ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALVARO TAPIA HIDALGO

Blockbuster M&A deals. Seismic retail shifts. C-suite shuffles. In a year defined by changes and challenges, footwear’s most

powerful execs forged ahead with aggressive moves to stay on top. Victor Luis (Tapestry), John Idol (Michael Kors) and Mike George (QVC) all engineered game-changing acquisitions that

instantly altered the playing field. Jeff Bezos (Amazon) and rival Doug McMillon (Walmart) definitely weren’t shy about

their fashion ambitions — and the two behemoths tried to one-up each other with tech launches, smart digital initiatives

and corporate buys of their own. In the battle of the athletic giants, Kasper Rorsted and Mark King (Adidas) raised the

stakes again with hot product and cool collabs during tough times for the overall sector. Luxury also lost some of its luster, but global design talents Gianvito Rossi and Virgil Abloh made

impressive strides by churning out must-have styles that consumers and celebs alike wanted to get their hands on.

For the full list of power brokers, read on.

THE

TOP

1Kasper Rorsted, 55Mark King, 58ceo, adidas; president, adidas north america

Adidas proved in 2017 its recent successes weren’t a fluke. As it captured more market share, the powerhouse unleashed its techy Futurecraft 4D sneakers, opened two Adidas Originals stores (Chicago and Venice, Calif.), bolstered its pro athlete roster (including No. 1 NFL draft pick Myles Garrett) and delivered numerous well-received campaigns (“Unleash Your Creativity,” “Create Positivity”).Power Players: Matt O’Toole, Roland Auschel, Eric Liedtke

2Mark Parker, 62chairman, president & ceo, nike inc.

Despite facing competition it hasn’t encountered in some time, Nike showed it’s still a huge force via innovations and collabs under Parker. The Swoosh released its ground-breaking Air VaporMax style, debuted its sustainable Flyleather material and dropped the most talked-about collaboration of the year, “The Ten,” classic looks reimagined by Virgil Abloh. Power Players: Trevor Edwards, Hannah Jones, John Hoke, Michael Spillane, Davide Grasso

3Blake Nordstrom, 57Erik Nordstrom, 54Pete Nordstrom, 55co-presidents, nordstrom inc. After months of negotiations, the Nordstroms tabled plans for a go-private transaction. Nevertheless, the department store continues to stake its claim as the leader in a troubled landscape. With innovation and digital at

4Dick Johnson, 59chairman, president & ceo, foot locker inc.

After netting sales of $7.8 billion in 2016, Foot Locker showed signs of a slowdown,

largely because of a waning athletic market. Still, Johnson and the company worked to right the ship, opening key stores including Times Square in New York and Champs State Street in Chicago, and rolling out its Launch Reservation app nationwide. Power Players: Jake Jacobs, Lew Kimble, Lauren Peters

the forefront, the retailer’s Q2 sales rose 3.5 percent to $3.71 billion, while comps gained 1.7 percent, handily besting forecasts. Power Players: Jamie Nordstrom, Scott Meden, Kristin Frossmo, Jeffrey Kalinsky

5Robert Greenberg, 75Michael Greenberg, 54chairman & ceo; president, skechers usa inc.

Skechers marked 25 years in business, achieved its first billion-dollar quarter in Q1, hit a new second-quarter sales record and posted its highest-ever quarterly sales in Q3. The Greenbergs tapped buzzy songstress Camila Cabello as the company’s new front-woman, brought back Rob Lowe for its men’s division ads and signed several high-profile athletes. In a tough climate, global sales continued to stand out: During the first six months, overseas sales represented 48 percent of its business.Power Player: David Weinberg

2 Mark Parker

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2017 POWER PLAYERS

6Diane Sullivan, 62ceo, president & chairman, caleres inc.

Sullivan has helped Caleres stay agile during a frenetic time for the industry. The new Allen Edmonds brand, acquired in December, has given the com-pany a bigger stake in men’s and is helping fuel its wholesale division. Sam Edelman contin-ues to experience momentum, Via Spiga was relaunched and a strong back-to-school season at Famous Footwear propelled the firm ahead of second-quar-ter forecasts.Power Players: Rick Ausick, Jay Schmidt, Sam Edelman, Malcolm Robinson

7Jeff Bezos, 53Tony Hsieh, 43founder, chairman & ceo, amazon.com; ceo, zappos

Bezos is determined to make

Amazon a formidable fashion player, adding a shoe line to the e-giant’s burgeoning private-label business and un-veiling Prime Wardrobe, which lets members test clothes, shoes and accessories for free. Amid expansion, Amazon Fashion president Cathy Beau-doin exited the firm. Although Zappos also shouldered the departure of key exec Steve Hill, the company forged ahead with a specialized shopping experience for people with disabilities. Recently, as a Las Vegas business, it has aggressively reached out to help people impacted by the Oct. 1 mass shooting.Power Players: Arun Rajan, Jeff Espersen, Mike Normart, Eileen Tetreault, Melissa Costa

8Steve Madden, 60Ed Rosenfeld, 42founder, creative & design chief; chairman & ceo, steve madden

Adding Schwartz & Benjamin

to his arsenal to start the year, Madden’s magic touch prevailed, with quarter after quarter of earnings wins amid competitor shortfalls. The company expanded its footprint with a China joint venture and saw Q2 sales advance 15 percent to $374.1 million. If he wasn’t busy enough, the founder is readying the release of the documentary“Maddman: The Steve Madden Story,” in November. Power Players: Nick Lucio, Danny Schwartz, Bryan Collins

9Steve Rendle, 58Eric Wiseman, 62president & ceo; executive chairman, vf corp.

After offloading its Licensed Sports Group division, VF satisfied investor appetite by hopping back in the M&A saddle, acquiring workwear company Williamson-Dickie

for $820 million. In Q2, the company continued the momentum, topping forecasts with revenues of $2.36 billion and profits of $110 million, bolstered by the strength of Vans and The North Face. Power Players: Curt Holtz, Doug Palladini, Jim Pisani, Arne Arens

10Blake Krueger, 63chairman, ceo & president, wolverine world wide inc.

An aggressive “Way Forward” plan — emphasizing innovation and portfolio management — led Krueger to license out the Stride Rite business, sell the Sebago brand and divest Wolverine’s Department of Defense contract business. With a fleet of 80 profitable stores, the company’s chief is focused on moving Wolverine ahead.Power Players: Michael Stornant, Michael Jeppesen, Todd Spaletto, Richie Woodworth, James Zwiers, Gillian Meek

11Manolo Blahnik, 74George Malkemus, 63Kristina Blahnik, 43founder and designer; president, manolo blahnik usa; ceo, manolo blahnik international

Manolo Blahnik hit the big screen with his biopic and toured the world with an in-depth retrospective featuring his favorite shoes. After wrapping up his Rihanna collaboration, the designer teamed with Spanish label Castañer on a collection to mark the lat-ter’s 90th anniversary. On the retail front, the Blahniks debuted a stand-alone boutique in Tokyo’s new Ginza 6 retail develop-ment and a shop-in-shop at the Daimaru department store in Osaka. Further expan-sion is planned in both Japan and Norway, while the label also recently moved into Australia and Poland.

23

5 Michael & Robert Greenberg

12Christian Louboutin, 54founder & designer, christian louboutinThe Frenchman expanded his empire even further this year. He broadened his wildly popu-lar Nudes collection and un-veiled a baby shoe collab with Goop that garnered attention. The designer also pumped up his beauty biz with an eye makeup line and fragrance. And he partnered with Indian couture designer and friend Sabyasachi Mukherjee for a

and the Shoes.com domain. The moves helped the compa-ny rack up its 12th consecutive quarter of comp sales gains. Power Players: Greg Foran, David Cheesewright

14 ★ TIE

Jim Davis, 74Rob DeMartini, 56chairman; ceo & president, new balance

The wins piled up for New Balance. For the third straight year, the Davis- and DeMartini-

led brand impressed with stel-lar collabs (Concepts, Ronnie Fieg x Dover Street Market), an improved athlete ambassa-dor roster (MLB All-Star Fran-cisco Lindor), fresh marketing campaigns (“Letters to My Future Self”) and a new plat-form to engage with runners (NYRR Runcenter featuring the New Balance Run Hub). Power Players: Anne Davis, Chris Davis

14 ★ TIE

Richard Baker, 51

collab that celebrates his love of India. Power Players: Alexis Mourot, Catherine Roggero

13Doug McMillon, 51president & ceo, wal-mart stores inc.

