http://www.wwd.com/people-companies The latest WWD People and Company Profiles. en-us Copyright WWD 2008. All Rights Reserved. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:10:48 EST Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:10:48 EST Conde Nast Internet Technology fpwwd2developers@condenast.com (CNP Internet Technology) http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/yohji-yamamoto-1704153?src=rss/profiles/20080806 Yohji Yamamoto is founder of the eponymous Japanese fashion house behind the Y’s label, the signature Yohji Yamamoto and newest entrée, Coming Soon. The avant-garde designer is known for his oversized silhouettes, innovative draping and complicated cuts that suggest abstract sculpture. Relying on a somber color palette often dominated by black, Yamamoto at first startled, then delighted, the fashion world with austere looks in the early Eighties – a time when everyone else was doing shoulder pads for power dressing.  Androgyny and asymmetry are prevailing themes for the designer. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON YOHJI YAMAMOTO --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yamamoto, who possesses a compact physical frame and a black belt in karate, studied law at Keio University in Tokyo and graduated in 1966. He then went on to Tokyo’s prestigious Bunka Fashion College, (Bunka Fukuso Gakuin) and graduated in 1969. Three years later, Yamamoto established Y’s Inc. from which he launched his first collection in 1977. His signature Yohji Yamamoto line debuted with women’s wear in 1981, followed by the Pour Homme men’s collection in 1984. He partnered with athletic giant Adidas in 2002 to create the Y-3 label, a co-branded line of sportswear, footwear and accessories that blends Yamamoto’s aesthetic with high-performance design. In 2008, he launched the Yohji Yamamoto Fund for Peace, a joint venture with China’s government designed to promote better Sino-Japanese relations through fashion. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:44:14 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/yohji-yamamoto-1704153?src=rss/profiles/20080806 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/rei-kawakubo-1703004?src=rss/profiles/20080804 Rei Kawakubo is founder of the Japanese label Comme des Garçons. The avant-garde designer boldly mocked the premise that fashion needs to be beautiful and helped foster global awareness for the aesthetics of future Japanese designers. Her brand of anti-fashion has included the legendary “bump” collection, which created a deformed silhouette on runway models; she also imbued one of her fragrances with scents of burnt rubber and nail polish. An iconoclast, Kawakubo is considered a “designer’s designer” for her innovative and fearless convictions. She studied at Keio University in Tokyo and was a freelance designer before developing the Comme des Garçons label in 1969. The debut of her ready-to-wear women’s collection in 1981, with its street-influenced, dark hues and asymmetrical cuts, perplexed the Western press. Other touches such as unfinished seams, absurdly long sleeves and torn, ripped fabric were viewed as radical at the time. Later, however, they re-emerged in the collections of other designers, affirming the influence of her vision. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON REI KAWAKUBO --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kawakubo has a long history of collaboration, most notably with Vivienne Westwood and Fred Perry. In 2008, Kawakubo collaborated with H&M to create a one-time collection of apparel, accessories and fragrance for the Swedish fast-fashion chain. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:27:30 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/rei-kawakubo-1703004?src=rss/profiles/20080804 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/stefano-pilati-1702366?src=rss/profiles/20080804 Italian-born Stefano Pilati is creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, the mythical French fashion house now owned by Gucci Group, the luxury division of Pinault-Printemps-Redoute. Pilati’s bold and ultra-chic looks are gaining momentum, as is his influence in the luxury sector. Although his debut collection for YSL drew mixed reviews, more recent offerings are proving to energize the fashion house that is a symbol of freedom and power. Pilati studied environmental design but abandoned that career path to accept an internship at Nino Cerutti. He worked for the fashion houses Giorgio Armani and Prada before YSL’s then creative director, Tom Ford, hand-picked him as design director for YSL ready-to-wear. The Ford-Pilati team worked side-by-side for four years. When Ford left the company in 2004, Pilati took creative control of all product categories as well as the YSL brand image. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON STEFANO PILATI --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:59:59 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/stefano-pilati-1702366?src=rss/profiles/20080804 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/michael-kors-1702360?src=rss/profiles/20080804 American designer Michael Kors is the founder and chief designer for the eponymous Michael Kors label of sportswear and accessories. Kors made his name in sumptuous, chic sportswear that straddles luxury and casual. He gained greater mainstream fame with his run as a judge on the reality TV program, Project Runway. Kors grew up in Long Island, N.Y. and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. His first job was designing and merchandising a collection for Lothar’s, an upscale boutique in New York City. In 1981, he launched the Michael Kors label, and his women’s wear collection was carried in Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue stores. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON MICHAEL KORS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 1997, Kors took over as artistic director at Celine, the French sportswear label in need of rejuvenation and owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA. LVMH later bought a 33 percent share in Kors’ company. In 2001, Kors launched accessories under his label, including handbags, shoes, belts and eyewear. The following year, he rolled out a men’s wear collection. In 2003, Kors left Celine in order to spend more time developing his own label. Kors is a two-time winner of the coveted Council of Fashion Designers of America Award, first for women’s wear in 1999 and again for men’s wear in 2003. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:51:48 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/michael-kors-1702360?src=rss/profiles/20080804 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/philip-green-1583525?src=rss/profiles/20080803 Retail tycoon Sir Philip Green owns Arcadia Group Ltd., whose crown jewel is Topshop, as well as department store chain Bhs (formerly British Home Stores). With a track record of buying and selling retail companies for handy profit, the flamboyant Green is most known for his swift turnaround of Bhs and Arcadia, the U.K.’s second-largest apparel chain whose porftolio includes Topman, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins. Green was privately educated at Carmel College, a now-closed Jewish boarding school in Berkshire, England. He left at the age of 15 without graduating and went to work for a shoe importer. Green’s purchase and highly lucrative sale of London’s Jean Jeannie denim stores in the 1980s launched a career of similar coups on a larger scale. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON PHILIP GREEN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He was CEO of discount apparel chain Amber Day, which was publicly traded, but when he departed in 1992, the entrepreneur would work only in the private arena. Green’s purchase of Bhs in 2000 and Arcadia in 2002 further solidified his mogul status. His much-publicized, failed attempt to buy Marks & Spencer in 2004 continues to fuel speculation that he may try for that prize again. London’s Fashion Retail Academy is Green’s brainchild. The government and privately funded school counts retail forces like Marks & Spencer and Tesco among its sponsors. Green was knighted in 2006 for his retail and social responsibility contributions and was an inaugural inductee to the World Retail Hall of Fame in 2008. Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:47:38 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/philip-green-1583525?src=rss/profiles/20080803 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/philips-van-heusen-1599540?src=rss/profiles/20080721 The Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. was founded in 1876. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:22:49 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/philips-van-heusen-1599540?src=rss/profiles/20080721 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/jay-schottenstein-1614536?src=rss/profiles/20080714 --------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON JAY SCHOTTENSTEIN --------------------------------------------------- Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:47:35 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/jay-schottenstein-1614536?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/james-v-odonnell-1614037?src=rss/profiles/20080714 --------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON JAMES V. O'DONNELL --------------------------------------------------- Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:24:43 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/james-v-odonnell-1614037?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/glenn-murphy-1613886?src=rss/profiles/20080714 --------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON GLENN MURPHY --------------------------------------------------- Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:32:49 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/glenn-murphy-1613886?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/r-lawrence-montgomery-1613830?src=rss/profiles/20080714 --------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON R. LAWRENCE MONTGOMERY --------------------------------------------------- Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:28:55 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/r-lawrence-montgomery-1613830?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/carol-meyrowitz-1613823?src=rss/profiles/20080714 --------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON CAROL MEYROWITZ --------------------------------------------------- Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:26:01 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/carol-meyrowitz-1613823?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/roger-s-markfield-1613795?src=rss/profiles/20080714 Roger Markfield is vice chairman of American Eagle Outfitters, whose flagship apparel brand targets 15- to 25-year-old “boys and girls.” Markfield is the merchandising maven who helped the Pittsburgh company identify and target its niche customer following a shift from national brands to private label apparel. He placed supply chain management in the capable hands of Li & Fung, which efficiently bolstered the company’s competitive edge. More recently, he led the development and 2006 launch of American Eagle’s Martin + Osa, a sportswear brand that targets 28- to 40-year old men and women. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON ROGER S. MARKFIELD --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Markfield began his retail career in 1969 as boys’ wear buyer for R.H Macy & Co.  (now Macy’s), and rose to become the department store’s top men’s wear executive. He held senior merchandising positions at both Gap and The Limited Inc. (now Limited Brands) before joining American Eagle Outfitters in 1993 as executive vice president of merchandising. Two years later, he was promoted to president and chief merchandising officer. In 2002, Markfield added the title co-chief executive officer, a role he shared with James O’Donnell until 2003. Marfield serves as director on the board of DSW Inc., the Columbus, Ohio, footwear retailer. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:19:06 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/roger-s-markfield-1613795?