Fashion veteran joins Draper James as CEO; to lead store expansion
The lifestyle apparel brand founded by actress Reese Witherspoon has a new chief executive.
Draper James has named Jeannie Yoo as its CEO, effective Oct. 15. The fashion veteran will lead the brand “into its next chapter,” focusing on growth across direct-to-consumer channels, category diversification and global scaling.
Yoo joins Draper Jones following a tenure as president of fashion brand Adam Lippes, which she held from September 2020 to March 2024. Yoo spent more than six years total at the company, and held roles including VP and senior VP of sales, marketing & business development.
Before joining Adam Lippes, Yoo spent nearly five years at Coach in multiple roles, including director of global/North America e-commerce, and four years at Michael Kors.
With Yoo at the helm, Draper James says it plans to accelerate its reach with new store openings, including a flagship location in Charleston, S.C., and international retail extension within markets such as Mexico, Australia and Europe. Draper James currently operates a flagship store in Nashville, as well as the brick-and-mortar locations in Lexington, Ky. and Nashville International Airport.
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"I'm inspired by Draper James' core principles based on celebrating authenticity, Southern heritage and community," said Yoo. "Draper James has built something truly unique — an inclusive brand designed by women for women everywhere. I'm excited to step into this role and expand the brand's mission of continually delivering quality products across various categories to always show up where the consumer needs them at every walk of life."
Draper James, which was founded by Witherspoon in 2015, says Yoo’s appointment comes at a time of growth for the brand. The company has expanded its offerings across 10 new product categories this year, including pet, home and outerwear. Additionally, Draper James recently launched a refreshed website with enhanced user experience features, debuted its first direct mail campaign, and embarked on a series of pop-up shops across the South in partnership with Graduate Hotels.
"Jeannie's vision, combined with her coveted accomplishments across e-commerce, wholesale, and retail, makes her the perfect leader to guide Draper James through our next era of evolution," said Cory Baker, founder and managing partner of Consortium Brand Partners. "Her passion for honoring heritage and community closely aligns with the Draper James mission, and I'm confident that her accomplished portfolio of expertise will take the brand to new heights."
As part of her role, Yoo will also play a key advisory role within the broader Consortium Brand Partners portfolio. In addition to Yoo joining as CEO, Draper James has expanded its executive bench with the appointment of Lauren Frohlinger as VP of merchandising and Piper Parsley as VP of brand marketing & e-commerce.
