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Sam Edelman, Libby Edelman
CEO; EVP; Sam Edelman
NEW

The couple responsible for initiating the ballet flat trend two decades ago is back, this time designing for women craving day-to-night shoes with flashes of fashion. The duo sold their namesake label 13 years ago, and in 2004 started Sam Edelman, which has become one of the hottest brands in the moderate market. With considerable backing from Brown Shoe Co., Sam Edelman has increased business eight times over and is on track to boost its door count to 1,500 by year-end. Now the husband-and-wife team is taking the brand global and has made their way into more than 150 doors in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Lane Crawford and the Dubai Mall’s soon-to-open Bloomingdale’s. Back at home, Sam, 57, aims to bow the label’s first branded retail store, while his wife, 56, is growing the Libby Edelman collection, which debuted at Famous Footwear and on HSN for spring ’09. Next up? They plan to expand both lines into handbags, swimwear, jewelry and sunglasses, among other categories.

Power Player: John Dulin, president