The retail giant staked some serious new territory in the fashion world, acquiring mens-wear label Bonobos, women’s brand ModCloth and outdoor retailer Moosejaw. Under its Jet.com subsidiary, Walmart also scooped up ShoeBuy.com

Liz Rodbell, 60

Marc Metrick, 44executive chairman, hudson’s bay co.; president, lord & taylor; president, saks fifth avenue

While it’s been a challeng-ing time for the Canadian department store group, its Saks Fifth Avenue nameplate had a big year, opening a dedicated men’s store in New York and celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 10022-Shoe concept with an exclusive offering of designer styles. To keep an edge on the competi-tion, Lord & Taylor rolled out an enhanced price-matching

24

10 Blake Krueger

program. Gilt marked its 10th year with a relaunch of its site.Power Players: Tracy Margolies, Roo-pal Patel, David Law, Jonathan Greller

15Jeff Gennette, 56 ceo, macy’s inc.Before hanging up his hat in March, former chief Terry Lundgren slashed 10,100 jobs in a restructure of the strug-gling department store. After taking the reins, Gennette continued the turnaround, pushing a heightened focus on digital, a new loyalty program and more exclusive products. To strengthen his team, he tapped former eBay exec Hal Lawton as president. The strategy could be working: The firm beat top- and bottom-line forecasts in Q2.Power Players: Lawton, Muriel Gonzalez, Tony Spring

16Victor Luis, 51ceo, tapestry inc.

The executive, who’s been rapidly transforming the firm, changed the parent com-pany’s name to Tapestry, from Coach, to reflect its growing brand portfolio. Luis added Kate Spade New York in a $2.4

billion acquisition deal that generated major attention. The CEO brought in savvy fashion and footwear exec Josh Schul-man to head Coach. Stuart Weitzman, which saw its founder and namesake retire this year, continued to hum along with trendy product and provocative ad campaigns with Gigi Hadid.Power Players: Schulman, Wendy Kahn, Stuart Vevers, Giovanni Morelli, Susan Duffy

17Michael Kors, 58John Idol, 58honorary chairman, chief creative officer & director; chairman & ceo, michael kors holdings ltd.

Kors pulled off one of the year’s blockbuster deals, snap-ping up Jimmy Choo for a cool $1.2 billion — a move that’s

part of a broader push to build a global fashion luxury group. The designer also opened a store in South Africa, tapped Chinese actress Yang Mi as his first brand ambassador and unveiled the next generation of his Access smartwatch.Power Players: Idol, Philippa Newman

★ Deal in progress

Pierre Denis, 53Sandra Choi, 45ceo; creative director, jimmy choo

The storied brand will soon have its fifth owner in 21 years. This year, Choi, who’s been there for the whole ride, partnered with Virgil Abloh’s Off-White for a cool runway collab. Denis focused on global retail expansion, particularly in China, and fueled growth in the men’s business.

18François-Henri Pinault, 55Björn Gulden, 52chairman & ceo, kering; ceo, puma se

Under Pinault, first-half con-solidated revenue increased 28.2 percent to $8.6 billion with sustained momentum at Gucci and Saint Laurent, up 43.4 and 28.5 percent, respec-tively. Gulden, meanwhile, saw sharp double-digit growth at Puma, where new Netfit lacing technology was introduced. Kering continues to be per-ceived as a top sustainable company in the luxury industry and, together with LVMH, has drawn up a charter for the well-being of models.Power Players: Anthony Vaccarello, Alessandro Michele, Demna Gvasalia

19Bob Campbell, 80chairman & ceo, bbc international

Campbell had a banner year, both personally and profes-sionally. The CEO was awarded an honorary doctorate from Florida Atlantic University, while his firm powered ahead on its global expansion push. A focus on emerging markets, in par-ticular, helped boost interna-tional sales. And BBC expects to announce a new athletic brand license next year. Power Players: Donald Wilborn, Josue Solano, Seth Campbell

252017 POWER PLAYERS

75 Rebecca Minkoff

20Aldo Bensadoun, 78David Bensadoun, 47founder & executive chairman; CEO, aldo group

Elder son David assumed the role of CEO this year, taking over leadership of the family fi rm from his legendary father. His tenure has already been eventful: After announcing a blockbuster merger with Ca-muto Group, the two last week stepped away from the deal.Power Player: Jurgen Schreiber

21Karen Katz, 60president & ceo, neiman marcus group

Faced with mounting fi nancial pressures, Katz scrapped plans for an IPO and put the luxury player up for sale, only to call off negotiations. On the bright side, construction is underway on the Neiman Marcus fl agship in New York (slated to open in 2019). Across the chain, men’s footwear performed strongly, particularly luxury dress and designer sneaker styles.Power Players: Jim Gold, Linda Far-go, Ken Downing, Jonathan Joselove

22Bernard Arnault, 68chairman & ceo, lvmh moët hennessy louis vuitton

For Dior’s 70th anniversary, the Arnault family upped its stake in Christian Dior SE (which controls LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) to 94.2 percent, from 74.3. LVMH also bought Dior’s couture arm in its entirety and launched group e-commerce site 24 Sèvres. Third-quarter sales were up 13.6 percent.Power Players: Nicholas Kirkwood, Nicolas Ghesquière, Maria Grazia Chiuri

23Diego Della Valle, 63ceo & president, tod’s

Despite decreases in profi tability in the fi rst half (net profi t fell 7.2 percent), Della Valle is bullish over long-term prospects, placing a renewed focus on exclusivity and technology. Initiatives include a customization program and limited-edition summer capsule with Mr Porter. Mean-while, Roger Vivier remains the

group’s fastest-growing brand.Power Players: Bruno Frisoni, Inès de la Fressange

24 ★ TIE

Roger Rawlins, 51Debbie Ferrée, 64ceo, vice chairman; chief merchandising offi cer, dsw inc.

Rawlins and Ferrée expanded DSW’s footprint in 2017, add-ing 12 doors in the U.S. and franchises in Oman and Saudi Arabia. And after posting its fi rst comps gain since 2015, the fi rm doubled down this fall on a tech-focused store strategy.Power Players: Jay Schottenstein, Simon Nankervis, William Jordan

24 ★ TIE

Alex Del Cielo, 58ceo & chairman, camuto group

This year, Camuto scored shoe deals with Rebecca Minkoff and Alice & Olivia, and also launched kids’ and jew-elry divisions. While its merger with Aldo Group fell through last week, Del Cielo said the two would look for other ways to work together. Power Players: Ed Ferrell, Jeff Howald, Julio Martini, Leah Robert

25Bob Dennis, 63chairman, ceo & president, genesco inc.

It’s been an up-and-down year at the specialty retailer. While Dennis saw positive momentum at Journeys and Schuh, Genesco was plagued by underperformance at Lids. Additionally, the company, like many, saw a major shift in consumer shopping away from stores to its digital platforms, which put pressure on profi tability. With an eye on more changes, Dennis tapped longtime exec Mario Gallione as president of Journeys, part of a succession plan to eventu-ally replace Jim Estepa.Power Players: Estepa, Jonathan Caplan

26Gianvito Rossi, 50 designer & ceo, gianvito rossi

Rossi’s star continues to rise, and the Italian designer

From charitable causes to policy changes, these are the leaders tying the industry together with much more than laces.

Laura Conwell O’BrienExecutive Director, The Atlanta Shoe Market

Beginning in February, the organization is partnering with the National Shoe Retailers Association to bring seminars to The Atlanta Shoe Market to further educate retailers on the ever-changing climate of brick-and-mortar stores.

Ron FrommPresident & CEO, Fashion Footwear Association of New York

This year, FFANY experienced growth in international visitors coming to the show for American distribution for the fi rst time. At its event in June, FFANY held a digital seminar featuring the CEO of Socialfl y, marking one of its largest attendances in years.

Leslie GallinPresident of Footwear, UBM

Giving back to the fashion community and partnering on educational and charitable causes is at the forefront for UBM in 2018. In February, it will debut a newly created neighborhood called On Point within FN Platform.

Rick HelfenbeinCEO & President, American Apparel & Footwear Association

In 2017, AAFA’s key initiatives have included killing the border adjustment tax debate and pushing legislation that would provide duty-free access for certain footwear under the Generalized System of Preferences program.

Neal NewmanPresident, Two Ten Footwear Foundation

Two Ten Footwear Foundation has been busy providing fi nancial assistance to victims impacted by the recent storms and wildfi res that have aff ected communities throughout the United States, as well as to raise money for people who lost their jobs in waves of retail layoff s.

