New York, NY – August 1, 2011 – At a meeting last week, the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Board of Directors ratified the addition of 33 new designers to its membership, bringing the group’s total to 406. This marks the largest class ever inducted into the CFDA.
The new Members are:
Alexa Adams, OHNE TITEL
Fred Allard, NINE WEST
Miho Aoki, UNITED BAMBOO
Gaby Basora, TUCKER
Stacey Bendet, ALICE + OLIVIA
Eddie Borgo, EDDIE BORGO
Kip Chapelle, RUBIN & CHAPELLE
Christian Cota, CHRISTIAN COTA
Luis Fernandez, NUMBER:LAB
Tess Giberson, TESS GIBERSON
Flora Gill, OHNE TITEL
Rogan Gregory, ROGAN / LOOMSTATE
Joy Gryson, GRYSON
Prabal Gurung, PRABAL GURUNG
Scott Hahn, ROGAN / LOOMSTATE
Mara Hoffman, MARA HOFFMAN
Jen Kao, JEN KAO
Shaun Kearney, CYNTHIA STEFFE
Andrea Lieberman, A.L.C
Dana Lorenz, FENTON / FALLON
Melissa Joy Manning, MELISSA JOY MANNING
Derrick Miller, BARKER BLACK LIMITED
Claude Morais, RUFFIAN
Blake Mycoskie, TOMS SHOES
Gregory Parkinson, GREGORY PARKINSON
Patty Perreira, BARTON PERREIRA
Thuy Pham, UNITED BAMBOO
Charlotte Ronson, CHARLOTTE RONSON
Ippolita Rostagno, IPPOLITA
Sonja Rubin, RUBIN & CHAPELLE
Olivier Theyskens, THEORY
Trish Wescoat Pound, HAUTE HIPPIE
Brian Wolk, RUFFIAN
“The class of 2011 represents the largest number of designers since the organization’s founding in 1962,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. “Each new member is uniquely talented and collectively they add strength to the ever growing influence of the CFDA and American fashion.”
This Fall, CFDA member Donna Karan will host a party to welcome the new members.
CFDA admissions occur each spring. Prospective CFDA Members must contact the CFDA to request admissions materials. Eligible candidates may be American citizens designing in the United States or abroad or foreign nationals with businesses based in the United States. The application for membership includes a resume, a portfolio, and other materials that represent the candidate’s work to date, and two letters of recommendation from active CFDA Members in the same area of design. The Admissions Committee who then recommends selected candidates for membership to the Board of Directors, which must ratify each candidate, reviews all submissions.
About the new Members:
Alexa Adams & Flora Gill – OHNE TITEL is a women’s collection designed by Flora Gill and Alexa Adams. The two met in 1999 while attending Parson’s School of Design, where they bonded over shared influences. After graduating, they designed for established labels. Alexa spent several years at HELMUNT LANG while Flora held a design position at VIVIENNE TAM. In 2005, the two reunited to work for Karl Lagerfeld. In September 2006, Alexa and Flora founded the OHNE TITEL brand, which pairs architectural shapes and soft draping with a keen attention to detail in fit and finish. OHNE TITEL is intelligent design for a strong and modern woman. In 2009 OHNE TITEL won the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for womenswear. Additionally, the label was nominated for the Swiss Textiles Award. Most recently, OHNE TITEL was selected as a Finalist for the CFDA/VOGUE FASHION FUND in 2009 and 2011.
Fred Allard – Born and raised in the South of France, Fred Allard has been groomed for the design world since childhood. He followed in his father’s footsteps, attending the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture design school in Paris and then began working at a shoe factory. He went on to take the Parisian design scene by storm, becoming Chief Designer at STEPHANIE KÉLIAN at the age of 22. Eight years later, he accepted a post at NINE WEST GROUP working under the design tutelage of NINE WEST Co-Founder, Vince Camuto. Fred credits his initial twelve years at the company for teaching him to “think globally”. In 2005, he returned to Europe as the front man of design at CASTAÑER, where business grew from 9,000 pairs of shoes a season to 53,000 pairs under his leadership. Now back at NINE WEST since 2006, his career comes full circle and his inspirations on everything from couture to art to architecture continue to elevate the brand.
