In Fashion Part 31

"I loved M. Arnault. He was so pa.s.sionate and articulate about the Dior brand. Here is someone who can convince you to commit through his own convictions and vision." Plus he agreed to support her plan.

MENTORS.

All from Pamela's twenty-five years at the Estee Lauder companies: Bob Nielsen: "He took a chance on me. I'd been working in marketing for only two years when he made me VP of marketing for Aramis."

Leonard Lauder: "Patient and scholarly, he loved to teach. We would take these trips together once or twice a year, and everyone from field VPs to account executives from all different brands would pile into a van. We'd spend three days visiting stores, looking at the merchandising, the compet.i.tion, and the look of the beauty advisors. He was always teaching us what to look for."

Jeanette Wagner: "There are a lot of women in cosmetics, but not many have reached her level. She was definitely a female executive in a man's world. And girl power is something she's given to me."

CAREER CHANGER.

STARTED IN: BEAUTY.

SWITCHED TO: FASHION.

It's rare in fashion that you start at the top. But that's what Pamela Baxter did when, after working in beauty sales and marketing for twenty-five years and then heading the turnaround of the Dior beauty business in the United States, she took the reins of the Dior fashion business as well. That was what she had said she was aiming for when she first met with Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH (parent company of Louis Vuitton and Dior). Who knew? The barrel racing rodeo champion from Mobridge, South Dakota, running one of France's most esteemed fashion houses.

PROUDEST OF PROFESSIONALLY.

Fulfilling her goal of taking on Dior fashion from a beauty background and training Signing the first fragrance licensing agreement for Estee Lauder with Tommy Hilfiger, then launching the hugely successful Tommy fragrance Heading the first Creme de La Mer team for Lauder Most of all, however, Pamela says she is proudest of her management abilities: "Knowing who is right in what job, putting the right person in that job, and letting him or her grow."

PROFESSIONAL MANTRA.

"It's all about the people. You have to find them, hire them, educate them, and then let them go."

HER ADVICE TO SOME FUTURE PAMELA BAXTER.

"You cannot get a better education than I had, starting behind the counter. I developed myself around sales and marketing, and I was smart enough to know that I'm no genius at operations and finance. I find good people for those areas and give them lots of freedom and credit."

NOT ABOUT ME, ME, ME.

"I've deliberately stayed under the radar. And if I'm hit by a car tomorrow crossing Fifty-seventh Street, there's a succession plan in place so that the business will not miss a beat."

BEST AT.

"I never throw a resume in the trash because I remember how hard it was to get a job out of college. I try at least to start a conversation with the person, be it on the phone or over e-mail, or I direct him or her to the right person. If you get the right people in place, business just happens."

WORST AT.

"I don't have a lot of patience. I want things to happen fast so I'm not good at waiting."

FRENCH LESSON.

While Pamela runs her business the way she knows best, she's had a business culture shock at LVMH. "Where we celebrate success, they look for the downside. Where we trust intuition and enjoy taking risks, they tend to a.n.a.lyze and choose to not make a change as a means to avoid mistakes. We encourage an entrepreneurial spirit with our teams. The French are very hierarchical."

WHO MOST ROCKS HER WORLD.

More playmate than traditional grandmother, Pamela, a girlish sixty-ish, earned her scuba certification alongside her two grandchildren, David, nineteen, and Azure, seventeen. And she takes them on diving expeditions twice a year.

WHY SHE SOMETIMES SKIPS COUTURE IN JULY.

See above: two weeks this month are reserved for diving in Anguilla.

PERSONAL Pa.s.sIONS.

Eating good food and collecting and drinking good wine.

HER ROCK.

Partner and husband of twenty-seven years, John Hines.

WHY SHE'S "AUNTIE PAMELA" TO MARY J. BLIGE John's nephew is married to the singer.

GIVING BACK.

Pamela works tirelessly raising millions of dollars for charitable causes at industry events like the Dream Ball and the March of Dimes.

PROFILE.

