MAY 15-17 2018

JUDGES AND ADVISORS

The growing panel of judges and advisors already includes current and former merchants, executives, creative directors, influencers and more.

HEATHER SHIMOKAWA Vice President, Ready-to-Wear Fashion Director at Bloomingdales Heather is a respected fashion industry insider with a background in editorial, styling and public relations. Most recently she was the Vice President of Public Relations and Communications for Bally overseeing media, events and building the brand’s philanthropic footprint. She previously held fashion editorial roles at Vanity Fair, Best Life and Rolling Stone, among others. Throughout her career Heather has covered trend and industry happenings, styled editorial features and fashion shows as well as worked as a celebrity stylist for red carpet and on-air appearances. Heather is a graduate of Cornell University.

DON O’NEILL Creative Director THEIA Don O’Neill is the creative director of THEIA, an eveningwear and bridal collection and a favorite of brides and celebrities alike. Before launching THEIA in 2009, O’Neill had interned for Christian Lacroix in Paris. After moving to New York, O’Neill served as the creative director for Carmen Marc Valvo for 10 years and then Badgley Mischka Platinum for three years. He is particularly proud of the brand’s involvement with charitable causes in the USA and Ireland, including Concern Worldwide. Don was bestowed an Honorary Doctor of the Arts by University College of Cork in 2015 and was voted “Ireland’s Favorite Designer” in 2017 at the prestigious V.I.P. Style awards in Dublin. Don was born in the seaside town of Ballyheigue, County Kerry, where his parents ran a bed and breakfast. While working as a chef, he entered the Irish Independent’s fashion design competition with a dress he’d designed for his sister, hoping to win the second-place prize, a coat, that would look amazing on Deirdre. He won first prize, which was tuition to the Barbara Bourke College of Fashion Design in Dublin. The incredible Atlantic vistas from his childhood home, in part inspired his creativity, and he says his Irish heritage and west coast upbringing have very much “informed the man and designer I am today.” He and his husband Pascal Guillermie were married in Ireland on June 11th, 2016 and live in New York City.

LOCKIE ANDREWS Catalyst Consulting (Formerly Tadashi and Kate Spade) Lockie leads transformational and growth initiatives at retail, fashion, consumer and technology portfolio companies of venture capital and private equity funds. For the past 11 years, Lockie has held interim executive roles with financial sponsor-backed companies and has helped guide these companies to successful exits (acquisition, IPO, dividend repayment). Through her boutique advisory firm, Catalyst Consulting, Lockie has assisted high growth companies with technology, ecommerce, digital marketing, finance/ERP, manufacturing, and strategic growth initiatives. Clients have included Fortune 1000, lower middle market and startup companies. Prior to founding Catalyst Consulting, Lockie was a Senior Director at Alvarez and Marsal Consulting; COO of Tadashi ($60M apparel manufacturer); VP of Business Development and Strategy at babystyle ($100M multichannel vertically integrated brand); Director of Business Planning at Liz Claiborne/Kate Spade ($5 Billion fashion apparel and accessories conglomerate); Associate in Investment and Merchant Banking at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette; and she is currently the fashion sector lead for the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of NY. Lockie obtained her Bachelor of Science degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University and received her MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also a Friend of Education at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and an avid fan of impressionist painters. Lockie is also a speaker on various innovation, disruption and venture capital/angel investing topics.

CINDY FIELDS Cynthia Fields (Formerly Victoria’s Secret) Cindy Fields began her career at a regional Ohio department store after graduating from Miami University in Ohio. Working her way up the ranks in several department stores around the country, learning all there was to know, Cynthia came to the mecca of the fashion business, NYC. Her hard work, drive and voracious appetite for learning led her to the world of catalogs. Cynthia joined the fledgling catalog division at Victoria’s Secret in 1984, and in her 12-year tenure there as the leader of the DTC division, increased its revenues from $50 million to nearly $1 Billion. When she started, she quickly realized that a broader mix of apparel would significantly increase revenues and profitability. Along with other clothing categories, she introduced dresses and the styles she developed became an instant and powerful success. It was this success that earned her the role of President and CEO of the catalog division. After leaving VSD, Cynthia stayed involved and engaged, whether serving on prestigious boards or involved in her philanthropic activities. She noticed that busy, career women were challenged with finding a great dress. This busy New Yorker, business-woman, and philanthropist, grew tired of having to settle for dresses that did not fit…even at a high price tag. She was not alone. In true Cynthia style, she decided to change that, and so in the Fall 2017 Cynthia Fields launched the brand that carries her name.