Miho Aoki & Thuy Pham – Japanese-born Fashion Institute of Technology alum Miho Aoki and Vietnamese born Thuy Pham founded United Bamboo in 1998. The team made their New York runway debut for Fall 2004. UNITED BAMBOO employs innovative patterns, fabrics, and construction, like origami pleats, asymmetrical shapes, and architectural lines. The duo is also entrenched in the underground art and music scene, taking on collaborative “art projects” like artist-designed T-shirts printed with provocative cartoons or compilation CDs produced by indie music label United Acoustic Recording. The first United Bamboo store opened in 2004 in Tokyo and a subsequent men’s store opened in Harajuku in 2006. The line is carried throughout the United States and Asia as well as in select boutiques in Australia, Russia, and Canada.
Gaby Basora – Gaby Basora graduated from Sarah Lawrence in 1995, and immediately after graduation began working as an assistant to Karl Templer, Kim Meehan, Marietta Ciriello, Basia Zamorska and Jacki Roach. In 1999, Gaby started working as a stylist; her clients included Lauryn Hill, American Express, Chase, L’Oreal, Avon and more. In 2005, after Gaby and her husband expanded their family, she designed the first TUCKER blouse and had it sewn at a factory in midtown Manhattan. A year later, she sold the first order of blouses to BARNEYS NEW YORK, and incorporated her brand – TUCKER BY GABY BASORA. In 2008 Gaby created a line called BAYLA JANE exclusively for ANTHROPOLOGIE, and was nominated for Crane Magazine’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs of 2010, and collaborated with TARGET as part of the Go International designer program. In 2011, TUCKER will be collaborating with TREK Bicycles (in development for a Spring 2012 launch.) The TUCKER team now includes seven full-time employees and two part-time employees, as well as interns from all over the world.
Stacey Bendet - Stacey Bendet, a New York native, studied at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2002, Stacey launched Alice + Olivia at Barneys New York and the line was an instant success. The brand was born from Stacey’s personal quest to create a flattering pair of pants, and has since grown into a full women’s ready-to-wear collection, including outerwear and dresses. In Fall 2004, Stacey developed Anthony + Mo, a men’s cashmere sweater collection. Stacey was nominated for Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Awards in 2007. In the spring of 2008, a children’s line was introduced, which currently offers everything from sweaters to jumpers for girls. In 2011, the Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet shoe line was launched.
Eddie Borgo – The EDDIE BORGO collection is a study in traditions; American costume jewelry, the history of rock and roll, and the heritage of New York City. Eddie Borgo brings new energy and a modern point of view to these established themes, fusing high end and street in every piece he creates. EDDIE BORGO debuted with Spring/Summer 2009 Eddie Borgo was named a Runner Up for 2010 CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund, and in 2011 was the recipient of the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for Accessory Design. Eddie has designed jewelry and worked collaboratively with Marchesa, Proenza Schouler, Jason Wu, and Joseph Altuzarra, among others. He was just awarded the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Tiffany & Co. Business Development Grant.
Kip Chapelle & Sonja Rubin – While in school together at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Sonja Rubin held design positions at VIVIENNE WESTWOOD and C’EST UNE ROBE and Kip Chapelle gained experience working for CALVIN KLEIN and GIORGIO ARMANI. In 1996, they founded RUBIN & CHAPELLE. Due to the popularity of their sleek silhouettes, they opened a boutique and showroom in the Meatpacking District just five years later. . In addition to designing for RUBIN & CHAPELLE they also designed (freelance) for BARNEYS NEW YORK and SAKS FIFTH AVENUE’s private label up until 2001. In 2007 Kip and Sonja founded and serve as Design Directors for a womens and mens premium denim line — 192 DOVES, also based in New York.
Christian Cota- Christian Cota is a Mexican designer who studied painting in Paris before beginning his formal training in fashion design. While enrolled at Parsons, Christian worked as an intern for PETER SOM, PIERROT and ANGEL SANCHEZ, where he remained as Design Assistant for two years after graduation. In 2007, Christian left to start his eponymous collection – and today still remains actively involved in all aspects of the business, including design, production, sales and public relations. In 2009, he received Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award, and in 2010 was selected as a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist. Christian Cota attributes his passion for design to his first muses, his mother and his late grandmother. “Their manner of dress and their poise is an education in elegance; they define the word.”
