The Principal of Peter Marino Architect

The principal of Peter Marino Architect, a 160-person, New York–based architecture practice founded in 1978. Working globally across a broad range of project types and scales, Marino is widely credited for redefining modern luxury through equal emphasis on architecture and interior design. The practice is recognized for its award-winning residential, retail, cultural, and hospitality projects worldwide. Well known for integrating art within architectural designs, Peter Marino has commissioned more than 300 site-specific works of art.

PMA projects currently in design or recently completed include a new 10 story flagship for Tiffany & Co. in NYC; a new ground up building for Chanel in Los Angeles; Cheval Blanc hotel in the historic ‘La Samaritaine’ in Paris; a flagship for Dior on Avenue Montaigne in Paris; a flagship for Bulgari in Place Vendome, Paris; a new building for Chanel in Miami; a complex of buildings in Greece; a Louis Vuitton flagship in Ginza, Tokyo; an art foundation in Southampton, New York; condominiums and a hotel in Miami; numerous private residences worldwide.

For furthering art and culture, Peter Marino was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2012) and an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2017) by the French Ministry of Culture. Peter Marino’s distinguished honors include 22 citations from the AIA for architectural design excellence.

He holds an architecture degree from Cornell University and began his career at Skidmore Owings & Merrill, George Nelson and I.M. Pei/Cossutta & Ponte.

Peter Marino purchased and restored the former Rogers Memorial Library at 11 Jobs Lane in Southampton, New York, and opened Peter Marino Art Foundation in the summer of 2021. Peter Marino Art Foundation exhibits more than 200 artworks from Marino’s private collection including paintings, sculpture, drawings, photography and ceramics from 3500 BC to the present day.

> Peter Marino Architect website
> WWD – Women’s Wear Daily Article
> VMSD – Article

Senior Curator, Fashion and Material Culture

Matthew Yokobosky was appointed Senior Curator, Fashion and Material Culture, in 2018, having most recently held the position of Director of Exhibition Design. Since 1999, Matthew has designed more than ninety-five temporary and permanent exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, including Hiroshige: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (2000), the critically acclaimed Luce Center for American Art: Visible Storage • Study Center (2001/2005), Basquiat (2005), Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life (2006), © MURAKAMI (2008), Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present (2009; also exhibition editor), The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk(2013), Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe (2014), The Rise of Sneaker Culture (2015), Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks (2015), Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern (2017), and David Bowie is (2018; also coordinating curator). Recent projects include: Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion (2019), Studio 54: Night Magic (2020), The Queen and The Crown: A Virtual Exhibition of Costumes from “The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Crown” (2020), Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams (2021) and Thierry Mugler: Couturissime (2022).

Prior to joining us, Matthew was the Associate Curator of Film and Video at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where he curated No-Wave Cinema, 1978–1987 (1996, international tour), Fashion and Film (1997), Charles Atlas: The Hanged One (1997), and the Eiko & Komo living installation Breath (1998). Also at the Whitney, he was the exhibition designer for Theresa Hak Kyung Cha: Other Things Seen, Other Things Heard (1992), Joseph Stella (1994), 1995 Whitney Biennial, and Edward Steichen (2000), among many others. Matthew has curated and designed exhibitions nationally for the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut, and the Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, and internationally at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul; American Center, Paris; Statens Museum for Kunst/National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen; and Barbican Centre, London. He won a Bessie award for set and costume design for his work with the theater director Ping Chong.

> See Images from The 2022 Award Event
> WWD – Women’s Wear Daily Article
> VMSD – Article
> WWD – Women’s Wear Daily Article

Visual Image Director at LVMH

Faye McLeod is the visual image director at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Glasgow-born McLeod earned a degree in fashion design at the city’s Cardonald College, and, after graduation, swiftly moved into the domain of window and set design, working at Topshop and Selfridges. In 2009, McLeod joined Louis Vuitton as creative director of visual merchandising. Her first major production for the French fashion house was the opening of its New Bond Street maison in 2010, for which she created a ‘Cabinet Curiosite’ filled with creatures in glass jars.

