ascena Retail Group Career Moves

ascena retail group, inc. today announced that Justin MacFarlanehas been appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer, effective December 2, 2019. In addition, Marisa Baldwin has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, effective immediately. Both Mr. MacFarlane and Ms. Baldwin will report directly to Gary Muto, Chief Executive Officer of ascena.

Fashion Jobs Hub

Fashion jobs are available for those that are qualified.  If you believe that you have what it takes to play a significant role in the fashion industry, you should explore career path opportunities.

Whether you want to work as a haute couture fashion designer, pattern maker, sewer, or be the CEO of an international fashion conglomerate, this fashion hub will help you learn about what is available and how you can achieve your goals.

What to expect from this fashion jobs hub

Looking to gain entry into the fashion industry or curious about opportunities for advancement in your existing career? You’ve come to the right place indeed! We have selected the top fashion career paths, job descriptions, and plan to help you learn more about them in this hub. We will even highlight what you can expect from each position based on real open job posts.

If you want a job that will mainly consist of identifying industry trends, designing clothes that fit a particular brand image or anything else along those lines, the fashion industry is the place for you.

Are you ready to walk into your next fashion job?

Fashion School Relevance

Bloomingdale's Fashion Career News

Macy's, Inc. today announced that after an extraordinary career, Frank Doroff, Bloomingdale's vice chairman and general merchandise manager for ready-to-wear, bloomingdales.com and concessions, has made the decision to retire, effective February 8, 2019. The company also announced that Bloomingdale's has appointed Denise Magid as executive vice president and general merchandise manager for ready-to-wear, bloomingdales.com and concessions, effective January 2, 2019. During the month of January, Denise and Frank will work together to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.

David Abney Joins Macy's Board

Macy's, Inc. today announced the appointment of David Abney, chairman and chief executive officer of United Parcel Service, Inc., to its board of directors, effective October 25, 2018.

Hearst Career Moves October 2018

Hearst in the US has announced a number of appointments within its leadership team.

Jessica Pels has been named Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, overseeing content strategy and editorial operations in print, digital, social and video. Jessica previously held senior editorial roles at Glamour and Teen Vogue. 

Kristin Koch has been named Executive Director of Seventeen, overseeing all content for the brand across print and digital. She previously served as Digital Director at the title. 

Jack Essig, Senior Vice President, Publishing director of Esquire and Popular Mechanics, expands his responsibilities to include Men’s Health, Runner’s World and Bicycling. 

Brad Smith Chairman Of Board Of Directors | Nordstrom

Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc. announced board of director Brad Smith will take on the additional role of Chairman of the company's Board of Directors, effective November 1, 2018. 

Smith joined the company's Board in 2013 and recently announced his transition at the end of 2018 from CEO and Chairman to Executive Chairman of Intuit Inc.

Before joining Intuit, Smith served in a variety of sales, marketing and management roles with multinational corporations including ADP, PepsiCo, Seven-Up and Advo, Inc. He is also a former director of Yahoo! Inc.

Learn more about the fashion retailer Nordstrom here on Apparel Search.

Brad Smith's career is going well.  How about yours?  Possibly you would want to learn more about fashion career opportunities at Nordstrom.

Erin Stern Promoted to President of dressbarn

ascena retail group, inc. (NASDAQ:ASNA), announced today that Erin Stern has been promoted to President of dressbarn.


Ms. Stern spent the majority of her career at Gap Inc. where she held senior leadership roles across multiple product categories. She was also the Chief Merchant for Juicy Couture and President of bebe Sport. Prior to naming her as President of dressbarn, Ms. Stern served as EVP-Chief Merchandising Officer for maurices. Ms. Stern received a B.A. degree in Sociology from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.

Social Media Coordinator in Theory

In theory, social media coordinators are critical to fashion business success in the modern world.  Getting your brand published in a trade newspaper or fashion magazine is only half the battle.  In the age of the internet, social media is equally or more critical.

Social media in the fashion industry refers to how brands in the named sector connect with their target market through social media outlets such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.

There's no avoiding it: social media has become not simply a hobby.  It's part of our everyday lives, including being a important part of some of our jobs.

Here is an example of a relevant career move at the Theory fashion brand.

Theory has hired Erin Reimel as Social Media Coordinator. Erin was formerly Beauty Assistant at Glamour and will continue to write freelance alongside her new role.  When I first started in the industry their was no such thing as a social media coordinator (yes, I am too old).

What’s the hottest trend in fashion right now?  Maybe it's "social media".

What are fashion companies doing to look amazing online?

Step one, create a profile on the Fashion Industry Network.

What are the best social media platforms for fashion companies?

Bruce Pask Men's Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus Group has announced that Bruce Pask has expanded his responsibilities to include Men's Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus as well as continuing his role of Men's Fashion Director at Bergdorf Goodman. In his new role he will set the tone for men's fashion for both brands, as well as serving as a spokesperson on men's fashion, style and trends.