Luis Fernandez - After graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Architecture, Luis began his career at KOHN PEDERSEN FOX ASSOCIATES, and JEFFREY HUTCHISON + ASSOCIATES, where he worked on numerous exterior and interior design projects, including BARNEYS NEW YORK in Las Vegas and San Francisco, and the shop-in-shops for NAUTICA. In January 2005, Luis began the latest chapter of his life when he co-founded NUMBER:LAB where he is the Co-President and Designer/Creative Director of the brand. He developed, launched, and operates a fashion brand that caters to mid/high-end men’s sportswear and essentials market.
Tess Giberson – Tess Giberson studied Apparel Design at Rhode Island School of Design. Upon graduation, Tess worked as a Sweater Designer for CALVIN KLEIN Men’s collection from 1996 to 1998. Over the following three years, Tess worked as a freelance designer for Women’s Knits and Sweaters at OLD NAVY and in Fashion Show Production at KCD, before starting TESS GIBERSON in 2001. In 2005, Tess was named Design Director for TSE CASHMERE, where she was head designer for the women’s collection, oversaw direction of men’s and tseay collection, responsible for design, direction and execution of 4 main collections per year, and initiated launch of accessory line for Fall 2007. In 2009, Tess created TESS GIBERSON DESIGN CORPORTATION, where she serves as the Founder and Creative Director.
Rogan Gregory & Scott Hahn – In 2001, two years after Scott Hahn and Rogan Gregory met, they partnered and launched ROGAN – a collection of premium denim and apparel. The first ROGAN collection paid tribute to the roots of workwear, combining American utilitarianism and soulful minimalism with unorthodox shapes and constructions. From this first collection, ROGAN has evolved into an internationally distributed brand that continues to fuse the traditional, experimental, rural, and urban with clothing, architecture and art. In 2004, Rogan and Scott established LOOMSTATE, a casual clothing brand with sustainable development goals, focused on cultivation and use of environmentally sensitive materials, primarily made of 100% organic cotton. From 2005 to 2007, Scott and Rogan were the strategic and creative force behind EDUN, a fashion line launched with Ali Hewson and Bono to promote trade (not aid) and sustainable employment to Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Spring of 2005 ALIT’L BET’R by ROGAN debuted, a premium line of tailored suiting made exclusively by hand in Japan. In 2006 Scott and Rogan launched a home and furniture collection and a year later LOOMSTATE and BARNEYS NEW YORK partnered to launch the store’s first exclusive eco-friendly label – LOOMSTATE FOR BARNEYS GREEN. Subsequently, ROGAN and LOOMSTATE have collaborated with TARGET on two separate collections.
Joy Gryson – Joy Gryson graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied Marketing and Merchandise Management. After graduating in 1995, Joy held positions at LIZ CLAIBORNE where she was the Accessories Design Assistant, COACH as the Design/Development Assistant, CALVIN KLEIN as the Director of Design/Development/Merchandising and MARC JACOBS as the Director of Accessories Design/Development. After leaving MARC JACOBS, Joy and Peter Gryson created their own design consultancy firm, TriBeCa Design, Ltd., while designing in-house brands – GRYSON, OLIVIA HARRIS by Joy Gryson, and CAPSULE. In addition to their own brands, they hold the license for NANETTE LEPORE handbags, and serve as design consultants for ANN TAYLOR LOFT, TORY BURCH, REBECCA TAYLOR, L.A.M.B., and ZAC POSEN.
Prabal Gurung – After graduating from Parsons, Prabal spent two years with Cynthia Rowley’s design team, which allowed him to gain invaluable experience in both design and business. Soon after, he became Design Director at BILL BLASS. After five successful years, Prabal left his post at BLASS to launch his own collection, which debuted during New York Fashion Week in February 2009. In 2010,he was the recipient of the Ecco Domani Fashion Award and a Runner Up for 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. In 2011, Prabal was the recipient of the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for Womenswear Design. Additionally, Prabal was chosen as one of the (12) designers to participate in the {FASHION INCUBATOR} program.