In 2012, McLeod was promoted to visual image director of LVMH. Today, she oversees the windows for more than 460 stores globally, working with senior designer Ansel Thompson and a team of 23 people, planning the displays for stores such as Louis Vuitton and Dior as far as 12 months in advance.

Managing Partner & EVP at Wests Design

Fall of 2018, Dan Evans joined Wests Design as a Managing Partner and EVP Marketing & Business Development. In his new role has expanded the companies offerings of; retail design, branding services, digital & interface design, and full management consulting services for the retail suppliers’ chain Globally. Wests Design, is headquartered in the UK, Hereford England and officed in NYC.

Prior to joining Wests, Evans was President / Creative Director of Goldsmith Mannequins and Ambassador of NOA Brands INC. the parent company, now the world’s largest producers of mannequins and visual elements. In June 2005, Evans merged his own visual merchandising company Joint Collections and his well-established “Who’s Who” retail clients to partner and reimage the Goldsmith brand. After its long void in NYC, Evans returned Goldsmith to the city, personally designing its award winning showroom in the now famous Starrett Lehigh Building that opened in December 2005. After 11 successful years in the premier location, rising rent cost in the now trendy neighborhood, the company recognized it’s need to relocate. In July 2016 Evans again located, designed and reopened the Goldsmith brand with a new showroom in the historical NYC Garment District. With its penthouse location, amazing city views, Goldsmith remained in the forefront of the creative & fashion industry.

In 2019 Evans was awarded the Markopoulos Award, the retail industry’s highest award in retail design and recognized for ones distinctive career accomplishments. Members of the Markopoulos award are esteemed for their ability to innovate and inspire, their contributions to the success of a retailer or company, their ability to nurture and mentor young talent and their ongoing contributions and support of the retail design and visual industry. In 2022 the Markopoulos Award celebrated its 25th anniversary and 25th recipient.

Evans is dedicated to the growth and education of the retail, visual design and fashion industry. He has a personal passion for mentoring young new talent and plans to continue supporting the industry through educational channels and industry events. His personal interest of entertainment, travel, the arts and design will continue to be his personal priorities of life.

> More information on wests design and Hard Drive Media
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> More information on Dan Evans

Program Coordinator for Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design Associate Professor at Fashion Institute of Technology

Anne Kong is an educator and a designer specializing in Visual Presentation, Exhibition and Special Events with more than 20 years of experience developing design concepts and solutions for retail, showrooms, trade shows and promotional events.

As a Professor and former Chairperson of the Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design Department at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, she is best known for innovating professional collaborations between retailers and brands to enhance the classroom experience for her students.

Anne is a partner of creative services for her own design company, A+D Kong that she shares with her husband David, working with a vast range of clients on consulting and producing large-scale installations.

She is an advisory member for Retail Design International [RSD Publishing] and serves on the PAVE Committee [The Partnership for Planning and Visual Education] and is responsible for organizing the Annual PAVE Gala Student Exhibition each year. Anne is an expert juror for Global Innovation Awards (gia) programme run by the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago and International Housewares Association (IHA) of the US.

Her design work has been recognized by the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum and she has developed programs and lectures in participation with the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

> More information on Anne Kong

Former VP, Global Store Design and Visual Merchandising at Godiva Chocolatier

The 21st recipient, Linda Lombardi, head of global store design for Godiva Chocolatier Inc., has enjoyed a diverse design career that has included working with global brands and companies at pivotal moments in their legacies to help them innovate and stay at the top of their games.

From playing a part in window theater with Saks Fifth Avenue to exploring the meaning of hospitality with The Inn at Perry Cabin to churning out retail experiences with Liz Claiborne and elevating the brand experience for Godiva, Lombardi has worked in men’s fashion, home furnishings, hospitality and the culinary world of chocolate.

With more than 25 years in the industry working for a prestigious list of global brands, she has a long list of accolades and accomplishments. During her close to 14 years with Liz Claiborne, she was at one point dealing with more than 40 brands under one corporate umbrella. In 2012, Lombardi was recognized as a Retail Design Influencer and as a Luminary in 2013 as part of design:retail’s Portfolio Awards. Under her leadership, the Godiva retail store and visual merchandising efforts were recognized multiple times for design excellence.

Chief Brand Ambassador at eie Experiential Interior Environments & Green Cloud Design Build

eie-environments and eie-Greencloud are new and uniquely positioned synthesis of design and build expertise focused on supporting the needs of the experiential interior environments industry including the cannabis industry.

We bring years of collective retail experience and proven partnerships across a full spectrum of design and manufacturing disciplines, both onshore and offshore. Engage these disciplines coupled with our seasoned service, project management and you’ll realize your blue-sky ambitions with the eie service team.

Ralph Pucci International

Each year, design:retail presents the Markopoulos Award to one outstanding professional from the visual merchandising and store design industry. It is named in honor of the late Andrew Markopoulos, whose tenure as senior vice president of visual merchandising and store design for the department store division of Dayton Hudson elevated the field from a trade to an art form.

Ken Smart, currently an artistic design director with Ralph Pucci Intl., is the 19th designee of the peer-awarded honor. From G. Fox, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s to Marshall Field’s, Harrods and Saks, Smart’s career in the visual industry has made a stop over myriad retail touchpoints.

During his time as vice president of visual for Saks Fifth Avenue, Smart created “Project Art,” working with numerous artists to merge their creations with fashion and bring them to life in new ways. Collaborations with artists like Charles Long, William Wegman, Kenny Scharf and Vitto Acconci created memorable installations in Saks windows around the country. Some of his collaborations even resulted in books.

Smart left Saks in 2003 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and started working with Ralph Pucci Intl. about six years ago. While at Ralph Pucci, Smart has assisted with numerous special projects, including “Pratt, Paper, Pucci,” a student contest that was displayed in Macy’s windows. Currently, Smart is working on a tribute show for Ralph Pucci that will take place at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. “Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin” will run from March 31-Aug. 30. Read more on this year’s Markopoulos Award Winer, Ken Smart, in our March issue.

Co-Founder + Chief Brand Officer – goodMRKT
Vice President of Retail Brand Experience – Vera Bradley

Harry Cunningham is the Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of the innovative retail concept, goodMRKT, and Vice President of Retail Brand Experience, at Vera Bradley. As Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of goodMRKT, he fostered the groundbreaking retail concept from ideation through launch, while coordinating every phase of its development including Branding, Store Design, Customer Experience, Merchandising and Partnership Development. As Vice President at Vera Bradley he oversees development of leading edge customer retail experiences and collaborations.

During his time with Vera Bradley, he has successfully orchestrated the launch of several new flagship stores including locations in Disney Springs, Florida and the Soho district of New York City. Prior to joining Vera Bradley, Harry served as Senior Vice President of Store Planning, Design and Visual Merchandising at Saks Fifth Avenue where he directed the revitalization of Saks’ full line store design and oversaw its legendary award-winning window displays. Previously, he held design and visual merchandising roles with legacy retailers Liz Claiborne and Dillard’s.

In 2014, Harry was awarded the prestigious Markopoulos Award from Design:Retail magazine in recognition of his outstanding achievements in and contributions to visual merchandising and store design.

A passionate industry ambassador, he is an Emeritus Member of the PAVE Board of Directors, having previously served as Vice President and President during his 10+ year tenure. He also holds several membership positions on educational advisory boards including LIM in New York City and FIDM in Los Angeles.

> More information on Harry Cunningham

Innovator, Agent of Change, Experienced Brand Developer and Strategist

Joe is a man possessed of those unique talents that when combined, add up to one consummate marketing executive. His creative, artistic vision, realistic business perspective, and ability to forecast, market and merchandise what the customer wants and how best to bring it to him or her, have paved Joe’s road to success within the walls of some of the country’s most distinguished stores.

> More information on Joseph Feczko

Eric Feigenbaum is a recognized leader in the visual merchandising and store design industries with both domestic and international design experience. His career includes work in four different sectors of the industry: Visual Merchandising, Design, Education and Editorial. As a retailer, he served as Corporate Director of Visual Merchandising for Stern’s Department Store, a Division of Federated Department Stores, for fourteen years. On the design side, he was the Director of Visual Merchandising for WalkerGroup/CNI, an architectural design firm located in New York City. In the educational sector, he was the Chair of the Visual Merchandising Department at LIM College in New York City from 2000 to 2015, where he created the first four year BBA degree program in visual merchandising, and the first masters degree program in visual merchandising. Additionally, he was an adjunct professor of Store Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Currently, he is the president and director of creative services for his own retail design company, Embrace Design, an author and a lecturer on the international stage. With many responsibilities, he also works in the editorial sector as the Editorial Advisor/New York Editor of VMSD Magazine, and as the Director of Workshops for WindowsWear. 

Feigenbaum has been the recipient of numerous prestigious industry awards. In 2012, he was awarded the industry’s highest honor, the coveted Markopoulos Award. Professor Feigenbaum has lectured all over the world on visual merchandising and store design including presentations at the World Retail Congress and the National Retail Federation as well as presentations in Seoul and Ulsan, South Korea; Fukuoka, Japan; Santiago, Chile; Hong Kong; Sydney and Melbourne, Australia; Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba, Brazil; Dusseldorf, Germany; Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Canada; Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, Mexico; Madrid, Spain; Lima, Peru; Bogota and Medellin, Colombia; and Milan and Ancona, Italy.

Feigenbaum is also a founding member of PAVE (A Partnership for Planning and Visual Education) and is regarded as one of the top experts and visionaries in the Visual Merchandising and store design industries.

> More information on Eric Feigenbaum

Chairman and Founder at Chute Gerdeman

Denny’s reign in the industry, as well as Chute Gerdeman’s awards and recognition, have made him a well-known presence in the community of retailers, service providers and manufacturers of consumer products. DDI magazine honored him as a Retail Design Influencer. He was inducted into the Retail Design Institute Retail Design Legion of Honor for his lifetime contributions that have influenced and shaped retailing, store design, and the design cultureboth here and abroad. He was also named the 2011 Markopoulos Award winner by DDI magazine recognizing his distinguished career as well as his efforts to give back to the profession. The prestigious honor, named after the late visual merchandising legend Andrew Markopoulos, is presented annually by DDI to one outstanding industry professional. In September of 2014, Denny received design:retail magazine’s annual Luminary award, an award given to “outstanding individuals who have demonstrated unparalleled creative excellence, exemplary professional leadership and unwavering personal commitment to the retail design industry—lighting the way for others, inspiring us with their accomplishments and visionary guidance.”

Gerdeman is president of PAVE (the Planning and Visual Education Partnership) and is a member and past president of the Ohio Chapter of Retail Design Institute. He also has served on the A.R.E. Board of Directors and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for design:retail magazine.

Specialties: Widely regarded by the retail industry as a thought leader, Denny’s work has been published in magazines such as DDI, VMSD, Contract, and Chain Store Age. He is also a requested speaker for retail symposiums around the world including GlobalShop, EuroShop, the National Retail Federation (NRF), SPECS, The Shop in New Delhi, India, and the World Retail Congress.

Creative Consultant

Beebe currently works as a creative consultant and stylist. He previously worked as Vice President Creative Director at Diamond Group and is also a consultant and YouTube presenter for WindowsWear, the leading global digital platform celebrating window design.

