ATLANTA — February 13, 2019 — brrr° has expanded its sales team with two experienced professionals who will focus on business development with retailers and manufacturers across the apparel and textile industry.

Molly Kremidas brings more than 25 years of knowledge and experience in textiles and packaging to brrr°. She was formerly the director of sales for North America for TIPA, a leader in compostable flexible packaging for fashion and food.

Earlier in her career, Kremidas was marketing director at Nilit, where she oversaw product innovation, marketing and branding initiatives with manufacturers, brands and retailers. She also previously worked at C9, a partnership between Target Corp. and Champion, which is now part of Hanes Brands Inc. Kremidas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in fashion merchandising from The American College of Applied Arts, and is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and educational events.

Valentina Henao has more than two decades of experience across all facets of the textile industry, including fabric sourcing, private labeling and trim apparel products. She began her career as a sourcing manager for DuPont and was a fabric sourcing manager at INVISTA, which is owned by China’s Shandong Ruyi Group. She also worked in fabric merchandising at The Moret Group and was a global fabric and trend manager at The Dow Chemical Company, where she managed the business unit in North America.

Henao advanced into a business development and sourcing director role at Rethink Fabric, and she oversaw an entire sales team as head of apparel business development at ITW Graphics Asia Ltd.’s New York office. She ran her own independent fabric consultancy for several years before joining brrr°. Henao earned a Bachelor of Science degree in international trade and marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and minored in fashion buying and merchandising.

“Molly and Valentina bring incredible knowledge and relationships across the entire textile and apparel industry, and we look forward to accelerating our discussions with new and existing customers to integrate brrr° cooling technology into new product lines,” said brrr° Vice President of sales Julie Brown.

brrr° created a cooling technology that combines natural minerals, active wicking and rapid drying to create a Triple Chill Effect™. It instantly and permanently draws heat and moisture away from the body, and the cooling effects of brrr° have been rigorously tested and verified by globally recognized independent labs.

Posted February 13, 2019

Source: brrr°

WASHINGTON — February 13, 2019 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) is pleased to announce the appointment Kimberly Glas as the organization’s new president and CEO, effective April 29 this year. Glas will succeed Augustine D. “Auggie” Tantillo, who previously announced his intention to step down from the same position at NCTO.

Current NCTO Chairman Marty Moran, CEO of Jefferson, Ga.-based Buhler Quality Yarns, noted that the selection follows a rigorous search process that led to her unanimous approval by NCTO Board of Directors. Glas brings more than 20 years of experience in government policy development and advocacy. Her multi-faceted career includes spearheading manufacturing and trade policy efforts on Capitol Hill, serving as a key leader on behalf of the textile industry in the Obama Administration, and most recently leading a non-profit organization working to advance critical policies to grow quality, U.S. jobs in the clean energy economy.

“We are fortunate, at this time of change and challenge to have Kim take the helm of this organization,” Moran said. “The U. S. textile industry is experiencing an exciting and dynamic period. A new policy environment has evolved in Washington that places a greater emphasis on domestic manufacturing and Kim is an excellent choice to steer the industry through these new opportunities,” Moran added. “NCTO has worked very closely with Kim over the years on Capitol Hill and in the Obama Administration. Kim brings a strong combination of leadership skills, policy and advocacy know-how, and industry knowledge and has extensive experience working on manufacturing, trade, competitiveness, and sustainability issues. We are thrilled she is taking on this important role at this time.”

“I am honored and excited for the opportunity to lead NCTO and to work on behalf of this innovative industry. I am grateful to Auggie for his leadership and all his support and friendship over the years and am deeply appreciative to the NCTO membership for this incredible opportunity,” Glas said. “I could not be more excited about taking on this role. I know how critical this industry is to so many across the United States and the value it represents. I am thrilled to be able to work on its behalf to advance its priorities.”

Glas most recently served as executive director of the BlueGreen Alliance, a national partnership of labor and environmental organizations working to advance the creation of quality U.S. jobs in the clean energy economy. In this capacity, she worked closely with labor, environmentalists and U.S. industry at the intersection of energy, the environment and trade to advance common-sense policy solutions in order to help achieve a stronger economy and a more sustainable future.

Prior to that, from 2009 to 2014, she served as the deputy assistant secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods and Materials at the U.S. Department of Commerce under the Obama administration. In this capacity, Glas managed three offices of nearly 40 employees and oversaw programs and strategies to improve the domestic and international competitiveness of the U.S. textile and apparel industries. She worked closely with the United States Trade Representative, other key agencies, and Congress to advance a multitude trade policy interests critical to the U.S. industry, including advancing fixes to the CAFTA-DR agreement to help maintain and grow the U.S. textile workforce.