ANN WATSON Vice President Marketing/Communications, Club Monaco Ann Watson made her climb up the retail ladder look like a cakewalk. Straight out of Syracuse University, she beamed herself to New York City to begin her career in the executive training program at Macy's. The Texan who oozed confidence and warmth pounced on a worthy mentor, and she devoted herself to learning her craft so that she would be qualified for the next higher level. And the next and the next. But life interrupted her bright plans. After winning her dream t.i.tle at Saks Fifth Avenue, the 9/11 tragedy struck along with a painful personal loss. On top of that, her job was eliminated.

Instead of scrambling for her Next Big Job, Ann chose to take time off for her own spiritual quest, wandering the Far East. The life balance that she found on her travels sounds cliche, but, for Ann, it was profound. The yoga she practices now provides her a sharper fashion and life point of view. Her lifelong struggle with dyslexia-something she's only recently spoken about-makes her more sympathetic to others who've faced challenges. The teenage car accident that squashed Ann's dream of becoming a ballerina now strikes her as a critical life lesson. Ann Watson still makes everything look easy, but the beauty of that is that it wasn't.

BACKGROUND.

Born and raised in South Texas, Ann is the daughter of a stay-at-home mother and a rancher/entrepreneur father. She attended St. Mary's Hall, a small all-girls boarding school in San Antonio.

MODEL MOM.

As a young woman, Ann's mother had modeled for Mr. Stanley Marcus. "Neiman Marcus was always near and dear to my heart."

CHILDHOOD DREAM.

To be a ballerina. "I was accepted into the Houston Ballet Academy at a young age and could not wait to get to the American Ballet Theater. Ballet gave me a place to express myself and to truly feel a sense of personal achievement at a very young age as well as creating a structure of self-discipline that has served me ever since."

CHALLENGES.

"I am dyslexic. I was lucky enough that my mother found it at an early age. It's something that was pa.s.sed down from my mother's side of my family."

Ann's mother found her excellent support at a time when little existed. "We would make flash cards, writing the word 'dog,' put glue on top of the letters, sprinkling salt on top to create a texture. The more senses I involved in the learning process, the greater the retention."

HOW ANN POWERED THROUGH.

"You simply realize that this is not a hindrance and that you just learn differently. The way I see things, Einstein and da Vinci were both dyslexic and creative people.

"I never told my teachers in college until finals, when I needed extra time. I didn't like to feel different.

"I got all my school books on tape. One of the ways I got through college was that my roommate was a great editor, and I was good at getting down the ideas. So I'd write our papers, and she'd edit them. And we'd both get A's.

"In my career, it taught me that you cannot stereotype people. In society today, we call it a disability: I think of it as an ability to think differently. To think 'outside of the box.'"

EAST COAST EXTRA CREDIT.

During high school, Ann was drawn to the East Coast, spending one summer studying art at Phillips Academy in Andover, Ma.s.sachusetts, and two summers studying art at RISD.

WHY SHE ATTENDED SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY (SU).

"At least it was in New York State. My father wouldn't let me go to college in New York City because he said I needed a campus."

Ann started at SU in the fine arts program, but found it "too isolating." She switched to the Newhouse School of Communications, ultimately graduating with a BS degree in retail management.

FROM FRIDAY'S GRADUATION TO MONDAY'S START AT MACY'S "I couldn't wait to start! I remember calling [SU career advisor] Jarvis Jefferson, saying: 'I know I'm not supposed to start for a month, but could I please start [the Macy's executive training program] on Monday?'"

WHY MACY'S?

"They had the best reputation at that point. Ed Finkelstein was still there. He had started out working in the stockroom and rose to the top job, which inspired me as it meant that Macy's really supported its people. It was creative, innovative, and merchant driven. The bar was raised pretty high. Macy's was the first culture I wanted to be a part of-not only because Macy's was part of New York City's culture but also because Macy's had been a big part of defining retailing in America. There was also a seismic shift going on: It was 1988, Campeau and Macy's were battling it out for the Federated Department Stores, and Donna Karan had reinvented the power suit and the way a modern woman's wardrobe could express not only power but sensuality as well. I knew Macy's with its incredible history and reputation was the place where I could be part of the action and make a difference."

STALKING HER FUTURE MENTOR.