Mara Hoffman – Mara Hoffman studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design in New York City and was the Golden Thimble recipient for Costume Design. During her time at Parsons she spent a year studying Apparel Design at Parson’s Paris campus, and during the summer of 1998 studied at Central Saint Martin’s University of the Arts in London, England. In addition she worked as an intern at ELISA JIMENEZ (in New York) and XULY BET (in Paris, France) all before she graduated in 1999. Mara launched MARA HOFFMAN in 2000, and her collection has evolved from hand-dyed couture pieces to her current collections which concentrate heavily on original silk prints. Her line encompasses everything from light summer maxi dresses to cashmere coats. Mara pulls her inspiration from nature, world travel, and fantasy. In 2008, Mara launched MARA HOFFMAN SWIM, a contemporary women’s swimwear collection featuring signature prints, cover-ups and accessories.
Jen Kao – Born in Los Angeles, raised in Kansas City and now based in New York, Jen Kao received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Studio Art at NYU, followed by a post-graduate degree from Parsons The New School for Design. Jen then went to work for several reputable designers such as JILL STUART, SOUTHPAW, and TWINKLE BY WENLAN before launching her own label in 2006. In addition to her formal education and training, her family has inspired Jen and informs her collection. From her grandmother, who was born and raised in Taiwan under Japanese influence, Jen learned the traditional crafts, artistry, and folklore of Japanese culture, as well as intense love for details and precision. After five seasons of showing at MAC & MILK Studios, Jen debuted her Fall/Winter 2011 runway collection at Lincoln Center in February 2011.
Shaun Kearney – Shaun Kearney was born in the United Kingdom and graduated from Central Saint Martins in London in 1992. In 1996, Shaun received a Honorary Doctorate from the University of Northumbria, won the Gifu World Federation Fashion Contest in Japan, and was named the Menswear Designer for NAUTICA International. In 1997, he worked as Design Consultant for Women’s Signature Collection at DONNA KARAN NEW YORK. A year later, Shaun was appointed Design Director at MAXMARA, a position he held for two years. In 2000, he accepted the role of Creative Director for RANDOLPH DUKE and stayed with the company until 2003, when he was named Vice President of KENNETH COLE NEW YORK Cream Label and Creative Director for all divisions at BERNARD CHAUS, INC. Shaun was named Executive Vice President of Design/Creative Director of CYNTHIA STEFFE in 2008. Catering to the youth market since the beginning, the look of the collection is fresh, polished, and luxurious. Shaun is expanding the brand’s original clientele of mid-teens to twenties to “thirty-something” consumers.
Andrea Lieberman – Born and raised in New York City, Andrea Lieberman is a preeminent fashion stylist and designer. After graduating from Parsons School of Design with a degree in Fashion, Andrea worked with Giorgio Di Sant’Angelo and Romeo Gigli. After several years of world travel, including a two-year stay in Africa, Andrea returned to New York to open her retail store Culture and Reality. Since then, she has worked widely in and throughout the fashion industry, involved with videos, photo shoots, tours and concerts. Her experience lead her to launch her namesake label, A.L.C more than three years ago. The collection is comprised of daring silhouettes, chic modular separates and perfectly engineered basics. The pieces bring a new perspective to the needs of a modern wardrobe while improving upon the canon of essentials.
Dana Lorenz – After obtaining degrees in Painting from the University of Iowa and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Dana entered the fashion industry, working for GUCCI and DONNA KARAN. Dana started out creating necklaces for herself and friends, layering strands of pearls and Swarovski crystals with spikes and chains. Her designs first caught the eye of Alexandre Plokhov, who asked her to design a line of accessories for his menswear show in 2005. While underway with FENTON for two booming years, Dana founded FALLON in 2007; a younger, bolder, and more price conscious collection established by popular demand from her retailers- BARNEYS, HARVEY NICHOLS, IKRAM, among others. In 2010, Dana was nominated for the CFDA Swarovski Accessory Designer of the Year Award and in 2011 Dana was announced as one of the ten finalists for the CFDA/VOGUE FASHION FUND.