Learn more about Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

Fashion Jobs for the Holiday Season

Macy's, Inc. yesterday announced plans to hire approximately 80,000 seasonal associates for positions at its Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers nationwide for the 2017 Christmas and holiday season.

To discover open positions and opportunities for on-site interviews, candidates should apply in advance at macysJOBS.com or bloomingdalesJOBS.com. Positions in all facilities and stores nationwide are searchable on the easy-to-navigate hiring sites. Candidates who submit applications online will receive a response via e-mail.

Hal Lawton President of Macy's

Hal Lawton has been named president of Macy's, effective Sept. 8, 2017. As president, Mr. Lawton will be responsible for all aspects of the Macy's brand, including merchandising, marketing, stores, operations, technology, and consumer insights and analytics. He will report to Jeff Gennette, Macy's, Inc. chief executive officer. Mr. Lawton has strong technology and digital expertise and was most recently senior vice president, eBay North America. He spent his earlier career at Home Depot and McKinsey & Company. 

As SVP of eBay North America, Mr. Lawton was responsible for all aspects of eBay's Americas business unit and oversaw a period of sustained, sequential performance improvement. Prior to joining eBay, Mr. Lawton spent 10 years in various leadership roles at Home Depot, where he was most recently SVP for merchandising. While at Home Depot, Mr. Lawton was responsible for jump-starting homedepot.com and building it into a nearly $2 billion business. 

Ready-To-Wear Fashion Director Bloomingdale's

Bloomingdale's has announced the appointment of Heather Shimokawa as Vice President, Ready-To-Wear Fashion Director.  

Shimokawa will focus on trend forecasting, securing new resources, and expanding the 100% Bloomingdale's merchandise program. She will partner with the ready-to-wear merchants in curating assortments as well as selecting looks for the company's marketing campaigns and window displays. She will also work with the events team to bolster the company's fashion voice and in-store experience.

Jeff Gennette New CEO of Macy's

Congratulations to Jeff Gennette.

Jeff Gennette was elected president and chief executive officer on March 23, 2017. 

Prior to CEO, Gennette was president of Macy’s, Inc. since March 2014. Previously, he was chief merchandising officer of Macy’s, Inc. (formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc.), a position to which he was appointed in February 2009.

Gennette began his retail career in 1983 as an executive trainee at Macy’s West in San Francisco. He held positions of increased responsibilities, including vice president and division merchandise manager for men’s collections, and senior vice president and general merchandise manager for men’s and children’s. In 2004, Gennette was appointed executive vice president and director of stores at Macy’s Central in Atlanta. During his career, he also served as a store manager for FAO Schwarz and director of stores for Broadway Stores, Inc. From February 2006 to February 2008, Gennette served as chairman and chief executive officer of Seattle-based Macy’s Northwest. February 2008 to February 2009 brought him back to San Francisco as chairman and CEO of Macy’s West.

Nordstrom Shifts Some Responsibilities

Fashion career news...

Nordstrom Announces President of Nordstrom.com and Strategic Shifts in Leadership Responsibilities

To further accelerate its e-commerce, digital and mobile efforts, Nordstrom, Inc. announced that it has appointed Ken Worzel as president, Nordstrom.com.

Additionally, to better serve the changing needs of its customers and how they shop, the company also announced a strategic shift of leadership responsibilities to better support the Nordstrom (full-price) and Nordstrom Rack (off-price) brands across both stores and digital. New assignments include:

Co-President Erik Nordstrom will now be responsible for the Nordstrom brand, including Nordstrom stores, Nordstrom.com, and Trunk Club as well as Customer Care, Marketing and Supply Chain.

Co-President Blake Nordstrom will be responsible for the Nordstrom Rack brand, including Rack stores and NordstromRack.com/HauteLook and other corporate functions including Finance, Technology, Legal and Human Resources.

Co-President Pete Nordstrom will continue to support all of the company's merchandising functions and Store Planning. He will also remain closely involved in all areas impacting the Nordstrom brand, including marketing.

WIRED goes Fashion

WIRED has announced the appointment of Lauren Goodman as Contributing Style Director in the US.  It has been reported that Goodman will most likely split her time between Wired's San Francisco and New York offices.

Lauren brings more than 15 years of experience in fashion and luxury editorial in both print and digital to the role. She was formerly Commissioning Fashion Editor at NOWNESS and has previously held roles at Condé Nast Traveler, Style.com, VanityFair.com, and The Wall Street Journal.

As contributing style director, Goodman will focus on the intersection of fashion and technology across all Wired platforms, including print, Web, video, social media and event extensions.

Note: WIRED is owned by Condé Nast.

WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. The breakthroughs and innovations that they uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries.  Now, maybe they will help us discover new fashion.

Congrats to Lauren Goodman.

Learn about other magazines and fashion publications at the Apparel Magazine website.

Fashion Career News March 2016

Here are a few fashion career moves at some of the media resources you may utilize.

Noah Silverstein has been appointed Associate Fashion Writer at Glamour in the US.

Harper's Bazaar has named Anne-Marie Guarnieri as Deputy Beauty Director in the US.

