canadian-born designer has been attracting a flock of retail fans, including Fred Segal Feet, Barneys New York and Holt Renfrew. Anne Heche, Katie Holmes, Selena Gomez and Kristen Stewart are just a few of Rousseau’s growing roster of celebrity devotees.