Melissa Joy Manning – Melissa Joy Manning jewelry is handmade in her Oakland, California studio. Using gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones and found objects, MELISSA JOY MANNING blends traditional and modern jewelry by utilizing un-conventional materials to create neoteric pieces. After studying Art History at the University of California in San Diego, Traditional Mexican Silver Smithing at the Institute de San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, Art History and Design Principle at the University of Barcelona in Spain, and Jewelry Design & Sculpture at San Francisco State University, Melissa launched her self-funded company in 1996. Fifteen years later, she still strategizes, implements and manages the brand development all while remaining the sole designer. In 2005 MELISSA JOY MANNING incorporated, and in 2008 the production facility was officially “Green Certified” by the County of Alameda, California. Additionally in 2008, Melissa opened her New York showroom. In 2010, the first MELISSA JOY MANNING store opened in Berkeley, CA. Retail and Production departments are based out of Berkeley, while Sales, Marketing, and Design all takes place in Manhattan.
Derrick Miller – Derrick Miller has been impacted and influenced by style since he was a child in Minnesota. His father was an artist by day and was obsessed with custom English shoes and clothing. Years later, Derrick attended the Parson’s School of Design in Paris, and while studying Fashion Marketing he fell in love with photography. Through photography, he further developed his eye for style and detail, which led him to Photo Editor positions at GQ and Nylon. Derrick soon became aware that he was more inspired by the shapes, construction, and possibilities of the clothes than by any of the images he was working with, and got a job at Ralph Lauren where he worked in Neckwear Design for Purple Label and Polo and Conceptual Design. While at Ralph Lauren he was approached by Barker Shoes from Northampton, England, to help launch their brand in the American market. In 2005, Derrick founded BARKER BLACK, a luxury lifestyle brand featuring shoes, ties, pocket squares, braces, and scarves. He has expanded his original collection to include sneakers, slippers, and small leather goods.
Claude Morais & Brian Wolk – Brian Wolk and Claude Morais are the designers behind RUFFIAN, the critically acclaimed New York label that started in 2002. The designers received the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award in 2006 and have been featured in many editorials. Their definition of style is a juxtaposition between the improvised and the studied. This accounts for their sources of inspiration — cinema repertoire, European court culture and American iconography. Brian’s dual training in Fashion Design and Costume design gives him a unique perspective. Brian is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and of Purchase University where he studied Costume Design and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1998. Claude’s extensive world travel as a model, then as a stylist, has enabled him to create a sophisticated visual and cultural vocabulary essential to his design process. His studies in the Fine Arts, specifically painting, allows him to explore color on a personal and tactile level. Claude attended College Edouard Monpetit in Montreal, Canada, from which he graduated in 1990.
Blake Mycoskie – Blake Mycoskie is the Founder and Chief “Shoe Giver” of TOMS, which he began in 2006. Blake always had an entrepreneurial spirit, starting five businesses before TOMS. His first was a successful, national campus laundry service, which he later sold. Between business ventures, Blake competed on The Amazing Race with his sister, where they traveled the world and came within minutes of winning the $1 million dollar grand prize. The unique vision for TOMS came into focus when he witnessed the hardships facing children growing up barefoot in Argentina. He felt he needed to help and the One for One movement was born. In the 5 years since Blake created TOMS, the One for One charity has donated more than 600,000 pairs of shoes to those in need. In 2007, Blake was honored with the People’s Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution. In 2009, Blake was the proud recipient of the Secretary of State’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence presented by Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. In June 2011, TOMS launched a new product under the One for One model, sunglasses.
Gregory Parkinson – British-born Gregory Parkinson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion and Textile Design from Newcastle University in 1987. After graduation he worked at “THE COLLECTION”, TEXTILES, and DESIGN CONCEPT STUDIO in London from 1987 to 1989, where he developed all original embroidery and embellishment techniques, created artwork for prints, and sold textile and design concepts to all levels of the market. In 1989 Gregory moved to Los Angeles, CA where he worked as a designer at GENE EWING BIS. In 1994, he became the Co-Owner and Designer of GREGORY PARKINSON BOUTIQUE, and a year later the Owner and Designer of the GREGORY PARKINSON brand. He has created and maintained a women’s designer ready-to-wear collection which sells to high-end specialty stores and boutiques in domestic and international markets. In 2010, Gregory was selected as a CFDA / VOGUE FASHION FUND Finalist.