ANNE KEATING Consultant (Formerly Bloomingdales) Anne Keating, former Senior Vice President of Public Relations for Bloomingdale’s, was responsible for the initiation, creation and direction of Bloomingdale’s press efforts, special events and philanthropic endeavors for all stores nationwide up until August 2017. She was also the company’s official spokesperson. In October 2017, Anne transitioned into a consultant to Bloomingdale’s CEO for philanthropy and other projects, in addition to establishing her own private consultancy. Keating is a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Associates of the Old Vic and HELP USA/Mentoring USA. She previously served on the board of NYC & Company and continues on the Director’s Council of the Children’s Museum of the Arts. She also serves as an advisor to the Child Mind Institute and is a member of the Dream Team for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centers. Due to her leadership in steering the public relations and philanthropic efforts for Bloomingdale’s and her personal mission to give back to her community, New York Women in Communications, Inc. (NYWICI) proudly named Keating as a recipient of the 2010 Matrix Award. She has also been recognized for her guidance, commitment and philanthropic work by Upward Inc., the New York Center for Children, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Children’s Museum of the Arts, as well as the Girls Scouts of Greater New York. In addition, Help USA awarded Keating the HELP HERO award for her years of leadership in the effort to combat domestic violence and homelessness. The Anne Keating Scholarship Fund was established in her honor in 2008 to grant young mothers the funds to pursue educational opportunities. Prior to joining Bloomingdale’s in 1995 as Vice President of Public Relations, Keating was the Vice President of Public Relations, Special Events, and Corporate Services at FAO Schwarz. She also served as the Director of Bridal and Gift Services at Bloomingdale’s earlier in her career. She began her retail career at Tiffany & Co. Keating holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art and Education from the College of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey.

ROSALEEN MCMEEL Image Magazine

Having started her career in film, Rosaleen McMeel segued into TV for several years before the publishing world came calling. She worked on a number of leading national magazine titles before taking on her current role as editor of IMAGE Magazine in 2013. As challenging as it can be editing Ireland’s premier women's glossy, Rosaleen gets to indulge her love for the fashion industry – the craft of couture, storied fashion houses and emerging designers – on a daily basis. Far from seeing fashion as frivolous, she believes that it occupies a very special space at the heart of contemporary culture, one that provides employment, an opportunity for creativity, communication, personal pleasure and functionality.

ANNA FIELER POPSUGAR Inc (Formerly Stella & Dot) In her role of CMO of POPSUGAR Inc, Anna oversees marketing for the #1 lifestyle media company for young women that is attracting a global audience of 300M through content and commerce. Anna has a passion for building disruptive venture-backed businesses. Her track record includes serving as the CMO of Stella & Dot to help reinvent the direct-selling industry for the digital age, leading marketing at Tiny Prints where she grew the brand from a niche player to a category leader resulting in a successful exit via acquisition by Shutterfly Inc, and various leadership positions at eBay where she had long tenure during the company’s hyper-growth era. Prior to a career in Silicon Valley, Anna began her career on Madison Ave, notably at Ogilvy & Mather where she helped develop the foundation for Dove’s ground-breaking “Real Women, Real Beauty” campaign.  Anna is a frequent speaker at conferences delivering keynotes on Millennial and Gen Z consumer insights, future of retail, social media, advertising and publishing. She is a director of the board at Shake Shack Inc. where she serves on the compensation committee. She is also a board member Girls Leadership and board advisor at NatureBox. Anna holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated magna cum laude from Brown University. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children.

DEIRDRE MCQUILLAN Irish Times Deirdre McQuillan is the fashion editor of The Irish Times and a feature writer with a long-standing interest in many aspects of design in Ireland and internationally. She is the author of several books including a history of the Aran sweater, a style guide to Dublin, one on Mary Robinson’s presidency and several on cookery. In the course of her career she has been a magazine editor, was PRO of the Abbey Theatre for a decade before joining The Sunday Tribune as a lifestyle editor and later as a freelance journalist contributed to magazines in Ireland and abroad. She has travelled widely in Africa, Europe and east Asia and has won awards for travel writing. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the IDA (Irish Designers of Ireland) in 2010.

JENNIFER STEVENS Irish Country Magazine Jennifer is the editor of Irish Country Magazine. She has been a journalist and editor for 18 years and has previously edited Irish Tatler, U magazine, has written for the Herald, The Irish Independent, The Sunday Tribune and regularly appears on Irish TV. In December Jennifer was recognized by her peers and won ‘Editor of the Year’ at the annual Magazines Ireland Awards.  