His career spans 4 decades at the forefront of the fashion industry. Prior to Diamond, Beebe was creative director for Fairchild Media’s flagship titles DNR and Menswear magazine, leading styling and overall creative strategy. He’s also been creative director of leading menswear brand Paul Stuart, creative consultant at Liberty of London and held creative direction roles in VM and windows for Henri Bendel, Neiman Marcus (Nationwide stores US) and Bergdorf Goodman.

More recently Beebe, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institute, has overseen the digitization of iconic window designer Gene Moore’s archive. Beebe is Moore’s protegee. Beebe is consulting on the development of an exhibition of Moore’s most famous work.

> More information on Tom Beebe

Ralph Pucci International

Andy was always looking for newness, freshness … what’s next. In 1994, I introduced the TANGO collection designed by the author/illustrator Maira Kalman. He loved the colorful personalities of each character. He was so excited. At the time, Dayton-Hudson was developing a new concept to i1troduce workday casual clothing. It was going to be the store’s biggest launch in years. He proposed to his management eight to 10 Kalman mannequins dressed in ‘workday casual’ at all the store entrances as ‘greeters.’ a total of 500 mannequins. Management felt it was exciting and unique. but too expensive. He was asked to come back with another idea. He re-thought his idea and came back with a new proposal. This time there would be 1,000 Maira Kalman mannequins with their images also used on shopping bags, bllboards, television commercials and as the “models” in the Dayton-Hudson catalog. Management loved the idea and went for it That was Andy Markopoulos, always the showman, always pushing the envelope, always looking to create the WOW. Years later. a top Dayton-Hudson executive told me that the work day casual launch was the “biggest bang for the buck’ that he was ever involved with in retail.

I met Andy when I was 21 years old. He became my mentor and dear friend. He always encouraged me to take chances and to be different to take it to uncharted waters.

Andy was always trying to elevate the visual merchandising field by creating unique, qualty work. He thought of the big picture-the blending of visual, store planning, marketing and fashion to create a unique brand. He felt the visual field was under-appreciated and had to constantly ‘challenge’ top management to take it to the next level. Through his extraor-dinary style, professionalism and demanding the best from everyone, he became a legend. Through his consistency and clear message, his legend is still relevant today.

> More information on Ralph Pucci

ALFREDO PAREDES STUDIO – New York

> More information on Alfredo Paredes

Executive Vice President of Creative Servicesat Bloomingdales Jack Hruska Bloomingdale’s

Partner, Cape Ideas Group

Michael Cape has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, fixture and store design, visual merchandising, product development, packaging and public relations for the retail and apparel industries.

Cape specializes in consulting services for retail and apparel brands providing marketing leadership in brand positioning, marketing strategy, online and social media, consumer insights, creative development, new brand launches, store design and public relations.

Cape was the Executive Vice President of Marketing for Old Navy where he directed all aspects of marketing including broadcast, online and print advertising, in-store promotion, CRM, media and public relations.

Cape joined Old Navy after six years at JCPenney, as Vice President, Director of Brand Marketing. In this position, he was responsible for total campaign development, broadcast advertising , national print advertising, in-store graphics and visual, packaging and gift registry.

He joined JCPenney in 2001 as Vice President, Director of Store Design and Visual and was responsible for all visual merchandising programs, in-store marketing and fixtures and store design for 1,100 stores. In this role, Cape directed the development of the JCPenney Store of the Future prototype and rollout.

Cape’s innovative work has been featured in Fortune, USA Today, Associated Press, CNN, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, Brandweek, Display and Design Ideas and Advertising Age.

Cape was recognized with the Markopoulos Award as the Industry Leader in Store Design and Visual Merchandising by Design:Retail Magazine in 2006. He also received the Retail Luminary Award as one of the Top 5 Leaders in Retail by DDI Magazine.

Michael has given keynote addresses at GlobalShop in Las Vegas, The Design Collective Show in New York and EuroShop in Dusseldorf.

> More information on Michael Cape

Chief Strategic Design Officer at Grottini Advanced Retail World

The thing that brought Andy and I together in the late 1970s was a common ground of good manners and impeccable presen-tation. He was very articulate. I was attracted to that type of presence early in my career. He represented the ideal that you must present yourself at the highest standard, or your work will fall short. Andy and I shared that connection. When I started in the industry, I was drawn to the department store window. His had a sense of personal innate style and was committed to educating himself in a worldly manner. He had a Greek background, traveled Europe and educated himself. Andy was a pioneer in breaking the glass ceiling in making taste and design the being and presence of Dayton-Hudson.

He made display a profit canter. He was the one who broke through and had such a good rapport with management, and that intersection between design and corporate. Andrew was more than a display man, visual merchandiser or store designer. He gave cred-ibility and respect to our craft in the world of business.

> More information on James Damian

Global retail storyteller & consultant; executive experience visual merchandising, brand marketing & creative direction

Award-winning executive creative retail director and vice president with extensive background conceptualizing 360-degree consumer experiences in retail storytelling through visual merchandising, store design, strategic branding, communication and marketing events in both specialty and department store environments.

Develop and lead creative teams; responsible for innovative marketing, visuals and store environments for major global technology brands and luxury fashion brands. Focus on innovation, cohesive multi-channel customer journey, and display technology techniques. Passionate about building relationships with consumers through brand authenticity and engaging and compelling in-store experiences across all brand channels.

Consulting responsibilities include inspiring transformation team to strategically guide brands to elevate positioning in marketplace, and providing creative direction and vendor management to achieve transformation agendas.

Creative Ambassador at Barneys, New York

Doonan comes from the English town of Reading. His first retail job was a summer position at Heelas, a department store in Reading, now owned by the John Lewis Partnership. After returning to work at the same store after university, he first got involved in the art of window dressing. He later left Reading for London and dressed windows at Aquascutum before moving to Nutters of Savile Row.

Invited to dress his windows by the proprietor of Maxfield, a department store in Los Angeles, Doonan moved to the United States in 1978. He joined the Barneys staff in 1986 as a window dresser.

> More information on Simon Doonan

Principal, Luckenbill Retail Design

After leaving Dayton-Hudson, I called Andy to ask for advice on decision making. He said, ‘Always trust your instincts, because you will find them to be right.” It was a short conversation, but good advice that I have always remembered.

When we took market trips with Andy, he always took the time to take us on a side trip-if we were in San Francisco, we would go to Muir Woods or Sausalito. In New York, it would be The Cloisters, the Morgan Library or the Met at Christmas. When asked why, he said, ‘Because it’s good for your soul. You will see how it will help you later.” He believed in going off the beaten path, as it supports the out-of-the-box thinking process.A few years after the Muir Woods trip, we were working on a campaign called Boundary Waters. My mind went back to that trip as we began creating our own little Muir Woods in the stores.

Andy was a dapper dresser. Casual for him meant white slacks with pleats and a shirt and sweater, with another sweater draped over his shoulders. On our trip to Sausalito, a few fellow travelers on the ferry were mockingly admiring his perfect attire, and as they did, a number of seagulls added poop to their wardrobe. Andy laughed and said to us, ‘You have to watch what you say. God will get you.”

As an award recipient, it is an honor to be recognized by the industry and my peers. It is an honor to become part of a prestigious and elite group of 20 people over 20 years. As recipients. it is our duty to carry forward his high standard of design excellence and his belief in giving back to the industry. As one of the few professionals in this group who has reported directly to Andy, I feel that it is a true honor of his memory. He was a professional father figure to me, and that personal connection and gratitude that I have toward him was strengthened with this award.

Andy is one of the few leaders responsible for elevating our jobs to become a profession, from display people and window trimmers to visual merchants. He believed and nurtured his teams to have the courage of their convictions. He led by example. He always carried himself as a leader and as a professional, and taught us all the importance of that He set a standard for the industry, a standard of professionalism, of how to present yourself in a manner that will be listened to and taken seriously by management when you try to sell an idea. He was a master collaborator. He brought key people to the table as an idea was forming, so that when it was time to present to the decision makers, he had everyone on the same page.

At Andy’s funeral, the priest told what might be a familiar story about a man passing away and when he gets to heaven, St Peter is showing him around God’s mansion. There is another man running around, moving art and putting everythilg in its place. The man on the tour asks St. Peter. “Is that God?” St. Peter replies, ‘No, that is Andrew Markopoulos.” Those at the funeral knew this to be a true depiction.

SVP Fashion and Store Presentation Director at Bergdorf Goodman

inda Fargo is the senior vice president (since 2006) of the fashion office and the director of women’s fashion and store presentation for the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City.

James Mansour, Founder of Mansour Design, is a leading interior designer and retail branding consultant whose breakthrough projects around the world have graced the pages of countless major publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, Interior Design and Women’s Wear Daily.

Mansour is at heart an artist and conceptual creative, who arrived at interiors from a background in the worlds of fine art and theatrical design. Over his decades-long career, he has created richly nuanced environments laden with expressive style that have revolutionised specialty retailing. Each Mansour Design environment resonates with the complexity of modern life, exuding masterful interplays of dramatic scale and furnishings, color, light, and stimulating iconography.

James Mansour’s innovative designs help brands seamlessly integrate merchandising, marketing, function, and style – driven by his credo that “A brand isn’t something you buy. It’s something you buy into.” For Mansour, immersive storytelling is the key element in each concept.

As EVP Design for L Brands, he created wildly successful specialty retailing concepts for Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, Express and Abercrombie & Fitch as well as Henri Bendel’s sensational Fifth Avenue flagship, a five-level luxury playground, which adjoined three historic townhouses.

After founding Mansour Design he went on to design for a diverse range of global brands creating numerous international boutiques. A retrospective of his work was published in Japan, entitled POEM: Principles Of Experiential Marketing.

Mansour’s latest project is Sartoria Studio located in Soho: an exclusive made-to-measure haberdashery. The experience exudes a unique blend of Milanese sophistication and downtown New York edge. The Italians have a word for the vibe: Sprezzatura – which translates as quintessentially cool – yet nonchalant style.

“Having personally known Andy, it was exceptionally gratifying to become an early recipient of this coveted Award.” JM

> More information on James Mansour

Judy Bell is the founder and CEO (Chief Energetic Officer) of Energetic Retail. Skilled in identifying the link between fashion retail trends and global developments, she combines her insights with neuroscience and the study of human behavior to deliver a holistic plan of action. In her half-day workshops, retailers and design firms envision a fresh perspective on retail environments, leading to novel and eloquent ways to engage and inspire shoppers. The 6th edition of her college textbook, Silent Selling, Best Practices and Effective Strategies in Visual Merchandising, released in June 2022. It features her pioneering work with color palettes, a Look-Compare-Innovate process to inspire creative thinking, Neuroscience Pop-Ups!, Designers Pet Peeves and Creative Wizards. Judy believes education should be entertaining!

Formerly at Target for 22 years, she specialized in inspiration and innovation and traveled the US and Europe in search of unique visual merchandising and store design trends. She offered her photographs and commentary to 3000 team members annually in colorful and often humorous presentations. Judy served on several national retail design boards for decades. She received the coveted Markopoulos Award in 1999 and was named a Design Luminary in 2006. Today Judy serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for Retail Leader, an online community of elite executives.  She is a member of FGI, (Fashion Group International), Shop! Association, and RDI, (Retail Design Institute). She also serves on the Marketing Committee of Alliance Francaise, a French immersion school and community in Minneapolis. Annually she judges the Winning Windows holiday competition in Manhattan on Madison and 5th Avenues.

Invited to share her perspective at international conferences throughout her career, most recently Judy was featured at two virtual events: Fortress REIT in Johannesburg, and the World Retail Congress in London.

> More information on Judy Bell

Chief Executive Officer at ThinkTank Retail Hospitality Group LLC

VP of Architecture CallisonRTKL