Patty Perreira – Patty Perreira worked for OLIVER PEOPLES for 20 years, and was responsible for the development of the Mosley Tribes brand, worked closely with Sir Paul Smith to bring his view to a collection of eyewear, and was the Director of Sales with marketing duties. In addition, she designed frames for Prada, Miu Miu, Jil Sander and Vera Wang for introduction into the eyewear market place. In early 2007, Patty became the President and Co-Founder of BARTON PERREIRA, an eyewear brand having launched independently of an association with a clothing line. During the past four years, Patty successfully premiered and launched her collection in Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman. There are currently 109 styles, 540 skus associated with the brand, and the first retail store opened in Aspen, Colorado in June 2011. Additionally, BARTON PERREIRA designed successful collaborations for Opening Ceremony/Chloe Sevigny and Barneys New York/ Albert Maysles.
Charlotte Ronson – Charlotte Ronson launched her first collection, C. RONSON in 2000. In May 2002, she opened a flagship boutique in New York City’s Nolita neighborhood. Charlotte debuted her Fall / Winter 2006 collection in February 2006 during New York Fashion Week, and within that same year Sanei opened 14 CHARLOTTE RONSON branded stores throughout Japan. In Spring 2008, Charlotte signed a deal with Urban Outfitters to create PLAY BY C. RONSON. In June 2008, she signed a long term deal to design the “I HEART RONSON” collection, for sale in 700 JCPenney doors, catalogues, and online. Later that year, Charlotte debuted her Spring / Summer 2009 collection at the Tents at Bryant Park. Within the past year, Charlotte has opened (2) stores in Shanghai, had a runway show in China on the Bund in Shanghai, opened a store in Hong Kong, and in May 2011 launched a collection in partnership with Uniqlo’s Designer’s Invitation Project, selling in stores worldwide.
Ippolita Rostagno – Daughter of an American artist and an Italian intellectual, Ippolita spent her childhood immersed in Renaissance art and architecture in the hills of Tuscany. She earned a degree in sculpture from Istituto D’Arte in Florence before she moved to the United States at the age of 18. Ippolita studied at Occidental College in California and then moved to New York with plans for a career in modern dance. While she was raising a young child, she used her characteristic resourcefulness to find an outlet for her artistic ambitions and launched a career from home; Ippolita returned to her love of art and sculpture and started designing jewelry. Several years of experimentation led to what is her eponymous and now “signature” 18K gold collection, inspired and influenced by her passion for shape and form. Before she launched her collection at BERGDORF GOODMAN in 1999, Ippolita spent several months developing an exclusive gold, whose glowing hue is especially flattering. More recently, Ippolita has created two celebrated collections in sterling silver – IPPOLITA 925 and IPPOLITA ROSÉ, a “pink” silver made of sterling, cast with 18K gold, then plated with 18K rose gold. All pieces in the IPPOLITA collection are made by hand and every gemstone is hand-cut.
Olivier Theyskens – Olivier Theyskens was born in Brussels in 1977. In October of 1995 at the age of 18, he entered the design section of the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Visuels de la Cambre. Less than two years later, he abandoned his studies to launch his first collection. In 2002, he was named Creative Director for ROCHAS, and in 2003 Olivier presented his first collection, to critical acclaim. Within months, he had created an entirely new silhouette for the house, which was French-influenced and elegant. In 2005, Olivier was honored by Fashion Group International and in 2006 received the International Award from CFDA. In October 2006, Olivier was appointed Artistic Director at NINA RICCI, a position he held for three years. In June 2010, Olivier was brought on board by Andrew Rosen to design THEYSKENS’S THEORY, and in October 2010 was named Artistic Director for THEORY.
Trish Wescoat Pound – A graduate of the University of Kansas, Trish spent several years running successful brands in the fashion industry before venturing on to her own. As President of Women’s for THEORY for over six years, she oversaw the brand’s exponential growth and evolution as an essential luxury collection. Trish also served as President of the MICHAEL KORS Women’s Collection and as CMO of Contemporary Brands at LIZ CLAIBORNE, President and Creative Director of LAUNDRY BY DESIGN, she executed the conception and re-launch of the LAUNDRY BY DESIGN brand. In 2008, Trish created HAUTE HIPPIE and took her design cues from the original free-spirited devotees of the hippie movement and the nomadic lifestyle they engendered. HAUTE HIPPIE is designed by, and made for, the woman who is comfortable in her own skin and free from the need to conform to trends.