ELIZABETH QUARTA DE PAOLO Formerly Bloomingdale’s Elizabeth is a proud wife and mother of five young children, currently residing in New York City. Elizabeth spent ten years at Bloomingdales where she began as the Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Public Relations. During her time there, she moved through various positions in the Public Relations Department from managing Corporate Philanthropy to handling National Media Relations. She also acted as a company spokesperson on various occasions, appearing on ABC’s The View, NBC’s Weekend Today Show and New York 1’s Home Report among others. Previous to Bloomingdale’s, Elizabeth began her career at the Natural Resources Defense Council. She was a Development Assistant in the Special Events and Gift Planning Departments before being promoted to Development Associate. Elizabeth was a board member for Housing Works as well as a member of the Alumni Marketing Advisory Committee for Holy Cross and currently sits on the board of The International Preschools. She’s also worked closely with HELP USA to organize an annual Toy Drive in conjunction with IPS. Elizabeth is a graduate of The College of the Holy Cross and holds a B.A. in Sociology.

RACHEL ROY Fashion Designer Rachel Roy is the founder & creative director of her eponymous brand and a tireless activist for using your voice to encourage change and to design the life you wish to live. Created in 2004, Rachel has built her ready-to-wear and accessories business into a globally recognized brand with product categories including contemporary, curvy, outerwear, jewelry and swim. Rachel is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Rachel founded Kindness Is Always Fashionable, an entrepreneurial philanthropic platform to help women artisans around the world create sustainable income for their families and communities. In 2018 Rachel was named a UN Women Champion for Innovation, and works for the UN advocating gender equality and focusing attention on these and related issues. Rachel nurtures young design talent globally through her work with the Who’s Next/Vogue Mexico, WoolMark Prize and CFDA incubator programs. She is an advisor to World of Children a national nonprofit organization that serves underprivileged children. Rachel has been recognized by the Accessories Council with an ACE AWARD for best brand launch as well as Mattel’s 10 Women to Watch. Rachel’s work has been featured on CNN, The Today Show, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and numerous other publications.

DEE MC LAUGHLIN Capital Group (Formerly Forever 21) Dee Mc Laughlin is a brand and digital marketer with 20 years’ experience in marketing, brand management, digital and business development within retail, media, entertainment and finance at Virgin Group of Companies, MTV Networks, Forever 21 and now at Capital Group. She recently joined Capital Group as Global Head of Creative, Design and Branding. Prior to this she led fashion brand Forever 21’s worldwide marketing, branding, social media, public relations, digital and end-to-end customer experience initiatives. During her tenure at Viacom, she was Senior Vice President, Brand Marketing & Creative for MTV Networks/CMT. She oversaw all aspects of marketing and creative for the network with a focus on brand stewardship, and creative and strategic alignment across all channels. Preceding MTV, Mc Laughlin spent a decade leading the overall marketing strategic direction at one of the world’s most progressive companies, the Virgin Entertainment Group. She is a Founding Member of the Woman’s Leadership Group (WLG), and a member of the Internet Marketing Association (IMA). She is an Ambassador of The CMO Club and a Member of Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) and is a graduate its eminent Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. She served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters and is a volunteer. She is also a volunteer/fundraiser for the LA Food Bank. She mentors and sponsors the college education of kids in Johannesburg, South Africa, through the CIDA Foundation. A native of Ireland, Mc Laughlin moved to London, Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and then returned to her home in LA.

PERRY HEWITT Lincoln Center (Formerly Harvard University) Perry Hewitt is an established leader in digital strategy, with experience in both corporate and not-for-profit sectors. Her focus is on driving sustainable change to enable academic and cultural communities to adapt and thrive through digital transformation. She currently serves as Senior Advisor, Engagement Strategy at Lincoln Center. Perry most recently led marketing at ITHAKA, an organization advancing global higher education through innovative use of digital. As Harvard University’s chief digital officer, Perry conceived and led digital strategy for marketing, communications, and engagement for the general public, media, and alumni worldwide. Perry currently serves in several leadership roles at the intersection of marketing, technology, and entrepreneurship. She is a board member of Junior Achievement U.S.A., a trustee at the Harvard Club of New York, and an advisor at the Harvard Business School’s Digital Initiative. She advises students, startups, and cultural institutions; she also writes and speaks on topics including managing digital transformation from cultural change to AI, marketing and content strategy, women and leadership, and the social web. She has lived and worked in Switzerland, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and now lives in New York City.

SANDRA SHIH Independent Consultant (Formerly Gilt Groupe) Sandra Shih is a senior strategy and business development executive with 15+ years of experience in media, technology, and retail. An early employee at Gilt Groupe, she is currently an independent consultant specializing in innovation and growth with a wide range of clients including Fortune 100 companies, startups, and institutional investors. She also serves on many start up advisory boards. Sandra has a BA from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. 