Marisa NicholsonVP & Group Show Director, Outdoor Retailer

The outdoor and winter sports communities will join forces for the fi rst time at the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in January 2018. Following the event, held in its new city of Denver, will be the On Snow Demo at the Copper Mountain ski resort near Frisco, Colo., Jan. 29-30.

Annarita PilottiPresident, Assocalzaturifi ci

The 84th edition of theMicam, Sept. 17-20, was held in conjunction with Milan Fashion Week. This allowed for maximum appointments during the show alongside various fashion events, giving theMicam more visibility to display Italian products to buyers from overseas.

Matt PriestPresident, The Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America

FDRA runs the footwear industry’s weekly podcast “Shoe-In,” hosting executives and experts to discuss key business trends. In June, Steve Madden chairman and CEO Ed Rosenfeld was appointed FDRA chairman.

Chuck SchuylerPresident, National Shoe Retailers Association

NSRA’s Retail Education Webinar Series off ers live online seminars on topics such as retail fi nance, securing leases, succession planning and store design. The organization’s ongoing NextGen Leadership Program teaches successors and current owners how to manage relationships that combine personal and professional roles.

Buddy TeasterCEO & President, Soles4Souls

Soles4Souls is working with corporate retailers and manufacturers to gather shoes, clothing and other necessities to help Hurricane victims in the U.S. and the Caribbean. So far this year, Soles4Souls has worked with over 150 partners to collect 500,000 pieces of product valued at $5 million.

2626

topped retailers’ must-buy lists. The brand expanded into menswear, launching its fi rst dedicated men’s collection, and with it, two boutiques located in Milan and Paris. Rossi also made a statement in retail with a dedicated boutique inside Dubai retailer Level Shoes.Power Players: Serge Biasin, Mariapia Daverio

27

Mike George, 56president & ceo, qvc inc.

Sensing a rapidly changing landscape, where giant re-tailers Wal-Mart and Amazon are only getting bigger, George made his boldest move to date: QVC will pay $2.1 billion for rival HSN Inc. The deal, once it closes this year, will enable the retailer — which will continue to elevate the digital shopping experience and improve content — to add to the $4 billion it registered in e-commerce revenue in 2016.Power Players: Steve Hofmann, Mike Fitzharris

★ Deal in progress

Bill Brand, 52president, hsn inc.

Shortly after former CEO Mindy Grossman jumped

16 Victor Luis

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In a world of retail consolidation and e-pressures, these independent stores are standing out on their own, with collaborations and local touches.

Sarah LerfelOwner, Colette

After 20 years, Lerfel bids adieu to her storied Parisian concept shop. The store celebrated its anniversary in March by collaborating with 20 cult brands such as Nike, Dr. Martens and Converse ahead of announcing in July plans to shutter doors. Founder Colette Roussaux is ready to retire, allowing Saint Laurent to take over the space.

Laure Heriard-Dubreuil Co-founder & Owner, The Webster

In April, Heriard-Dubreuil’s curated boutique collaborated on a pop-up within Lane Crawford’s stores in Hong Kong and China. The venture included a capsule collection with more than 20 brands carried at both retailers, featuring The Webster’s signature fl amingo. On the radar, a New York fl agship is set to launch this fall — The Webster’s fi fth outpost — and a partnership with Atelier Courbet will debut at the Four Seasons Surf Club in Miami in November.

Rei Kawakubo, Adrian Joff e Co-founder; President, Dover Street Market

Dover Street Market — the concept store created by Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons — had a year of buzzy releases. In July, the retailer collaborated with Ronnie Fieg on New Balance’s 574S silhouette, featuring interchangeable N logos that created more than a dozen possible styles. The retailer partnered with Converse on a Chuck Taylor All Star ’70s co-branded sneaker in August.

Peng ChengPresident, Bait

Taking inspiration from a landmark in England, sneaker fave Bait partnered with Puma on the Blaze of Glory Sock silhouette that resembles three chalk stacks on the Isle of Wight. At the top of the year, the retailer collaborated with the Los Angeles Kings and Reebok on the Ventilator Supreme, a tribute to the L.A. hockey team.

Danny Wasserman, Lester Wasserman CEO, Tip Top Shoes & Tip Top Kids; Owner, West NYC

The Wassermans’ New York-based Tip Top Shoes celebrated its 77th anniversary. Highlights of the year included a Hurricane Harvey shoe sale benefi t and in-store trunk events by Clarks and Thierry Rabotin.

Brian Curin President, Flip Flop Shops

Some new ventures for Curin included the launch of an e-commerce component to the fi rm’s website that incorporates a profi t-split model with franchisees, as well as the addition of Rainbow brand sandals to its roster of vendors — including an exclusive Founders edition style.

Maurice BretonFounder, Comfort One

Now celebrating his 24th anniversary, Breton counts 22 Comfort One outposts in his stable. In October, the independent retailer provided military service members with footwear and orthotics at the Army Ten-Miler, the second-largest run of that length in the U.S. In-store activities have kept traffi c fl owing, including creative promotions such as free consultations with an image expert and foot screenings by a podiatrist.

to Weight Watchers, Brand stepped up to lead the 40-year-old company. Within months, much changed. Brand improved HSN’s storytelling and tech platforms, such as launching HSN Now, but his biggest task was to prep the company for its sale to QVC. Once the deal is done, Brand and execs Rod Little and Judy Schmeling will leave. Power Players: Carmen Bauza, Vanessa Dusold

28Miuccia Prada, 68designer & co-ceo, prada spaNotwithstanding a decline in profits (first- half net was down 18.2 percent), Prada SpA remains positive about the long term. There’s a digital overhaul afoot, with localized e-com-merce platforms in Asia and Australia rolling out by the end of 2017, followed by the Middle East and Latin America next year.Power Player: Patrizio Bertelli

29Kevin Plank, 45chairman & ceo, under armour inc.

For Plank, 2017 has been as much about politics as prod-ucts and personnel. The exec, who tapped Patrik Frisk as president and COO, is hoping for a rebounding basketball business with the Curry 4 launch, but he faced backlash from the public — and his star athletes — this year for his perceived praise of President Donald Trump and for serving on the American Manufac-turing Council, though he stepped down in August. Re-tail consolidation also hurt the company, as Wall Street sent the stock down to $15.50 a share, from $33 a year earlier.Power Players: Frisk, Kip Fulks, Dave Dombrow

30Sam Sato, 53ceo, the finish line inc.Is Sato in survival mode? To outsiders, it would appear so. The executive has faced pressures from Wall Street and a promotional athletic environment. What’s more, a move from U.K.-based sporting goods firm Sports Direct to consistently snap up portions of Finish Line forced Sato’s firm to adopt a shareholder rights plan, or “poison pill,” to spoil any potential takeover attempts.

Power Players: Imran Jooma, John Hall

31Daniella Vitale, 50ceo, barneys new york

Barneys had a changing of the guard, with Vitale moving up to CEO in February following Mark Lee’s retire-ment. In a challenging climate, the retailer increasingly bet on exclusive offerings to set it apart, including the footwear-focused Sole Series, which delivered collabs from Vans, Adidas and Timberland. The new Shoe Stories campaign debuted, highlighting style influencers such as Aleali May.Power Players: Jennifer Sunwoo, Tom Kalenderian, Leah Kim, Marina Larroudé

32Rihanna, 29founder, fenty; creative director, puma

The superstar songstress isn’t shy about her fashion ambitions: She’s out to dominate. Building on the success of the sellout Creeper with Puma (FN’s 2016 Shoe of the Year), Rihanna debuted new ver-

sions of the style plus a more diverse range of shoes. She was the toast of NYFW, where she launched her Fenty beauty collection and put on a runway spectacle. Finally, she debuted her final line with Manolo Blahnik.

33Bruce Rockowitz, 56ceo, vice chairman & executive director, global brands group

With help from new and existing licenses, the group’s revenues increased by 11.6 percent year-on- year. The company also announced a plan to hit $5 billion in revenue by the end of 2020. More deals unfolded, including a licensing agreement with Timberland and the appointment of celeb stylist Jamie Mizrahi as creative director of Juicy Couture, which is making a comeback. Power Players: Jason Rabin, Jim Gabriel

34Marc Fisher, 59founder & ceo, marc fisher footwear

While Fisher fielded

some negative headlines for his firm’s Ivanka Trump footwear line, he bolstered the business with the purchase of Easy Spirit and a new partnership with model and brand ambassador Martha Hunt.Power Players: Susan Itzkowitz, Terry Solis

35Kevin Mansell, 65chairman, ceo & president, kohl’s corp.After 10 years at the helm, Mansell said he’d retire in 2018, naming Michelle Gass as his successor. In the meantime, Kohl’s continues to streamline its store fleet, shrinking the footprint of almost half its 1,100 units, in addition to opening new smaller-format doors. E-commerce remains a growth driver, with Q2 sales spiking 19 percent, prompting the opening of a fifth fulfillment center.Power Players: Sona Chawla, Ron Murray

36Bob Goldman, 75CEO, CELS Enterprises

The firm adjusted in a swiftly

2017 POWER PLAYERS2017 POWER PLAYERS 29

George Mersho CEO, Shoe Palace

The family-owned retail chains — Shoe Palace, Nice Kicks and Anthem — courted customers through activations and promotions. Nice Kicks launched a capsule collection of tie dye-themed apparel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of San Francisco’s “Summer of Love” festival. At its downtown Los Angeles outpost, the store held launches for the Adidas Parley, Stance’s sock collaboration with Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon, and the movie “Transformers: The Last Knight.”

