LVMH

New York -- The National Retail Federation announced that The Container Store chairman and CEO Kip Tindell has been elected chairman of the NRF board of directors and chairman of its executive committee, succeeding Stephen I. Sadove, retired chairman and CEO of Saks, Inc.  

Tindell was elected at the Board of Directors meeting held Sunday during NRF’s 104th Annual Convention and EXPO, Retail’s BIG Show.

Paris -- LVMH announced the appointment of Caroline Brown as CEO of Donna Karan International, effective Jan. 15. She currently serves as president of Carolina Herrera.

Brown will replace Mark Weber, the incumbent CEO of Donna Karan International, who is becoming a consultant for LVMH.

Redmond, Wash. – Microsoft will open its first flagship location, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

In addition, Microsoft plans to open 10 new stores across the U.S. in time for the 2014 holiday season, while the flagship New York store is being built. Microsoft has not given a specific timeframe for when the flagship will open, but said it has been planning the store for five years. It will open in a spot currently occupied by luxury accessories brand Fendi, a few blocks south of an Apple store.

New York -- Italian luxury brand Fendi has opened a pop-up, called #fendisoho in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The 630-sq.-ft. store will be open until the end of the year.

The merchandise will rotate on a monthly basis, with different themes that reflect the breadth of the brand’s offerings. The first collection is devoted to accessories, or what Fendi calls “must-have mini-icons.”

Brisbane, California — bebe stores CEO Steve Birkhold has left the company, effectively immediately, and an interim chief has been named to lead while a search for a permanent replacement is underway, said bebe stores on Thursday.

Following the sudden departure of Birkhold, the board appointed Jim Wiggett, currently CEO of Jackson Hole Group, as bebe’s interim CEO.

Bebe's Steve Birkhold has resigned as CEO, effective immediately. The board has appointed Jim Wiggett, currently CEO of Jackson Hole Group, as CEO while it starts a search for a permanent replacement.

The Clarks Group, the company behind the Clarks and Bostonian brands that sells more than 50 million pairs of shoes annually, has named a new chairman.

The privately held United Kingdom-based company, which operates specialty footwear stores in the U.S. and worldwide, elevated Thomas O’Neill to the role of chairman from his position as a non-executive director on the board. He fills a position previously held by Peter Davies to lead the world’s number one non-athletic footwear brand with annual sales of roughly $2.4 billion and a presence in 100 markets.

Beauty retailer Sephora has appointed former Sears Canada and Loblaws executive Calvin McDonald as president and CEO of Sephora Americas, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

McDonald succeeds David Suliteanu, who has led Sephora since July 2000. Suliteanu is becoming the CEO of Kendo Brands, a separate LVMH entity, which creates new beauty brands, as well as acquires brands. The Kendo portfolio today includes brands, such as Ole Henriksen, Kat von D, Formula X and Marc Jacobs Beauty, with others in development.