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/ralph-lauren-1613784?src=rss/profiles/20080714 American designer Ralph Lauren is founder, chairman and CEO of Polo Ralph Lauren, the company he launched off a fat necktie that bloomed into a multibillion-dollar global brand. The Bronx, N.Y. born Lauren, whose name is often mispronounced (the accent belongs on the first syllable), did not attend design school. After enrolling in business courses at Baruch College, the young Lauren designed neckwear for New York tie designer Beau Brummel in 1967; later that same year, he launched his Polo line of ties. Ralph Lauren women’s wear debuted in 1971, and one year later the familiar Polo shirt was born, sporting its mallet-wielding polo player emblem. Later that same decade, Lauren dressed Robert Redford in “The Great Gatsby” and Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in “Annie Hall,” kicking off a craze for menswear-inspired, preppy chic. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON RALPH LAUREN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Polo Ralph Lauren went public in 1997. By 2007, its 40th year in business, Polo Ralph Lauren was a $4.3 billion enterprise with a presence in 80 countries. Offerings at nearly every price point — value to luxury — cover men’s and women’s apparel, home goods including paint, accessories, fragrances and eyewear. Ralph Lauren was presented the Menswear Designer of the Year Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America and also CFDA’s American Fashion Legend Award. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:15:07 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/ralph-lauren-1613784?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/michael-gould-1613752?src=rss/profiles/20080714 Michael Gould is chairman and CEO of Bloomingdale’s, the only property in a national U.S. retail chain to keep its nameplate following the Macy’s rebranding. Before Federated Department Stores (now Macy’s) renamed all Macy’s stores in 2006, Gould already had big changes in play for Bloomingdale’s. He launched a makeover to take the middle-market department store to higher levels with exclusive and designer merchandise, better service and larger aisles and fitting rooms — all to narrow the price gap with Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. He more than doubled Bloomingdale’s store base, from 16 to 40 units (in 2008). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON MICHAEL GOULD --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gould graduated from Columbia University and earned his MBA in 1968. He entered the executive training program at now-defunct Abraham & Straus, which was owned by Federated. In 10 years’ time, he defected to J.W. Robinson’s department store, and in 1981 he was named chairman and CEO of that company. He went on to become president of Giorgio Beverly Hills and later, Avon. When Gould took his current post at Bloomingdale’s, in 1991, its parent company Federated was just emerging from bankruptcy. Gould serves on the Board of Trustees of Hebrew College in Boston, the Board of Trustees of Lenox Hill Hospital and the Board of Overseers of Columbia University Graduate School of Business. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:55:39 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/michael-gould-1613752?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/stefano-gabbana-1590566?src=rss/profiles/20080714 Stefano Gabbana is one half of the Italian design duo behind Dolce & Gabbana, whose provocative style of “molto sexy” has grown into an internationally known luxury brand. After studying graphic arts in Milan, Italy, Gabbana began working in a local atelier. There, in 1980, the 18 year old would meet his future business-and-romantic partner, Domenico Dolce. The two designers worked side by side before joining forces in 1982 and starting their own business. Their first women’s apparel line was introduced in 1986. Eventually, beachwear, lingerie, men’s collection, fragrance, footwear and eyewear followed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEE LIST AT LEFT FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON STEFANO GABBANA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edgy advertising campaigns became their hallmark. One ad featuring bloodied, knife-brandishing models drew criticism from industry watchdogs in 2007. As a child, Gabbana acted in TV commercials, and more recently in 2006, he did a TV spot for the luxury car manufacturer Lancia. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:52:22 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/people-profile/stefano-gabbana-1590566?src=rss/profiles/20080714 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/zumiez-1608290?src=rss/profiles/20080711 Zumiez was founded in 1978. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:33:46 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/zumiez-1608290?src=rss/profiles/20080711 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/ermenegildo-zegna-1608235?src=rss/profiles/20080711 Ermenegildo Zegna Holditalia S.p.A. was founded in 1910. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:30:15 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/ermenegildo-zegna-1608235?src=rss/profiles/20080711 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/zale-corp-1608154?src=rss/profiles/20080711 The first Zales jewelry store opened in 1924. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:26:10 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/zale-corp-1608154?src=rss/profiles/20080711 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/wet-seal-1608050?src=rss/profiles/20080711 Wet Seal Inc. was founded in 1962. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:22:55 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/wet-seal-1608050?src=rss/profiles/20080711 http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/warnaco-group-inc-1607996?src=rss/profiles/20080711 Warnaco Group was founded in 1874 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:19:49 EDT http://www.wwd.com/people-companies/company-profile/warnaco-group-inc-1607996?src=rss/profiles/20080711