Mike Packer Owner, Packer Shoes

The New Jersey-based retailer celebrated the 110th anniversary of its original store in Yonkers, N.Y., with a special collaboration with J.Crew and Asics on four fashion sneaker styles. In September, Packer partnered with other organizations in Teaneck, N.J., on a clothing and footwear donation drive to support hurricane relief.

Tarek HassanOwner, Concepts

Concepts collaborated with Under Armour on an exclusive model of the 3-D-printed ArchiTech Futurist, which paid tribute to the New England Patriots’ fifth Super Bowl victory. He also opened in Dubai and unveiled a co-branded shop with Adidas in Boston.

Isack Fadlon Partner & CEO, Sportie LA

Top-performing brands at the L.A.-based favorite include Adidas and Converse Chucks. In June, Fadlon’s store partnered on an immersive pop-up shop inspired by the “Cars 3” film and its shoe collaboration with New Balance. Some prospects on the radar include a collaboration with Japanese brand CCILU, the shoe sponsor of “World of Dance.”

David Astobiza, Danny Astobiza President; CFO, Sole Desire

Wildfires that ravaged Northern California led to devastating damages for many people, including the Astobiza family. The retailer boasts 22 locations and offered customers in Sonoma and Napa counties discounts to help recoup lost footwear during the disaster. In May, Sole Desire expanded to Los Altos.

Ankur Amin, Jason Faustino Co-owners, Extra Butter

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Extra Butter began renovations of its Lower East Side location over the summer and moved into a temporary pop-up space decked out in the style of 1990s video rental stores. In September, the New York-based retailer held an emergency donation drive to help Hurricane Harvey victims.

Carol Lim, Humberto Leon Founders, Opening Ceremony

The duo celebrated its 15th anniversary with buzzy collaborations, including allover glitter shoes with Vans and a collection inspired by 1920s dresses from Shanghai. In September, Opening Ceremony celebrated its collaborative theatrical short film with director Spike Jonze, “Changers,” with a performance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Daniel Kahalani CEO, DNA Footwear

Over the summer, DNA Footwear embraced the millennial pink trend with footwear and accessories, and relaunched its website. The retailer attracted foot traffic with activations with Toms and Native. Sebago footwear joined its roster of brands in April.

changing market, including speeding up delivery cycles and implementing an all-seasons approach with its assortments. On the retail front, Chinese Laundry renovated its stores, as well as revamped its e-commerce site, which helped boost traffic and sales. A new women’s brand is in development for 2018. Power Players: Stewart Goldman, Tsering Namgyal

37Jim Issler, 69president & ceo, h.h. brown shoe co.

Issler turned up the star power: His firm’s Justin Boots label linked up with country music icon Reba McEntire to debut a Western-inspired women’s collection this holiday season. Additional celebrity partnerships are in the works for 2018.Power Players: Tom McClaskie, Greg Crouchley, David Issler

38Dave Powers, 51president & ceo, deckers brands

An activist shareholder hammered Powers and team this year, criticizing the company’s continuing strategic review process and its handling of the Ugg brand. Nevertheless, Ugg chief Andrea O’Donnell forged ahead with a plan to generate excitement with fresh product and an expanded men’s line. Q2 sales for the label gained 25 percent to $114.7 million but reflected a shift in order shipments and not necessarily demand.Power Players: O’Donnell, Wendy Yang, Stefano Caroti

39Neil Clifford, 50ceo, kurt geiger

With sales of $445 million and a gain of 12 percent for the year ended Jan. 28, it’s been a bumper stretch for the European retailer. This is partly attributable to its women’s fashion sneaker business, which saw sales advance 48 percent. Digital growth has also been signifi-cant, with online sales rising 26 percent.Power Players: Peter Bolliger, Mi-chelle Ryan, Rebecca Farrar-Hockley

40Ronnie Fieg, 35founder, ceo & creative director, kith

Fieg and his Kith empire continued to dominate in 2017. Aside from recruiting NBA stars LeBron James and Scottie Pippen for his Kith Sport NYFW show, Fieg delivered monumen-tal collaborations, including work with Nike, Coca-Cola x Converse and Adidas — and opened a three-story flagship in NYC. What’s next for Kith? A much-anticipated pop-up experience in Los Angeles.

41Peter Harris, 54president, pedder group

Pedder Group, a division of The Lane Crawford Joyce Group, expanded its retail strategy, moving into e-com-merce with Onpedder.com. The move was a response to changes in Asian markets, and the site offers a curated mix of luxury brands. Power Players: Carmen Cheng, Su Kim

42Giuseppe Zanotti, 60president & creative director, giuseppe zanotti

The designer focused much attention on the Asian market, expanding his retail business with a flagship store in Singa-pore, the restyling of the Hong Kong boutique and his first mono-brand door in Vietnam. Zanotti also partnered with Jennifer Lopez on two exclu-sive shoe capsule collections, along with creating designs for Lady Gaga’s and Ariana Grande’s world tours.Power Player: Alain Baume

43Brian Cornell, 58chairman & ceo, target corp.

Building on the success of its Cat & Jack kids’ label — which topped $2 billion in sales in its first year — Target debuted two apparel and footwear brands for adults: A New Day and Goodfellow & Co. Under Cornell, the megachain also unveiled its store of the future, opening this fall in suburban Houston — the first of 500 locations to be redesigned over the next two years.

Power Players: Mark Tritton, Michelle Wlazlo

connecting generationsconnecting generations

TWO TEN FOOTWEAR FOUNDATION 78TH ANNUAL VIP DINNER & GALA

ENTERTAINMENT BY:

VIP DINNER & GALA CO-CHAIRSDR. BOBBY CAMPBELL

Founder & Chairman, BBC International

SETH CAMPBELL Sr. Vice President

Business Development, BBC International

VIP DINNER HONOREES

A. A. Bloom Memorial AwardROBERT McHUGH Retired, Foot Locker, Inc.

Social Impact Award

SHOE CARNIVAL

_

Retired, Foot Locker, Inc.

Social Impact AwardSHOE CARNIVAL

WWW.TWOTEN.ORG

78TH ANNUAL VIP DINNER & GALA

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2017HAMMERSTEIN / THE MANHATTAN CENTER, NEW YORK CITY

44Stephen Rubin, 79Andy Rubin, 52chairman, pentland group plc; chairman, pentland brands ltd.

The Rubins invested in SeaVees, a California lifestyle sneaker brand. Ted Baker opened stores in Houston and Los Angeles, and expanded its Miami Aventura location. Lacoste footwear resonated with consumers as the athleisure boom continued. Reflecting that success, the company won an award for the best U.K. family business at the EY 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year awards this month.Power Players: Carrie Rubin, Andy Long, Richard Newcombe

45 ★ TIE

Blake Mycoskie, 41founder & chief shoe giver, toms shoes

Though the company isn’t nearly as buzzy as it once was, Mycoskie, fresh off Toms’ 10-year-anniversary, is still dreaming up new ideas. He partnered with Target and Apple to create a line of tech-driven accessories to be sold at the mass retailer. And perhaps to add more juice to the company, Mycoskie tapped friend John Whitledge, co-founder of Trovata, as its creative director.Power Player: Jim Alling

45 ★ TIE

Kenneth Cole, 63chairman & chief creative officer, kenneth cole productions inc.