Glas also brings extensive Capitol Hill experience, having worked for U.S. Representatives Michael Michaud of Maine and John J. LaFalce of New York. She helped to initially organize, and then served as the key Congressional staffer for the House Trade Working Group, a key coalition of Members of Congress that works extensively on trade policy and domestic competitiveness issues to this day.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 550,500 in 2017.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $77.9 billion in 2017.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $28.6 billion in 2017.
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.4 billion in 2016, the last year for which data is available.

Posted February 13, 2019

Source: The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

QUINCY, Mass. — February 12, 2019 — J.Jill Inc. today announced the appointment of Elliot Staples as senior vice president of Design. Staples was appointed directly by J.Jill’s Chief Executive Officer, Linda Heasley and brings over 27 years of design leadership to the company.

Staples joins J.Jill with a history of spearheading design direction and development for a roster of prominent retail organizations. Prior to joining J.Jill, Staples held Vice President of Design positions at both Maurices and The Limited, as well as senior design roles at The Gap and Adrienne Vittadini. Throughout his career he has excelled in conceptualizing and forecasting product vision for apparel collections at leading brands that have translated into robust sale volume and the engagement of existing and new customer audiences.

Beginning his new role at J.Jill on February 25th, Staples will report directly to Heasley overseeing concept and trend, fabric and color, design, technical design and product development for the company.

“I am thrilled to introduce Elliot to our senior leadership team,” said Linda Heasley. “I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Elliot for years and look forward to having him on my team once again. We are excited to welcome his creative mind and vision to the J.Jill brand. This company has had a history of growth and success, which we continue to build on and accelerate. We look forward to continuing to delight our customers with what they know and love about the J.Jill brand while also introducing a fresh perspective to our fashion offerings.”

Staples joins a seasoned team of executives with decades in the fashion industry, strengthened with new additions by Heasley, who joined the company as Chief Executive Officer less than one year ago in April 2018. His appointment comes just five months after Heasley’s hiring of Brian Beitler, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Brand Development Officer, as well as Shelley Liebsch, Senior Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer.

“Elliot brings a wonderful design approach and vision as we continue to evolve the brand,” said J.Jill Chairman, Michael Rahamim. “We are elated that Linda is building such an impressive and engaged team to lead the charge into our next growth phase.”

Posted February 12, 2019

Source: J.Jill, Inc.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — February 11, 2019 — Genesco Inc. announced that Jon Caplan recently announced his retirement as CEO of Johnston & Murphy and Genesco’s Branded Group, effective at the end of June 2019. Johnston & Murphy, the American heritage footwear, apparel and accessories brand, will be led by Danny Ewoldsen, who was named president of Johnston & Murphy in January 2018. Ewoldsen, a 16-year veteran of Johnston & Murphy, previously served as executive vice president, retail and ecommerce.

A veteran of the footwear industry, Caplan first joined Genesco, Johnston & Murphy’s parent company, in 1982. He took on numerous roles within the corporation, ultimately serving as president of the Laredo/Code West Boot Co. Following a 10-year stint outside of the company, the majority of the time with Stride Rite Corp. where he led the Stride Rite Children’s Group and its Keds brand. Caplan rejoined Genesco in 2002 as president of Johnston & Murphy and CEO of Genesco’s Branded Group. During his 16-year tenure, Caplan was instrumental in the brand’s transformation from a heritage dress shoe brand into a true lifestyle brand.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of the remarkable growth and success of Johnston & Murphy. I have long admired the company’s dedication to the highest standard of craftsmanship and have the utmost confidence in Danny and the rest of the leadership team’s ability to carry Johnston & Murphy’s legacy into the future,” said Caplan.

“Jon’s strategic vision, industry expertise and personal warmth made him an effective and unique leader. He led with humility and never missed the opportunity to teach or offer support at all levels of our organization. We thank him for all he has done for our team and for establishing J&M as a viable and growing business. We wish him the very best in the next chapter of his life,” added Ewoldsen.

Bob Dennis, Genesco chairman, president and CEO, said, “I share Jon’s enthusiasm about the tremendous potential in the Johnston & Murphy business and his confidence in the ability of Danny and his team to continue the positive momentum Johnston & Murphy has enjoyed in recent years. We thank Jon for his 26 years with the Company and celebrate his lasting legacy at Johnston & Murphy and Genesco.”

Posted February 12, 2019

Source: Genesco Inc.