The Safari

The Brand Visionary: President & Executive Creative Director, American Eagle & Aerie, Jennifer Foyle

Jen joined AEO in August 2010 to lead the Aerie brand and expanded her scope to also oversee the strategic vision of American Eagle in 2020, rising to the position of President, Executive Creative Director – AE & Aerie. She has been an instrumental force in Aerie’s rapid expansion to a nearly $2 billion brand and has been the catalyst for fueling the next chapter of growth at AE. In her role, Jen leads Design, Merchandising, Marketing, Visual and Business Strategies.

 

In 2014, Jen revolutionized the intimate apparel industry by bringing body positivity and inclusivity to the forefront with the power of #AerieREAL. This movement has been a game-changer for the Aerie business and for millions of women and girls who have been empowered to love their REAL selves inside and out. Throughout her tenure, Jen has assembled and developed a strong bench of talent at all levels and across functions.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Mother-Daughter Duo: Co-founders of Dormify, Amanda and Karen Zuckerman

The vision for Dormify was born out of founder Amanda Zuckerman's own experience shopping for her freshman dorm at Washington University in St. Louis. While double majoring in graphic design and marketing, Amanda created Dormify as a dorm lifestyle blog supported by a college ambassador community. After graduation, she launched Dormify as a DTC brand and one-stop shop for small-space living.

With her mom, Karen Zuckerman, as her partner, Amanda has grown Dormify to a multi-million-dollar success with triple-digit annual revenue growth, earning a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2018. Following a successful acquisition in 2022, Dormify is now the largest retailer of college dorm and apartment essentials, with nearly 800 college and university partners across the country and a thriving community of student ambassadors.

Karen Zuckerman is a serial entrepreneur, creative director, and marketing executive known for taking bold risks and her brand-building expertise. As a graphic designer by trade, she scaled her first business, HZDG, into an award-winning creative agency with Fortune 500 clients, eventually selling it to WPP in 2018 and retiring in 2021.

Currently, Zuckerman serves as a board director of Dormify. Zuckerman played a crucial role in developing Dormify’s omnichannel marketing strategy and content platform, creating a space for young people to connect and navigate an exciting stage of life.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Joyful Fashion Brand: Co-Founder & CEO of Frances Valentine, Elyce Arons

Elyce Arons is the founder and CEO of Frances Valentine, a New York-based luxury apparel and accessories company. Frances Valentine celebrates the power of personal style through clothes and accessories that boost your mood and tell a story.

 

A 35-year fashion veteran, Elyce famously chased her passion for fashion all the way from Kansas to New York City alongside her best friend, Kate, and co-founded Kate Spade in 1993. Elyce shepherded the company from inception to international success, growing it into one of the most iconic brands in modern fashion history—and was instrumental in its 2006 sale to Neiman Marcus Group. In 2016, Elyce, Kate, and Andy Spade launched Frances Valentine as an evolution of their joyful style aesthetic; a brand with heart, soul, and a story to tell.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Wild Plant Enthusiast: Founder of Alpyn Beauty, Kendra Kolb Butler

Kendra Kolb Butler transitioned from a high-powered NYC life to founding Alpyn Beauty in Jackson Hole, drawing from her vast experience with luxury beauty brands and her new environment’s natural resources.

Alpyn Beauty uniquely combines locally wild-harvested plants with clinical ingredients, establishing a skincare line that mirrors the efficacy of nature with scientific backing.

Committed to sustainability, the brand supports the Grand Teton National Park Foundation by donating a portion of every sale to its rewilding efforts, underscoring Butler’s dedication to environmental conservation.

 

Interviewed by Kate Deorge.

Infusing a Classic Brand with Fresh Relevance: Kevin McLaughlin and Mary Ellen Coyne of J.McLaughlin

Kevin McLaughlin, Co-Founder and Creative Director and Mary Ellen Coyne, CEO, are the dynamic duo behind J.McLaughlin.