Cole heightened the focus on technology with the launch of Techni-Cole, a comfort- and performance-based initiative across all his product categories. An exclusive partnership for footwear powered by 37.5 Technology also boosted the brand’s casual and dress shoe offerings. Power Players: Marc Schneider, Roberto Zamarra, Greg Tarbell

46Massimo Ferragamo, 60

Vincent Ottomanelli, 51chairman; president, ferragamo usa

Appointed design director of women’s footwear just last year, Paul Andrew has now been charged with women’s ready-to-wear. First-half results saw a revenue rise of 1.1 percent but a net profit decrease of 15.4 percent. However, the footwear cat-egory, which represents 43.6 percent of the firm’s total business, was up 1.3 percent.Power Players: Andrew, Ferruccio Ferragamo, James Ferragamo

47Pierre Hardy, 61president, pierre hardy

The designer’s first Atelier col-lection — which is filled with his most experimental styles of the season — hit stores in March. The shoe designer has since presented the second and third Atelier collec-tions, most recently at PFW. His summer collection was inspired by abstract paintings. Plus, Hardy continued to de-sign footwear and accessories at Hermés, a gig he’s had for more than two decades.

48Edward Stack, 62chairman & ceo, dick’s sporting goods inc.

After acquiring Sports Authority’s name (and other intellectual assets) and Golfsmith last year, the retailer spent 2017 converting many of those closed doors into Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy locations. But a disappointing Q2 and a struggling retail climate forced Stack to ramp up dis-counts and promotions to excite shoppers.

49Sophia Webster, 32founder & creative director, sophia webster ltd.

Webster and Puma teamed up on a dance-inspired collection that launched in September, with a second drop to follow this month. The label reached 1 million followers on Instagram, which helped support 60 percent year-on-year growth for its e-commerce channel. Next up, Webster will open a NYC pop-up in November. Power Player: Bobby Stockley

2017 POWER PLAYERS

DIAMOND STEVEN MADDEN, LTD.

PLATINUM ALDO GROUP, INC. • CALERES NEW BALANCE FOUNDATION

GOLD FOOT LOCKER FOUNDATION, INC. • FOOTWEAR NEWS

H.H. BROWN SHOE COMPANY • MICRO-PAK, LTD. NORDSTROM • RALPH LAUREN

SILVER ANNE KLEIN • ASICS AMERICA CORPORATION

BORDAN SHOES • BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY CHINESE LAUNDRY • CLARKS AMERICAS CONSOLIDATED SHOE CO/TRADE WINDS

DSW DESIGNER SHOE WAREHOUSE • FILA USA, INC. FN PLATFORM • KENNETH COLE PRODUCTIONS

MARC FISHER FOOTWEAR • MICHAEL KORS NINE WEST GROUP • PENTLAND USA

RACK ROOM SHOES & OFF BROADWAY SHOE WAREHOUSE SHOES.COM • STELLA INTERNATIONAL FOOTWEAR

TITAN INDUSTRIES, INC. • TORY BURCH WEYCO GROUP, INC. • YELLOW BOX CORP. • ZAPPOS.COM

BRONZE

BEARPAW • BIRKENSTOCK USA DTLR • DYNASTY FOOTWEAR • EASTLAND

RONALD & CHERYL FROMM • G-III APPAREL GROUP, INC.ICONIX BRAND GROUP, INC. • LORD & TAYLOR

MASON COMPANIES, INC. • PUMA NORTH AMERICA, INC. RG BARRY CORP. • ROSS STORES • SHOE CARNIVAL, INC.

SUREFIELD LIMITED • SYNCLAIRE BRANDS TJX COMPANIES, INC. • VIDA SHOES INTERNATIONAL

connecting generations

DINNER & GALA CHAIR BBC INTERNATIONAL

DIAMOND PLUS WOLVERINE WORLDWIDE

connecting generations

DINNER & GALA CHAIRBBC INTERNATIONAL

WWW.TWOTEN.ORG

As of 10.11.17

TJX COMPANIES, INC. • VIDA SHOES INTERNATIONAL

As of 10.11.17As of 10.11.17

50Charlotte Olympia Dellal, 36 creative director & founder, charlotte olympia

The British footwear label announced that Onward Holdings, a Japanese luxury group, acquired a controlling stake in the brand as part of an expansion within Europe and Asia. Dellal’s popular collabs continued as she worked with Marvel on a cap-sule collection inspired by “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”Power Player: Bonnie Takhar

51Ralph Lauren, 78 executive chairman & chief creative officer, ralph lauren corp.

Lauren made tough financial cuts this year, laying off hundreds of workers and closing several stores, including Polo’s Fifth Avenue flagship in New York. But with new president and CEO Patrice Louvet, the designer is now focused on omnichannel innovation.Power Players: Louvet, Valérie Hermann

percent in 2018, significantly besting market estimates. To accelerate the plan, Ma will spend $15 billion on research and development over the next three years.Power Players: Daniel Yong Zhang, Michael Evans, Joe Tsai

52 ★ TIE

Stefan Kaluzny, 50managing director & co-founder, sycamore partners

Kaluzny continued to make big wagers on retail despite industrywide turmoil. Adding to the $3.5 billion in capital under Sycamore’s manage-ment, Kaluzny acquired

52 ★ TIE

Jack Ma, 53founder & executive chairman, alibaba

Big sales and megaprojections are the name of the game for Ma and his rapidly growing e-commerce powerhouse. The company projects its revenues could explode nearly 50

32

bankrupt The Limited and other related intellectual property assets. The savvy dealmaker plans to reintroduce the brand to the marketplace. Sycamore also continued to overhaul Nine West under shoe veteran Joel Oblonsky. Power Player: Oblonsky

53Jerry Stritzke, 57president & ceo, rei co-op

Aside from outfitting outdoor enthusiasts, the retailer made significant investments to outdoor recreation. Through various initiatives, REI donated roughly 70 percent of profits to the outdoor community. Also, through its “Forces of Nature” program, the com-pany put women first through events, improved product selection and a $1 million gift to female-focused community organizations.Power Players: Susan Viscon, Marshall Merriam, Carolyn Burnham

54Ernie Herrman, 56ceo, the tjx companies inc.

With Herrman’s guidance, the fleet of 3,800 TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods stores continues to buck negative retail trends. After consistent earnings wins, the company saw modest deceleration in Q1 but quickly bounced back in the most recent quarter, posting a sales gain of 6 percent to $8.4 bil-lion, handily besting forecasts.Power Player: Carol Meyrowitz

19 Bob Campbell

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55Marvin Ellison, 52chairman & ceo, j.c. penney co.

Although he kicked off the year announcing plans to ditch more than 100 stores, Ellison executed growth initiatives including the launch of Nike shop-in-shops and an expan-sion of the Sephora partner-ship. Still, the firm widened its Q2 losses, evidencing ongoing financial pressures.Power Players: Jodie Johnson, Michael Amend

56Paul Andrew, 38ceo & chief creative officer, paul andrew

It was a big year for the designer, who after joining Salvatore Ferragamo as women’s footwear director in September 2016 is now the creative director of womens-wear for the fashion house. His first collection for Fer-ragamo in this new role will debut next fall. His namesake men’s and women’s footwear brand remains strong.

bankrupt The Limited and other related intellectual property assets. The savvy dealmaker plans to reintroduce the brand to the marketplace. Sycamore also continued to overhaul Nine West under shoe veteran Joel Oblonsky. Power Player: Oblonsky

53Jerry Stritzke, 57president & ceo, rei co-op

Aside from outfitting outdoor enthusiasts, the retailer made significant investments to outdoor recreation. Through various initiatives, REI donated roughly 70 percent of profits to the outdoor community. Also, through its “Forces of Nature” program, the com-pany put women first through events, improved product selection and a $1 million gift to female-focused community organizations.Power Players: Susan Viscon, Marshall Merriam, Carolyn Burnham

54Ernie Herrman, 56ceo, the tjx companies inc.

With Herrman’s guidance, the fleet of 3,800 TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods stores continues to buck negative retail trends. After consistent earnings wins, the company saw modest deceleration in Q1 but quickly bounced back in the most recent quarter, posting a sales gain of 6 percent to $8.4 bil-lion, handily besting forecasts.Power Player: Carol Meyrowitz

47 Pierre Hardy

26

57Alexandre Birman, 41 ceo & creative director, arezzo & co.

As Brazil-based shoe empire Arezzo marked 45 years, Birman remained focused on growth. In addition to launch-ing a New York showroom for the contemporary Schutz label and his namesake brand, he has amped up operations with the hiring of Arezzo’s new COO, Alex Michail. In 2018, consumers will see the launch of two Schutz stores in high-traffic malls.Power Player: Michail

58Jim Weber, 57ceo, brooks running co.