MarieClaire.com has announced the appointment of Lori Keong as Assistant Digital Editor in the US.

New York Magazine has announced the promotion of David Wallace-Wells from Literary Editor to Features Director.

TeenVogue.com has announced the appointment of Isis Briones as Digital Entertainment Writer.

Fashion brand career moves:

Lyndsey Roach appointed Global Head of Womens at Volcom.

Career moves have also taken place this month at some clothing stores.

Nordstrom, Inc. announced that Kumar Srinivasan has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).  In this new role, Srinivasan will focus on identifying opportunities to reduce complexity while optimizing engineering and software productivity and effectiveness across four Nordstrom Technology teams that support the company's Service & Experience, Loyalty & Marketing, Engineering and Supply Chain initiatives.

Find a career in fashion at the fashion jobs section here on Apparel Search.

Linda Wells to Create a Beauty Report for Hearst

Fashion Magazine Career News:

Hearst has hired Linda Wells to create a beauty report that will run inside September subscriber copies of ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire and Town & Country, in the US.

Linda Wells is an American journalist and founder of Allure magazine.

Hearst is one of the nation’s largest diversified media, information and services companies with more than 360 businesses. Its major interests include ownership in cable television networks such as A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime and ESPN; majority ownership of global ratings agency Fitch Group; Hearst Health, a group of medical information and services businesses; 30 television stations such as WCVB-TV in Boston and KCRA-TV in Sacramento, Calif., which reach a combined 19 percent of U.S. viewers; newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle and Albany Times Union, more than 300 magazines around the world including Cosmopolitan, ELLE,Harper’s BAZAAR and Car and Driver; digital services businesses such as iCrossing and KUBRA; and investments in emerging digital and video companies such as Complex, BuzzFeed, VICE and AwesomenessTV. 

NYLON USA Creative Director

Congratulations to Molly Butterfoss.  She has been appointed as NYLON USA Creative Director. 

Molly will lead design for the print magazine and oversee visual continuity across NYLON's digital, e-commerce, and social platforms. 

She previously worked as Senior Art Director for Pitchfork. 

Frank Blake Board of Macy's

Frank Blake, recently former chairman and chief executive officer of The Home Depot, has been elected to the Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M) Board of Directors. Blake's election increases the size of the board to 14 members. 

Prior to joining The Home Depot, Blake served as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, where he managed operations, led policy decisions and oversaw a $19 billion budget. Previously, he served in a series of senior roles at General Electric, including senior vice president for corporate development and general counsel of GE Power Systems. Earlier in his career, Blake served as general counsel to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and deputy counsel to Vice President George H.W. Bush. 

Not sure if he actually worked in fashion at any point.  Rather interesting how a clothing store board is more about "business", "connections", and "finance" than it is about fashion.  I am not saying that he won't do a fantastic job.  However, it would be nice if Macy's promoted from within their own company or at least from the fashion industry.

bebe Cuts Several Design, Merchandising, and Production Jobs

Another clothing retailer making employment moves.

On October 1, 2015 bebe stores, inc. announced that, as a result of the Company’s focus on more streamlined lifestyle assortments and increased efficiencies across business functions, it has implemented a workforce reorganization.  In other words, they are reducing the number of employees.

This reorganization will include the reduction of over 50 positions primarily in the design, merchandising, and production areas.

The Company expects pre-tax costs associated with this initiative to be approximately $1.5 million, and anticipates annual cost savings of approximately $4.8 million.   In addition, according to their press release, Manny Mashouf, Chairman of the Board of bebe, will be re-engaged with the Company, working closely with the design and merchandise teams to help guide this initiative.   We wonder if Manny believes that his assistance in the design and production process will help alleviate the disruption potentially caused by the 50 plus people being downsized.  Let’s assume the board had limited options and had to reduce the work force.  But let’s not assume or be convinced that one person’s assistance (no matter how qualified they may be) can replace the work being done each day by 50 plus people.

bebe also announced on October 1st that the Company's Board of Directors has authorized a $5 million share repurchase program.  Share repurchases may be made in open market or privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements and trading restrictions under the Company's insider trading policy.  The program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

Jim Wiggett, Chief Executive Officer, said, “While the decision to reduce our workforce did not come easily, it was believed to be in the best long term interest of the Company. We appreciate the dedication of the affected employees and thank them for their efforts.”

Mr. Mashouf commented, “I am excited to be working closely with a very talented group of designers and merchants. I look forward to collaborating with the teams to create great, innovative, branded product that speaks to the needs of the bebe woman. ”

bebe stores, inc. is a global specialty retailer, which designs, develops and produces a distinctive line of contemporary women’s apparel and accessories under the bebe and BEBE SPORT brand names. bebe currently operates 163 bebe retail stores, the on-line store, www.bebe.com, and 37 bebe outlet stores. These stores are located in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. bebe also distributes and sells bebe branded product in approximately 100 doors through its licensees in 20 plus countries.

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.