On September 8th Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), Footwear News (FN) and Beauty Inc gathered industry insiders at the Rainbow Room in New York City to celebrate its third annual Women in Power initiative as part of its long-term strategy to bring awareness to the achievements of women in business. At Women in Power leaders and executives across fashion, beauty, and retail came together to share their inspiring stories, kicking off New York Fashion Week on a celebratory note.
The inspiring roster of speakers and guests included Hailey Bieber; Kate Foster and Scarlett Johansson for The Outset; April Walker; Nell Diamond of Hill House; June Ambrose for Puma; Content Creator Alix Earle; Kellie Fitzgerald of Google; Felecia Hatcher of Black Ambition Opportunity Inc.; Denise Magid, Chief Merchant for Bloomingdales; Annie Young-Scrivner of Wella Company; and more.
Allison Collins, Executive Managing Editor, WWD, opened the program with a snapshot on where women currently land in fashion, beauty and retail leadership. The research showed that in the 50 largest companies in the WWD universe, 20 percent of CEO jobs are held by women — more than double where the industry stood five years ago.
“Women in Power has been among the most positive and inspiring initiatives for the Fairchild brands, and for me personally as a female leader, over the last three years. To be able to bring together female leadership across the industry – both on stage and in our audience – and to amplify those voices to ignite action within actual businesses, is exactly what our events are about. My hope is that this event will continue to draw more women in the industry together and that we continue to use this platform to create a better environment for women leaders now, and more access to leadership roles for those to come.”
Amanda Smith, President of Fairchild Media Group
“We are so grateful to have gathered such powerful minds all together in one room,” added Allison Collins. “Women in Power provides a forum for a spirited exchange of ideas, and my hope is for our attendees to walk away with tangible tips and guidance from other successful women. The number of female CEOs across our collective industries is at a record high, and the strength and support around our Women in Power initiative is palpable. One theme that arose from the day was perfectionism and the art of leaving it behind. Creating space and community for these dynamic conversations is a key part of our mission.”
The 2023 Women in Power event was supported by partners from Caleres, Glamsquad, Google, JCPenney Beauty + Salon, Presperse, Unilever, and Wella Company.