Brooks is already a force in the U.S., and this year, the running label expanded its reach to China and Brazil. Aside from expansion, Brooks released a new performance sneaker (Levitate) with its latest energy-returning DNA AMP midsole and invited all runners to become brand ambassa-dors (and paid them $1) via the “Brooks Big Endorsement.”Power Players: Melanie Allen, Dan Sheridan, Patrick Pons de Vier

59John Varvatos, 55chairman & chief creative officer, john varvatos enterprises

Varvatos has always been a fan of rock ‘n’ roll fashion, and

34

49 Sophia Webster

he stayed true to his roots for the fall season. At NYFW, he displayed a more refi ned aes-thetic than usual, elevating the overall look of the brand with an assortment of new dressy evening pieces in his signature black and gray tones.Power Player: Mark Brashear

60Oliver Reichert, 46Markus Bensberg, 53co-ceos, birkenstock group

Reichert and Bensberg have led Germany’s largest footwear manufacturer since 2013, up-ping the cool factor and even expanding into the manufac-turing of beds. Last year, the company sold twice as many shoes as it did in 2012, and both revenues and profi ts have skyrocketed.Power Player: David Kahan

61 ★ TIE

Patrick Chalhoub, 59co-ceo, chalhoub group

Level made a huge splash with its “Dear India” campaign, which featured 16 special collaborations with designers, including Christian Louboutin x Sabyasachi — which was exclu-sively revealed at Level Shoes in the Middle East. Gianvito Rossi debuted a boutique inside the Dubai luxury retailer to mark the designer’s 10th anniversary.Power Player: Rania Masri

61 ★ TIE

Pierpaolo Piccioli, 50creative director, valentino

Over the three seasons since he took sole creative charge, the house of Valentino has seen a gentle shift in aesthet-ics. It’s less fairytale and more a realistic refl ection of how consumers dress today — think athleisure wear with bow-detailed pumps and full-length evening glamour, dialed down with embellished sneakers.Power Player: Stefano Sassi

62 ★ TIE

Steen Borgholm, 43ceo, ecco sko a/s

Borgholm, formerly CFO, took over the top spot in May after Dieter Kasprzak stepped down. Under the direction of new creative director Liam

Maher, the brand rolled out the communication platform Perpetual Motion, using storytelling to highlight the blend of old-world craftsman-ship with technology. To tap into the athleisure movement, Borgholm introduced Kinhin, a premium direct-injection sneaker with a cork footbed.Power Players: Dave Quel, Michel Krol, Panos Mytaros

62 ★ TIE

Greg Tunney, 56president & ceo, rg barry brands inc.

The private company expects to post 2017 sales of $200 million. The company rolled out a Footpetals shoe collection at $150 and higher-end Dearfoam suede slippers at $40 to $60. This fall, sister brand Baggallini debuted six stand-alone stores in travel destinations including Mall of America and the Atlanta and Phoenix airports. Tunney will also assume the post of chairman of the Two Ten Foot-wear Foundation in December.Power Player: Gary Binkoski

63Marc Jacobs, 54co-founder & creative director, marc jacobs international

Instead of homing in on one key style for spring ’18, Jacobs broadened the range with fl ash, employing all the colors of the rainbow. In footwear, the 2016 CFDA womenswear designer of the year focused on sandals rather than gigantic platforms.

64David Miller, 61Scott Sessa, 58ceo; president, minnetonka moccasin co.

Miller and Sessa continued to expand Minnetonka’s consum-er reach through collaborations with Mother Denim, Duluth Pack and celeb favorite Free Range Mama. Looking ahead, executives plan to mark the 50th anniversary of the brand’s knee-high fringe boot in 2018.

65Mandy Cabot, 63ceo & founder, dansko

The brand continued to build upon its Professional clog business by introducing XP 2.0, its lightest version to date.

2017 POWER PLAYERS 35

What goes into making great shoes? These fi ve execs are leading the fi eld.

Michael Gionfriddo President & CEO, Vibram USA

The brand marked the 80th anniversary of its iconic Carrarmato sole and the 100th year of manufacturing in Massachusetts, with plans to rebuild the factory by 2022. Gionfriddo took Vibram into the basketball market with the X-Abrade compound sole used by Brandblack. The momentum continued for FiveFingers, launching a V-Train fi tness/training style with Gold’s Gym.

Glenn Barrett Founder & CEO, OrthoLite

Under Barrett, the insole maker celebrated two decades in business, hired Nike vet Skip Lei as VP of innovation and Dan Legor as its fi rst global marketing director. The brand expanded with a new manufacturing facility in Vietnam to better serve its more than 200 footwear clients, including New Balance, Michael Kors and Clarks.

Terri Kelly CEO, W. L. Gore & Associates

The Gore Fabrics division opened a biophysics lab to test product innovations in real-world conditions. Kelly introduced footwear featuring Invisible Fit technology, allowing running-shoe producers to o� er waterproofi ng and breathability in trail and road shoes.

Mike RauvolaPresident & CEO, Superfeet Worldwide Inc.

Footwear was added to the brand’s o� erings for spring, built around proprietary insoles. Rauvola also launched a pilot program at select retailers that support FitStation powered by HD, a platform that delivers individual shoe and insole recommendations, 3-D printed insoles and custom footwear.

Arnold Horween IIIPresident, Horween Leather Co.

As head of one of the leading U.S. tanneries, Horween and his team continued to monitor the company’s water and energy requirements, reducing its water usage up to 30 percent in some cases.

Cabot and team developed its Natural Arch technology, designed with memory foam footbed, for enhanced sup-port and shock absorption. The technology will appear throughout the line. Power Players: Jim Fox, Sal Agati, Mimi Curry

66Edgardo Osorio, 31creative director & founder, aquazzura

The designer made a splash with collaborations this year, including an eight-style

spring ’18 assortment com-prising 1970s-inspired kitten heels, sandals, mules and platforms. She also collabo-rated with Ortiz for the first time on a capsule collection with Moda Operandi.

68Gene McCarthy, 61president & ceo, asics america group

Asics’ notable new styles targeted its many audiences, including regular runners (Dy-naFlyte 2), athleisure aficio-nados (Gel-Kenun) and collab

connoisseurs (Kith, J.Crew x Packer Shoes). Under McCar-thy’s watch, it also bolstered its East Coast presence with a state-of-the-art Product Creation Studio in Boston and opened new offices in Latin America and Canada. Power Players: Sarah Bishop, David Ayers, Ian Dickinson

69Virgil Abloh, 37creative director & founder, off-white

Everyone wanted a piece of Abloh in 2017. The hottest

collection with fashion icon Claudia Schiffer, a pairing with de Gournay on Matches-Fashion.com and a Net-a-Porter exclusive capsule with Johanna Ortiz. Osorio opened his first West Coast boutique, a shop in Moscow, and he will launch a Dubai location by year-end.

67Tabitha Simmons, 46 founder & designer, tabitha simmons

The stylist and designer launched bridal and a

designer of today launched the year’s most talked- about sneaker collab, a collection with Nike dubbed “The Ten,” and followed up by showing his “Cinderella”-inspired spring ’18 shoes with Jimmy Choo on the runway. He also opened the Off-White store and EM_PTY Gallery in New York.

70Federico Marchetti, 48ceo, yoox net-a-porter group

36

20 Aldo Bensadoun

Marchetti’s firm saw sales surpass $1 billion in the first six months of the year, lifted largely by in-season business. Net-a-Porter is expanding its fine-jewelry offering with exclusives from Chopard and Cartier. Follow-ing Sarah Rutson’s departure, Elizabeth von der Goltz has been appointed global buying director. There’s also a new global e-commerce agree-ment with Ferrari.Power Players: Alison Loehnis, Alberto Grignolo

71Kanye West, 40designer, kanye west

West shared the spotlight with other fashion-focused celebrities this year, but the rapper-turned-designer’s Adidas sneakers continued to steal the show. Fans of the Yeezy franchise swarmed stores and the resale market for new Yeezy Boost 350 V2 iterations, as well as his fresh Wave Runner 700 and Calabasas styles. Power Player: Jon Wexler

72Joe Ouaknine, 64 ceo, titan industries

The firm continues to build with its newest partner, Rachel Roy. In particular, they plan to release footwear within her contemporary Rachel Rachel Roy collection next spring. Zendaya’s line, Daya by Zendaya, is currently in the phasing-out process. Retail stores are also on the agenda for Ouaknine — the rollout should start in the first quarter of 2018.Power Players: Brad Bailey, Sara Formslag, Nicolas Huneault

73Gary Champion, 64president, clarks americas inc.