HOLLY GRANOFSKY New York Jewelers Group Holly Granofsky was born and raised in New York and has lived inside the world of jewelry her entire life. Following both her father and grandfather into the business her knowledge comes from both sides of the counter. Her career has been forged over 25 years and includes such venerable companies such as Braunstein, Aurafin/Richline, The Aaron Group, Verigold Jewelry and JBDM Diamond. Most recently, she is credited with applying her strong networking and relationship building abilities to produce a unique event format that directly matches retailers to manufacturers and brands. These events have provided a fresh approach that moves business forward for both the supply and sales side. She is an active member of the Accessories Council and The New York Jewelers Group where she has served as their President, Vice President and Board Member. Drawing from her vast experience Holly founded the strategy company, The Social Sparkle, in 2010 specializing in the fine and fashion jewelry industry serving clients, who want to expand, create and optimize their jewelry opportunities. Her services include sales development, sales strategy, product development, merchandising, market identification, and sourcing.

NATALIE LEE Formerly Gilt Groupe Natalie Lee is a consultant to apparel and accessories brands. A merchant with over 15 years of experience in luxury and contemporary women's and men's fashion, she started her career at Saks Fifth Avenue before going on to leadership roles in buying and merchandising at Band of Outsiders, Halston and Gilt Groupe. Part of the founding team of Gilt Groupe, she built and managed the core Women's business from $0 to over $100m during the company's first two years. 

ERIKA FOX Retro Flame

Erika is a Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger/YouTuber at Retro Flame who is currently based in New York. Through blogging, she has worked with brands such as Tom Ford, Google, Land Rover USA, Vera Wang & Samsung and has been featured in a wide range of national and international publications including Teen Vogue, Seventeen and The Sunday Times STYLE Magazine. Her current overall fan-base is now almost at 200,000 followers.

RICH HONIBALL Navy Exchange Rich has a long history of engaging with today’s consumer, developing and executing long term strategic growth plans, creating impactful marketing, developing new products & brands, leading cultural change, and building world class teams.  He currently serves at the Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer for the Navy Exchange, a $2B global retailer. In his role, Rich leads the buying, planning, marketing and e-commerce teams and serves on the NEXCOM executive team, playing a key role in the cultural and digital transformation of the organization.  Prior to joining NEXCOM, Rich was the founder of PDB Advisory Group & the Brand Co-Lab, where he served in an advisory role with brands, helping to develop their strategic marketing efforts, “purpose driven” branding, consumer insights & engagement, and organizational excellence.  Prior to PDB, he served as the SVP of Marketing, Licensing & E-Commerce for Haggar Clothing Co, and as the VP of Men’s & Kid’s Private Brands at JC Penney.  Rich has his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and is currently earning his MBA at William & Mary’s Mason School of Business.  Rich has won several awards, including a CMO Innovation Award from The CMO Club and was a CMO of the Year finalist in Dallas / Fort Worth.  He has served on several university and non-profit boards, and currently speaks, writes, and mentors on the subjects of marketing, innovation, brand development and customer engagement.

KAREN GIBERSON Accessories Council A genuine style insider, Karen has years of experience in merchandising, marketing and public relations. As President of the Accessories Council, a non-profit national advocacy group, she represents nearly 300 dynamic companies in the fashion footwear, accessory and jewelry industry. Beyond current members, Karen works with hundreds of brands, retailers and industry support executives. Interacting mainly with C-level executives, she is charged with being a voice for the industry and leading efforts to assist members with sales and awareness. Her position gives her a unique perspective to the industry and as a business partner vs client, gets a realistic view of the opportunities and challenges these companies face. In this active role, she sees trends, hears concerns and helps identify opportunities. At the Accessories Council, Karen oversees event production of industry-related panel discussions and fundraising galas. She advocates for policy positively affecting the accessories industry and serves to partner member companies to promote the industry. Most notoriously, she runs the esteemed ACE Awards, one of the fashion industries leading event. Karen started her career in the executive training program at Macy’s, and first took a position in their jewelry-buying department. She later joined QVC where, among her post as director of event marketing, she was also director of accessories, footwear and intimate apparel, senior buyer of accessories, footwear and intimate apparel and a buyer and assistant buyer in beauty and fashion. She launched the Event Marketing division which created events as “Shoes on Sale” and “Red Carpet Weekends”. Karen is an active consultant and has lent her keen perception of the fashion retail industry for a variety of companies including QVC, EVINE, Estee Lauder, Jack Rogers, Anomaly, ill.i and the CLE of India to name a few.

EDWARD O’SULLIVAN Fashion Stylist and Brand Consultant Edward is a fashion stylist and brand consultant. Heeding from Kerry in Ireland, Edward has consulted various high-end fashion and jewelry brands over the years, from Tiffany and Co, Marchesa, Missoni and Belstaff. In addition, he served as the Senior Global Director of Celebrity and Entertainment for Ralph Lauren and also as a personal shopper with YSL, Helmut Lang and Prada.