 

Kevin McLaughlin is the creative force behind the impeccably designed clothing and accessories at J.McLaughlin. Since the late seventies when Kevin and his brother opened their first shop on 74th Street and Third Avenue in Manhattan, Kevin’s taste and design sense have guided the J.McLaughlin collections. 

 

Mary Ellen Coyne is the CEO of J.McLaughlin. Coyne joined J.McLaughlin in 2016 as the brand’s first female CEO and oversees all aspects of strategy and operations including merchandising, product development, marketing, retail expansion, and e-commerce. Under her leadership, J.McLaughlin has launched new product verticals including swim and footwear, enjoyed robust retail expansion, and launched a brand refresh.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Feel-Good Lifestyle Brand: CEO of Roller Rabbit, Ed Bertouch

Ed began his career in his native Sydney launching menswear brand, Beat Poet, out of college.  Beat Poet quickly became a cult Australian imprint, winning GQ designer of the year in 2009.  After divesting the brand and moving to New York for grad school, Ed has since worked for Robert Burke Associates, Patrick Johnson Tailors, and for the last 5 years as COO and then CEO of Vivid Brands, owners of Roller Rabbit, 18 East and Loudmouth.

 

Roller Rabbit is a travel-inspired lifestyle brand, offering exotic, sophisticated yet affordable leisurewear, accessories and home goods with a magical and playful touch.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Artist Inspired by Nature: Founder, Michael Aram

Trained as a painter, sculptor, and art historian, Michael has neatly applied his diverse background to the decorative arts. Lyrical and often witty, his work encompasses a wide range of media and reveals a rich and variant source of inspiration – nature, mythology, narrative storytelling, and purified form. Michael’s work is also a celebration of craft and age-old hand working traditions. It is the enduring fusion of these ideals – originality, narrative, and craftsmanship – that has become the hallmark of this gifted artist.

 

Fascinated with the richness of the living crafts tradition which he discovered on his first trip to Delhi, Michael set up a studio in India where he has created his work for over 30 years. Today, over 200 artisans work alongside him in his workshop where the same creative interaction between artist and artisan remains the source of every object that Michael makes.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Scent Master: Founder & CEO of Perfumehead, Daniel Patrick Giles

Daniel Patrick Giles is a visionary executive with over 25 years of success in building prestige beauty brands, including Benefit Cosmetics, Perricone MD, Too Faced Cosmetics, and as a founding partner of Peace Out Skincare. In 2022, he launched his luxury fragrance brand, Perfumehead, with a mission to explore the Osmocosm through beautiful scents and fascinating stories.

 

Giles possesses extensive experience in developing transformative marketing strategies and is recognized as a bold leader known for his innovative thinking, creativity, and thought leadership. His unique experience includes working directly with brand founders, strategic partners, private equity partners, and board members.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.

The Future of Live Shopping: Founder & CEO of Stage TEN, Dave Lazar

Dave Lazar has been advancing the state of the art in digital media throughout his career. An interactive content pioneer and software entrepreneur, Lazar is the founder and CEO of Stage TEN, the world’s leading platform for interactive content and commerce.

 

Interviewed by Mortimer Singer.

Two Perspectives, One Vision: Veronica Miele Beard & Veronica Swanson Beard, Founders of Veronica Beard

Veronica Beard was founded by sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard in 2010. What began as a rack of dickey jackets has expanded into a full lifestyle collection for the women who make it happen.

 

Their motto: Look good, feel good, do good.

 

Veronica Miele Beard is from North Caldwell, New Jersey, and hails from the world of finance. She worked in sales and trading at multiple investment banks on Wall Street—and did a stint in ad sales at Vogue—before becoming a partner and COO at technology hedge fund, Coatue, where she learned to take risks and build a business. A mother of five, Veronica loves to travel and take her kids off the grid.

 

Veronica Swanson Beard grew up on both coasts, in San Francisco, California and Naples, Florida. Her career in fashion started at Narciso Rodriguez and Alberta Ferretti, in wholesale, and as a buyer for Marissa Collections in Florida. If not a fashion designer, this mother of three would be flipping real estate and designing interiors.

 

Interviewed by Kate Doerge.