Sam Edelman Apparel has new president

Brown Shoe Company-brand Sam Edelman, in partnership with leading apparel manufacturer Kellwood Company, has appointed Leslie Singer as president of Sam Edelman Apparel, a new division within Kellwood.



Singer joins Kellwood from NYDJ, where she lead sales and merchandising for women’s sportswear. Her responsibilities spanned all channels of distribution, including department stores, specialty stores and direct business outlets, such as Zappos and Amazon. Under her leadership, the company saw double-digit growth for more than three years.



Additionally, she has held executive positions at Tommy Hilfiger USA, where she was president of women’s sportswear and served as EVP of Tommy Jeans, and at Sean John, where she was president of its junior sportswear division.



Her previous experience includes tenure at Nautica, where she was VP of sales and merchandising for women’s sportswear and with Guess as VP of sales. Leslie began her career in department stores and over the span of 15 years, she worked her way up through the buying organizations of Macy’s and Abraham and Strauss to become a divisional merchandise manager for children’s wear at A&S and dresses at Macy’s East.



“When we inked our partnership with Sam Edelman, Leslie was the first person that came to mind when considering who would lead this new division,” said Lynn Shanahan, Kellwood’s newly appointed CEO. “We are thrilled that she has joined us. She is one of the best merchants in the market place and has unparalleled retail relationships.”



“I have great respect for Lynn Shanahan and the team of industry veterans that she has put together to articulate and execute the vision of the Sam Edelman brand,” said Sam Edelman, founder and Sam Edelman division president, Brown Shoe Company. “Leslie Singer is a strong addition that will lead this seasoned team.”



“I am truly excited about leading this new venture,” Singer said. “This partnership allows me to work with Sam, a world-class designer, capitalize on my depth and knowledge of the retail industry and leverage it with Kellwood’s manufacturing strength.”



The Sam Edelman Apparel line will debut in fall of 2014.



Kellwood company designs, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of fashion brands, including Sam Edelman, XOXO, David Meister, My Michelle, Jolt, Democracy, Sangria, Jax, Sag Harbor and Briggs, NY, and is the parent company of Rebecca Taylor. Kellwood is an affiliated portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners.