Dive Transient:
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Everlane has chosen Alfred Chang, ex-CEO of upscale attire model Worry of God, to be chief government officer. He takes the put up on Monday, an organization spokesperson confirmed by electronic mail.
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Earlier than becoming a member of Worry of God, Chang spent 17 years at Pacsun, the place his roles included co-CEO, president, chief model officer and government vice chairman of merchandising and design, per the e-mail. He additionally spent 5 years in merchandising at Outdated Navy, per his LinkedIn web page.
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Andrea O’Donnell, Everlane’s CEO since 2021, left in January to hitch footwear retailer Designer Manufacturers. Within the interim, the model created an workplace of the CEO to tackle her duties, led by Everlane Chief Development and Folks Officer Kate Vukelich and Chief Monetary Officer Vince Adams, the spokesperson mentioned.
Dive Perception:
O’Donnell left Everlane a few 12 months after the model introduced layoffs involving practically 9% of its workers. On the time, she blamed macroeconomic forces, singling out the actual difficulties dealing with venture-backed corporations in a good market.
Final 12 months was additionally dominated by layoffs at a number of DTC manufacturers, and tech and tech-adjacent corporations, with an rising variety of manufacturers forging partnerships with retailers so as to chase progress through wholesale.
Chang has been tapped to guide Everlane via what the spokesperson mentioned will probably be its subsequent part, describing his accomplishments at Worry of God as streamlining operations in addition to main advertising and merchandising methods.
“Alfred elevated Worry of God’s product strains by overseeing the strategic improvement and refinement of males’s, ladies’s and youngsters’ collections, driving substantial progress and market share,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Given his “intensive merchandising background,” Chang’s appointment might assist return Everlane to its cult standing by serving to the model focus extra on its go-to-market initiatives, in response to Liza Amlani, principal and co-founder of Retail Technique Group.
”There are nonetheless many unanswered questions on their ‘radical transparency’ claims and if this can be a advertising technique versus how they really create product,” she mentioned by telephone. “Connecting the provision chain and product improvement to advertising, with a deal with transparency, is what aligns with extra buyer values at present. They need to lean into this with extra power than ever.”
Everlane has lengthy pledged to companion with moral factories and supply clients with particulars in regards to the manufacturing of their merchandise, calling that “radical transparency,” however has additionally weathered criticism about these guarantees in addition to its firm tradition.