The brand is up double digits over 2016 in its regional wholesale division, thanks in part to Champion’s focus on rebuilding the independent and key-account businesses. Collaborations from Clarks included collec-tions with Barneys and hip-hop artist Drake’s October’s Very Own record label. Champion will oversee the rollout of Clarks’ effort to modernize its retail spaces.Power Players: Tara McRae, Joe Casagrande, Chris Caswell

74Ezra Dabah, 64ceo, nina footwear corp.

Online business is on an upswing, with the company taking over management of its website. Under Dabah, the brand furthered its expansion into Asia, with simultaneous growth in Europe. The bridal collection continues its national ad campaign in wed-ding-focused publications.Power Players: Nina Miner, Flori Silverstein

75Rebecca Minkoff, 36Uri Minkoff, 42co-founder & creative director; co-founder & ceo, rebecca minkoff

The sister-brother executives amped up their emphasis on footwear by teaming with Camuto Group. The new partnership should expand the depth of the collection as well as strengthen the brand’s position in the market. The duo also remains a leader in the see-now, buy-now initia-tive, taking the format to its recent NYFW show.

76Philip Jeong, 46 chairman & ceo, k-swiss global brands

KSGB experienced plenty of change in 2017. Jeong is now the company’s leader, based in its new Downtown Los An-geles headquarters. As of Sep-tember, the Supra and KR3W banners are under president Steve Harden’s control. And the K-Swiss brand not only debuted a well-received sneaker line, Generation K, it also introduced Gary Vee and DNCE as brand ambassadors.Power Players: Harden, Christophe Mortemousque, Barney Waters

77Karl-Johan Persson, 42president & ceo, h&m group

In his quest to increase the number of stores annually by 10 percent, Persson has said he wants to average one store opening per day. H&M will focus on China and on new markets like India and South Africa. Power Player: Stefan Persson

2017 POWER PLAYERS

XOXO,

YOU ALL ROCK!

F O R A N

I N C R E D I B L E Y E A R

THANKSF O R A N

I N C R E D I B L E Y E A R

POWER 100!O N M A K I N G T H E

CONGRATS

78Tim Boyle, 68president & ceo, columbia sportswear co.

Columbia’s progress is highlighted by record second-quarter net sales of $399 million, up 3 percent from the same period in 2016. During the quarter, the company’s Sorel banner — which moved to a new corporate HQ in June — experienced a 71 percent bump in sales (a year after Columbia repositioned it to a women’s year-round fashion-focused label).Power Players: Gert Boyle, Joseph Boyle

79Pat Mooney, 48president, footwear unlimited inc.

Mooney grew his company’s brand portfolio this year with the addition of the Lucca Lane women’s label. In addition, the Baretraps line turned in an-other positive year. The spring launch of Baretraps Rebound Technology was the catalyst to strong results, and the momen-tum continued into early fall.Power Players: John Rimmer, Bill Downey, Andy Smith, Jerry Williamson

82Jack Silvera, 75founder & ceo, dynasty footwear

Silvera continues to expand into new markets with creative product and grow his key partnerships with a focus on transparency and longevity. Most notably, Dynasty experi-enced considerable growth in its kids’ business and remains a trusted private-label partner with top retailers in the U.S. Its Seychelles and BC labels remain focused on their core customers and the specialty retail channel.Power Players: Sari Ratsula, Gabriel Morales, Lance Giroux

83Gene Yoon, 72Jon Epstein, 62global chairman, fi la; president, fi la north america

Heritage was big for Fila this year — the category experi-enced 146 percent growth. The brand’s reputation as a performance athletic brand was also bolstered in 2017, led by its sponsorship deal with the Netherlands Olympic team and big wins from marquee tennis athletes Karolina Pliskova, Marin Cilic and Sam Querrey.

Power Players: Jennifer Estabrook, Danny Lieberman, Mark Eggert

84Bruce Cagner, 71Evan Cagner, 44chairman; president & ceo, synclaire brands

The Cagners continue to cor-ner the kids’ market, this year adding Frye, Tretorn, American Girl’s WellieWishers and Zero-Tie for adults to their stable of licenses. And the deals keep coming: The father-son duo expect to announce three more for spring. Their year-old e-commerce site, KidsShoes.com, logged strong sales in the face of stiff online competition.

85Paul Jones, 56ceo, payless shoesource inc.

Jones’ quest to get ahead of retail’s hardships weren’t enough to keep the company out of bankruptcy court. The fi rm fi led Chapter 11 in April but quickly emerged from the process, shedding about 900 stores and $435 million in debt. After fi ve years at the helm, Jones passed the torch to interim CEO Martin Wade III following the restructuring.

80Cliff Siff ord, 64president & ceo, shoe carnival inc.

Following a tough fi rst quarter, the company achieved better-than-antici-pated results with improved sales and keen expense management. A subsequent stock rally alleviated only some shareholder losses, but Siff ord was banking on a strong back-to-school season to keep Shoe Carnival on target. The company expects full-year revenue of between $1.01 billion and $1.02 billion, with comparable sales fl at, higher than analyst expecta-tions of $1 billion. Power Player: Wayne Weaver

81William Dillard II, 72chairman & ceo, dillard’s inc.

Like other department stores, Dillard’s felt the pressures of consumer shifts and resorted to signifi cant markdowns to lure shoppers. The company blamed increased promotions and high inventories for its net loss of $17.1 million in Q2.Power Players: Alex Dillard, Mike Dillard

Power Players: Steve Gish, Ginny Peterson, Mike Vitelli

86Carla Schmitzberger, global head of sandals division, alpargatas usaFollowing its $1.1 billion sale in July to three Brazilian invest-ment fi rms, Alpargatas contin-ued to dominate the fl ip-fl op market. The latest move from Schmitzberger: expanding the fashion-forward You line for spring.Power Player: Márcio Utsch

87Thomas Florsheim Jr., John Florsheim, 54chairman & ceo; president & coo, weyco group inc.

Florsheim marked its 125th anniversary with special styles inspired by archival looks and with a Stacy Adams fall marketing campaign hitting Sports Illustrated. International business expanded, including European distribution of Bogs as well as through more Flor-sheim store franchises. State-side, the Florsheims reduced store count and remodeled remaining locations.Power Players: Brian Flannery, Kevin Schiff , Dustin Combs

2638

These creative minds are invigorating the market with hot product and innovative design.

Mary Alice Malone and Roy Luwolt Co-founders, Malone Souliers

Ryan and Adam Goldston Co-founders, Athletic Propulsion Labs

Flavio Girolami and Prathan Poopat Co-founders, Common Projects

Giorgia Tordini and Gilda Ambrosio Co-founders, Attico

Jennifer Chamandi Founder and designer, Jennifer Chamandi

Samuele Failli Founder and designer, Samuele Failli

Matthew Chevallard Founder and designer, Del Toro

Sarah Jessica Parker Founder and designer, SJP Collection

Rupert Sanderson Founder and designer, Rupert Sanderson

Louis Leeman and Erica Pelosini Co-founders, Louis Leeman

Chloe Gosselin Founder and designer, Chloe Gosselin

Isa Tapia Founder and designer, Isa Tapia

Aurora James Founder and designer, Brother Vellies

MaloneSouliers

55

59

RupertSanderson

88Michael Muskat, 70Rick Muskat, 66co-principals, deer stags concepts inc.

Digital growth was a priority for the Muskats, prompting the hire of Mark Higgins as senior director of digital develop-ment. The fi rm also imple-mented new business intelligence software to sup-port its e-commerce site. On the wholesale side, Deer Stags expanded into the European market.Power Player: Danny Muskat

89Isabel Marant, 50designer, isabel marant

The French designer made a major statement during Paris Fashion Week last month when she debuted a menswear collection, alongside her womenswear line, for the fi rst time. She also opened a store in Miami and launched her own e-commerce.Power Players: Anouck Duranteau-Loeper, Sophie Durufl é, Nathalie Chemouny 12

Christian Louboutin

2017 POWER PLAYERS2017 POWER PLAYERS 39

Alan Buanne and Vanissa Antonious Co-founders, Neous

Laurence Dacade Founder and designer, Laurence Dacade

Paula Cademartori Founder and designer, Paula Cademartori

François du Chastel Founder and designer, Chatelles Slippers

Alexia Aubert Founder and designer, Solovière

Nicoló Beretta Founder and designer, Giannico

Alessandra Dell’AcquaFounder and designer, No. 21

Francesco Russo Founder and designer, Francesco Russo

Albin Johansson and Max Svärdh Co-founders, Axel Arigato

Olgana Djanguirov Founder and designer, Olgana Paris

Amélie Pichard Founder and designer, Amélie Pichard

Dora Teymur Founder and designer, Dorateymur

Alexa Chung Founder and creative director, Alexachung

Sarah Flint Founder and designer, Sarah Flint

OlganaParis

Giannico

NeousOlganaOlganaParis

90Marcia Kilgore, 50founder, fitflop

Kilgore added some star power to the brand: She tapped actress Uma Thur-man to be the face of FitFlop’s spring marketing campaign called #forsuperwomen. The redesign of Fitflop.com contributed to a digital sales spike of 110 percent. Power Players: Michael Lockett, Doug Jakubowski

91Andrew Rees, 51president, ceo & director, crocs inc.

