Neiman Marcus appoints fashion and lifestyle director

Dive Brief:

In its second big announcement this week, Neiman Marcus stated that Lisa Aiken has been appointed to the newly created role of fashion and lifestyle director, according to a press release sent to Retail Dive.
Aiken previously served as the fashion and buying director at Moda Operandi and also held positions at Net-a-Porter and MyTheresa — the latter a luxury e-commerce company once owned by Neiman Marcus.
Aiken will head up the Fashion and Lifestyle Office and work to identify emerging brands, discover trends and services in fashion and lifestyle, and collaborate with brands to expand exclusive partnerships. She will begin Aug. 9 and report to Neiman Marcus Group president and chief merchandising officer Lana Todorovich.

Dive Insight:

By bringing in a fashion-forward leader with a background working with digital luxury apparel platforms, Neiman Marcus is signaling its commitment to e-commerce.

On Wednesday, the retailer revealed that, over the next three years, it is making a series of digital and tech expenditures that total about $500 million. Those investments will kick off with the acquisition of cloud-based, software-as-a-service platform Stylyze, which offers "enterprise solutions to the home and fashion retail verticals."

"[Neiman Marcus] is perfectly positioned to capture the growing interest of luxury customers as we develop essential digital capabilities that ensure we drive profitable and sustainable growth," Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of Neiman Marcus Group, said yesterday in a statement regarding the intended acquisition.

The retailer, which exited bankruptcy last fall, announced an e-commerce revamp in January.

The new role of fashion and lifestyle director is part of a larger merchandising and planning team strategy, according to the company. And a big element in the go-forward plan seems to be focused on forging relationships with companies as a way to build on the recent addition of "nearly 50 new and notable brands, 20 exclusive capsules and offerings, and one-of-a-kind experiences" to its portfolio.

"We have been on a journey to find a global fashion leader who is a digital native and will help accelerate the growth of Neiman Marcus' loyal brand portfolio with a fresh perspective," said Todorovich in a statement. "Lisa has a keen understanding of both luxury fashion and emerging brands, coupled with her expertise as a compelling storyteller of seasonal fashion messages and skills on digital platforms."