Parent company of DSW taps fashion veteran as new president

Designer Brands has named a retail veteran as its new president.

The parent company of DSW has appointed Andrea O’Donnel as brands president and executive VP, effective Jan. 29. She will oversee Designer Brands’ full suite of brands,  including Keds, Vince Camuto, Topo Athletic, Hush Puppies, Le TIGRE, Lucky Brand, Jessica Simpson  and more.

O’Donnel joins Designer Brands from fashion apparel brand Everlane, where she has served as CEO since October 2021. Prior to that, from 2016 to 2021, she was president of fashion lifestyle at Decker Brands, where she led the expansion of the Ugg and Koolaburra brands. 

Before Decker, O’Donnel was president of global merchandising at DFS Group. She has also held various posts at retail brands, including John Lewis, Hackett London, Jaeger and Debenhams. She currently sits on the board of directors for Fashionphile.

In her new role, O’Donnell will be responsible for all aspects of the Designer Brands’ portfolio, from design and sourcing to sales, both wholesale and direct-to-consumer. She will report directly to Designer Brands CEO Doug Howe.

"With Andrea's appointment as brands president, we are bringing into our organization a distinctive and crucial skillset that we believe will enable us to accelerate our roadmap as we continue growing as a brand builder,” said Howe. “Her deep experience and tremendous track record, which includes the revitalization of the powerhouse brand, Ugg, will be a critical asset for us moving forward. The passion for design and storytelling she brings to the table will further bolster our strategy of delivering a unique, omni-channel customer experience."

In 2022, Designer Brands said it planned to double sales of its owned brands and Camuto Group national owned and licensed brands to almost one-third of total sales by 2026

"Joining Designer Brands at this stage of their brand building journey is such a unique and exciting opportunity for me," said O'Donnell. "Designer Brands has long been a power player in the footwear industry and has now thoughtfully built a diverse and complementary brand portfolio to meet diverse and ever-changing consumer preferences. I am thrilled to begin working with the entire Designer Brands team to continue to build our trend-right and growing brand portfolio."

Designer Brands operates nearly 640 DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse and The Shoe Company stores in North America.