Rees took over as president from Gregg Ribatt, now a board member. Crocs — which has been involved in a legal imbroglio — sent iterations of its recognizable design down the European runways, part of spring ’18 collaborations with Balenciaga and Christopher Kane.Power Players: Dan Hart, Carrie Teffner

92Jamie Salter, 54Nick Woodhouse, 48chairman & ceo; president & chief marketing officer, authentic brands group

Salter and Woodhouse’s buy-ing spree continued. Follow-ing last year’s acquisitions of Aéropostale and Julius Erving, the firm scooped up Frye, Greg Norman and Neil Lane, helping to push sales past the $5 billion mark (one-fifth of which comes from footwear). Other moves included the re-launch of fashion comfort label Taryn Rose and the debut of a Tretorn kids’ collection.Power Players: Kevin Clarke, Natasha Fishman, Jarrod Weber

93Chris Gallagher, 48ceo & co-founder, vionic group

The comfort brand continued to experience consecutive quarters of growth, with brick-and-mortar business up over 20 percent. The first Vionic retail store opened in partnership with Lucky Shoes in Akron, Ohio, while the brand debuted a New York show-

95Vincent Wauters, 45ceo, hunter boot ltd.

Under Wauters, Hunter expanded its North American retail footprint with a shop in Toronto. Looking to boost its profile through collabora-tions, the brand partnered with makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench on rubberized backpacks. Among several management moves, Daniel Shaw was named design director, while Sallie Scripter was tapped to lead the Americas.Power Player: Alasdhair Willis

96Mario Polegato, 65chairman, geox spa

To boost profitability, Polegato enacted a more strategic plan for Geox-branded stores. In the first half of the year, the firm closed 56 doors globally and opened 36, for a total of 1,141. Aiding Polegato is new CEO Gregorio Borgo, who joined in January. Power Players: Borgo, Enrico Polegato

room. A new Beach division tested distribution in the swim, surf, resort and health/wellness channels. Power Players: Bruce Campbell, Connie Rishwain

94Don Weiss, 62Stephen Hoyt, 69co-owner & president; co-owner & head of design, blowfish malibu

Sales were positive for Blow-fish, with growth of 18 percent, and the duo’s sneaker division saw much success. Their kids’ category has separated into a new division with new leader-ship and is rapidly growing. International business contin-ues as the execs actively push new markets Spain, Greece, Russia and Australia.Power Players: Greg Kearns, Karen Bueno

97Michael Katz, 66ceo & president, matisse footwear

Matisse delved into the men’s market with a small collection of boots and sneakers. The California label also kicked off a collaboration with Amuse Society, the second install-ment of which will debut in the spring. To address shifting shopping habits, a new prod-uct flow schedule is bringing more frequent deliveries of

67 Tabitha Simmons

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smaller groupings of shoes.Power Players: Sheena Parks, Tom Ferguson

98Cathy Taylor, 60ceo, millennial brands

The exec is expanding the com-pany’s digital footprint while connecting to the millennial and Gen Z consumer with key collabs and campaigns. Rocket Dog and stylist Elizabeth Saltzman teamed up on a col-lection of the label’s ’90s-style signature platform fl ip-fl ops in May. Next up, Rocket Dog will partner with stylist Chloe Bar-toli for a spring ’18 capsule.

99James Brett, 48ceo, j.crew group inc.

It was a year of upheaval at J.Crew as Mickey Drexler and creative chief Jenna Lyons stepped down from their long-held posts amid reor-ganization. As sluggish sales persisted, the company an-nounced plans to close stores.

Brett, a former West Elm exec, is now steering the ship.Power Players: Libby Wadle, Lisa Greenwald

100Karen Murray, 60ceo, sequential brands group

Murray hit the ground running in March after replacing Yehuda Shmidman, who abruptly exited his post. Heelys’ expansion into chil-dren’s activewear, a full line of men’s and footwear for Joe’s and ongoing sales growth for the Jessica Simpson brand are among the wins so far under Murray’s watch.Power Players: Eddie Esses, Andrew Cooper, Jameel Spencer

Abloh, Virgil 36

Andrew, Paul 33

Arnault, Bernard 26

Baker, Richard 24

Bensadoun, Aldo 26

Bensadoun, David 26

Bensberg, Markus 35

Bezos, Jeff 23

Birman, Alexandre 34

Blahnik, Kristina 23

Blahnik, Manolo 23

Borgholm, Steen 35

Boyle, Tim 38

Brand, Bill 28

Brett, James 41

Cabot, Mandy 35

Cagner, Bruce 38

Cagner, Evan 38

Campbell, Bob 25

Chalhoub, Patrick 35

Champion, Gary 37

Choi, Sandra 25

Cliff ord, Neil 30

Cole, Kenneth 31

Cornell, Brian 30

Dabah, Ezra 37

Davis, Jim 24

Del Cielo, Alex 26

Della Valle, Diego 26

Dellal, Charlotte Olympia 32

DeMartini, Rob 24

Denis, Pierre 25

Dennis, Bob 26

Dillard II, William T. 38

Ellison, Marvin 33

Epstein, Jon 38

Ferragamo, Massimo 31

Ferrée, Debbie 26

Fieg, Ronnie 30

Fisher, Marc 29

Florsheim Jr., Thomas 38

Florsheim, John 38

Gallagher, Chris 40

Gennette, Jeff 25

George, Mike 28

Goldman, Bob 29

Greenberg, Michael 22

Greenberg, Robert 22

Gulden, Björn 25

Hardy, Pierre 31

Harris, Peter 30

Herrman, Ernie 32

Hoyt, Stephen 40

Hsieh, Tony 23

Idol, John 25

Issler, Jim 30

Jacobs, Marc 35

Jeong, Philip 37

Johnson, Dick 22

Jones, Paul 38

Kaluzny, Stefan 32

Katz, Karen 26

Katz, Michael 40

Kilgore, Marcia 40

King, Mark 22

Kors, Michael 25

Krueger, Blake 23

Lauren, Ralph 32

Louboutin, Christian 24

Luis, Victor 25

Ma, Jack 32

Madden, Steve 23

Malkemus, George 23

Mansell, Kevin 29

Marant, Isabel 39

Marchetti, Federico 36

McCarthy, Gene 36

McMillon, Doug 24

Metrick, Marc 24

Miller, David 35

Minkoff , Rebecca 37

Minkoff , Uri 37

Mooney, Pat 38

Murray, Karen 41

Muskat, Michael 39

Muskat, Rick 39

Mycoskie, Blake 31

Nordstrom, Blake 22

Nordstrom, Erik 22

Nordstrom, Pete 22

Osorio, Edgardo 36

Ottomanelli, Vincent 31

Ouaknine, Joe 37

Parker, Mark 22

Persson, Karl-Johan 37

Piccioli, Pierpaolo 35

Pinault, François-Henri 25

Plank, Kevin 29

Polegato, Mario 40

Powers, Dave 30

Prada, Miuccia 29

Rawlins, Roger 26

Rees, Andrew 40

Reichert, Oliver 35

Rendle, Steve 23

Rihanna 29

Rockowitz, Bruce 29

Rodbell, Liz 24

Rorsted, Kasper 22

Rosenfeld, Ed 23

Rossi, Gianvito 26

Rubin, Andy 31

Rubin, Stephen 31

Salter, Jamie 40

Sato, Sam 29

Schmitzberger, Carla 38

Sessa, Scott 35

Siff ord, Cliff 38

Silvera, Jack 38

Simmons, Tabitha 36

Stack, Edward 31

Stritzke, Jerry 32

Sullivan, Diane 23

Taylor, Cathy 41

Tunney, Greg 35

Varvatos, John 34

Vitale, Daniella 29

Wauters, Vincent 40

Weber, Jim 34

Webster, Sophia 31

Weiss, Don 40

West, Kanye 37

Wiseman, Eric 23

Woodhouse, Nick 40

Yoon, Gene 38

Zanotti, Giuseppe 30

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17 Michael Kors