Daily Front Row

2011 March 30

Michelle Kessler Sanders Exits T; Joins Vera Wang

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Michelle Kessler Sanders at NYFW
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(NEW YORK) Sally Singer is officially on the hunt for a new fashion director of T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Today, Vera Wang announced the appointment of Michelle Kessler Sanders, who currently holds that title, as creative director of the lifestyle brand. Sanders will end her stint at T, which she joined last summer, in two weeks.

Sanders will be the first creative director at the brand in its 21-year-history. She will report to Mario Grauso, president of the Vera Wang Group, and oversee product development for four internal divisions of the company as well as 12 licensees. The Simply Vera Vera Wang collection, a licensing deal with Kohl's that is responsible for the bulk of the company's sales (upwards of $750 million), boasts over forty categories alone. Not to mention collection, bridal, mattresses, home products, stationery, and of course, accessories. A rumored cosmetics deal with Estée Lauder could add another set of responsibilities. The White by Vera Wang collection, produced for the 308-unit bridal behemouth David's Bridal, is another top-line driver.

“It was exciting for me to get back into editorial," Sanders told WWD, "But I realized fairly quickly that the skills I have developed in my 22-year career are much better suited for building a global brand and developing product.” Prior to T, Sanders served as SVP and accessories director at Donna Karan and VP and fashion director at Juicy Couture. Before Juicy, she spent six years as accesssories director at Vogue, and began her career with positions in the PR departments of Prada, Giorgio Armani, and Calvin Klein.
ASHLEY BAKER