Fashion, retail and beauty’s top leaders will gather for the annual WWD Apparel + Retail CEO Summit Oct. 24 to honor their own and download the latest industry intelligence and news, including an update from Rihanna.
The powerhouse multihyphenate is expected to talk about her Fenty x Puma clothing and shoe line, her beauty launch and other projects.
In addition to deep dives into the latest trends in the industry — from how technology is changing everything to how private equity companies are playing the field to how consumer tastes are shifting — the summit will feature the second annual WWD Honors ceremony.
Karl Lagerfeld will receive the John B. Fairchild Honor, which is dedicated to the lifetime of service and fashion influence of WWD’s late chairman and editorial director.
Also being recognized with an Honor will be:
• Marco Bizzarri, president and chief executive officer of Gucci, who will receive the Edward Nardoza Honor for CEO/Creative Leadership, named after WWD’s former editor in chief.
• Moncler for Best-Performing Company in the large-cap category.
• The Real Real for Best-Performing Company in the small-cap category.
• Patagonia for Corporate Citizenship.
“While objective in our reporting on fashion, beauty and retail, WWD can also step back and see which companies and individuals really stand out in a challenging, crowded and competitive marketplace,” WWD editor in chief Miles Socha said. “Many factors drive our selection process as recipients have demonstrated strong leadership and creative skills, reached remarkable sales figures or made a firm commitment to saving our environment — all accomplishments worthy of recognition.”
Also among the more than two dozen speakers at the event are: Kris Jenner with Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom Inc.’s Pete Nordstrom, Alibaba Group’s J. Michael Evans, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, Barneys New York’s Daniella Vitale, Levi Strauss & Co.’s Chip Bergh and Everlane’s Michael Preysman. Representing the private equity world in a panel discussion will be Bain Capital’s Ryan Cotton, Eurazeo’s Virginie Morgon and The Carlyle Group’s Jay Sammons.
The gathering of more than 250 top c-suite leaders comes as the industry contends with systemic shifts in branding, consumer habits, technology, retail square footage and more.
The large are growing increasingly large — with Amazon and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. grabbing more market share as they square off — while the smaller brands are becoming more nimble, bypassing the establishment and building their own direct relationships with consumers online.
When the rush of change ebbs or what the landscape looks like afterward is still anybody’s guess, but it is this new world that executives at the summit must try to understand, prepare for and ultimately conquer.