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There was time when starting a consumer products business required you to have significant investment, powerful relationships & buy-in from a retail store. Digitization & changing customer behavior has lowered the barriers to entry, meaning everything you need to get started is more readily available online. But where does that leave brick & mortar, & with the over saturation of e-commerce businesses, how do you differentiate yourself & continue to acquire & retain customers?Join us to hear a panel of experts discussing The Future of Retail & meet other founders, designers, marketers & retail experts.
Speakers:
Mara Hoffman - designer & founder, Mara Hoffman
Mara Hoffman started her company after graduating from Parsons School of Design in 2000 by dying one of a kind, hand-made pieces out of her apartment in New York City.
Historically known for her detailed prints, the designer's recent collections encompass a devotion to color, abstract designs, & approachable silhouettes. Hoffman, a living embodiment of her designs, draws inspiration from travel, art & the human experience & looks to celebrate the strength, beauty & power of all women.
Hoffman & her team continually evaluate their supply chain & its environmental impact, working tounderstand how the company can do better in all steps from design & packaging to the way they speak to consumers. The heightened focus on sustainable practices is reflected in pieces that live longer & can be worn more.
Headquartered in New York City, Hoffman, an active member of the CFDA, is the President & Creative Director of her independent label. Originally from Buffalo, NY, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband, artist Javier Pion, & their son Joaquin
Batsheva Hay - designer & founder, Batsheva
Queens-born Batsheva Hay started her eponymous label two years ago after leaving her job as a lawyer & deciding to experiment with designing dresses for herself & her daughter. Growing up, Batsheva's artist mother would often take her to flea markets & vintage shops, dressing her in antique calico dresses, which became Batsheva's uniform throughout her time at Stanford University & Georgetown Law School. After leaving her job at a big law firm, she began to redesign some vintage dresses, which were worn to bits, & quickly became obsessed with the design process. She bought her fabrics on eBay & at quilting shops, & she still uses vintage & limited-run cotton quilting fabric to make her clothing.
Batsheva initially made a small collection of four matching mother-daughter dresses & set up a simple website. As her dresses got more attention from magazines & retailers, her collections grew. Now she is designing four collections a year.
Batsheva lives on the Upper West Side with her husband, photographer Alexei Hay, who she collaborates with on brand imagery, & their two small children, Ruth & Solomon.
Jean Godfrey June - Executive Beauty Editor, Goop
Called one of the most influential beauty journalists in America, Godfrey-June joinedgoopafter a two-decade long career as a beauty & style editor in print & digital media.
Godfrey-June debuted a namesake column (that continues asAsk Jean today ongoop) as the beauty director at ELLE. In 2001, Godfrey-June joined Lucky as part of the founding editorial team, there she expanded her beauty director role to include fashion, web & social media content, as well as branding & marketing, & helped develop programs that ranged from one of the first-ever blogger conferences to replatforming the magazine's digital presence. Before coming togoop, Godfrey-June served as the beauty director ofThe Wall Street Journal Magazine.
Godfrey-June is the author of the bestsellingFree Gift With Purchase: My Improbable Career inMagazines & Makeup, whichThe New York Timescalled a witty, confectionary memoir.Along with her editorial positions, she has had a prolific freelance career, writing for a range of publications, from Vogue & Harper's Bazaar to Town & Country & ELLE Dcor. She's also consulted on content, product development, & marketing for companies including SK-II,Dolce & Gabbana, Origins, One King's Lane, LVMH, Estee Lauder, & Coty.
Godfrey-June has two children & lives in Nyack, New York. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder.
June Haynes - Luxury retail consultant
June's career began at Barneys New York flagship store on Madison Avenue, as the manager forthe designer floor. It was there that she met Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana. The result was an offer to open the first Dolce & Gabbana boutique in America. Shortly thereafter, June was promoted to Director of Stores, a position she held for eight years sharing her time between NYC & Milan while working directly with the company's Chairman & CEO on strategies for retailexpansion.
In 2003, June moved to the luxury fashion house Valentino & held a position as Senior Vice President for retail. She was responsible for the return on investment of all Valentino boutiques as well as the direct supervision of strategic planning, creation of customer culture & client experiences, sales growth, & business expansion. In 2007, she succeeded the additional task of the refinement of Valentino's retail strategy for Japan & Hong Kong. Her career as an executive leader flourished at Valentino, where she was also valued for her ability to impact & influence customer purchases.
June utilized her more than 27 years of experience in the luxury industry crossing different market regions of North America, Europe & the Middle East, to open her own global consultancy firm-June Haynes Luxury Retailing (JHLR)-which focuses on growth strategy, client engagement, retail retention at brick-and-mortar & e-commerce, recruiting top talents, identifying product curation & opening retail locations globally for luxury brands including Chrome Hearts, Jacob & Co, VBH Luxury, Gianvito Rossi, & Elie Saab.
The Former First Lady Michelle Obama asked June to participate in her Fashion Education Workshop at the White House, where June spoke about multiple topics relating to the luxury industry, including global retailing, entrepreneurship, & industry crossover between fashion & hospitality.
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AfterWork by WIEis anintimate monthly salon series that highlights the work & careers of inspirational men & women, & engages them in a lively Q&A & general discussion about their work & career turning points.Sign up to our mailing list at www.wienetwork.org.
This event will be held at BLENDER WORKSPACE, a luxury office & privatemembership work space for high caliber entrepreneurs & teams in creativeindustries.
ALL TICKET SALES ARE FINAL
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