"I watched Joan Kaner walk the floor at Macy's and interact with buyers and sales a.s.sociates. She said what she had to say, and she didn't scream, which was not the norm in the 1980s. I told myself I wanted to be like her. So one day I followed her back to her office and blurted out, 'If I could choose any mentor, I would want it to be you.' Then I was embarra.s.sed at what I'd done and turned to run off. Joan said, 'Miss Watson, come back here. Please come sit down and tell me who you are.'"

DON'T WAIT FOR A MENTOR TO CHOOSE YOU "It really makes a difference. Choose somebody you want to work for, and you will learn from him or her. From that that moment on, I chose my jobs based on the person I wanted to work for."

"MY OWN OFFICE?"

One year later, Joan Kaner left Macy's to head the Neiman Marcus New York fashion office, and soon after, she asked Ann to join her there.

"I was twenty-four years old. Joan took me on a tour of the offices. She said, "And this will be your office." I felt like Working Girl. 'Oh, my G.o.d! I made it!'"

Ann held this post for four years. Her t.i.tle was: Neiman Marcus, New York, Fashion Merchandising Counselor.

NEXT STEP: VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

"While at Neiman Marcus, I had visited Escada and had suggested that they make their evening wear into its own collection. At one point they called and said, 'Ann, we want to do what you suggested, and we want you to run it.'

"That's how I came to launch Escada Couture, which gave me my first glimpse of what a global company was like. Going to Munich was like going to the United Nations. Escada had partners from every country in the world for one week every season under one roof. It was fascinating to hear about the nuances of each market. And in the role, I traveled to every small specialty store in the United States. Having the connection with the customer has always been so important to me; it is where the 'juice' is!"

Ann's position: Escada USA, National Sales Manager, Escada Couture, which she would hold for two years.

BACK TO NEIMAN MARCUS.

Joan Kaner lured Ann back to take on the role of senior fashion editor. This stint lasted three years, before Saks Fifth Avenue recruited Ann.

NEXT STOP: SFA.

"I had always dreamed of this job. I always envisioned the fashion office as the hub of the fashion cycle in creating the merchandising and communications strategy for the store. I wanted to integrate the fashion office into the corporate structure and into marketing. It was a perfect challenge."

THE MARK OF A GREAT BOSS.

When Ann told her boss of this great offer and resigned, Joan Kaner showed no disappointment or resentment. "She told me she was proud of me and that she fully supported me."

At thirty-four, Ann became vice president, fashion merchandising, women's, Saks Fifth Avenue, New York, which was that "ultimate job she'd always wanted" but where she would remain for only two years.

JUMPING OFF THE RETAIL LADDER.

"When you first start in executive training, you see your path laid out ahead of you: First you are a buyer, then the divisional merchandising manager (DMM), then the general merchandising manager (GMM), then president of a company. When I first joined Joan at Neiman's, I went off the traditional retail career track.

"There was no fashion office ladder-the fashion office was something you achieved later in your career. I didn't even know in college that there was a fashion office or a fashion director. There is a common thread, but, corporately, it's separate. The fashion office is communications driven and consumer driven. It's about how to connect with women through fashion and beauty. It's about how to distill a larger cultural trend into a single, exquisite bangle."

MOMENT OF TRUTH.

"My stepmom died with so many regrets. When I lost her, I made myself a promise that I would go and do the one thing that I had regrets about: I had not really traveled the world and explored other cultures. Then 9/11 happened. I realized that it was time for me to go do something for myself. Saks was in its third round of layoffs, so everything coincided."

FIVE DAYS LATER?.

Completely relieved with how things had evolved, Ann picked up her last paycheck, bought a plane ticket to Cambodia, and found someone to sublet her NYC apartment.

AND SINCE I'M IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ...

Ann traveled and studied throughout Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Tibet, China, j.a.pan, and India over the course of a year.

ANN WATSON'S FIVE GREAT LESSONS FROM THE EAST To really follow your dreams and realize that things do not happen to you. They happen for you.

To trust your instincts. That if you listen to yourself and trust yourself, you will be guided in the right direction.

That beauty is an innate language that all women speak, whether it's a peasant in India laying pebbles to make a new road or a diplomat waiting for a private jet on a tarmac.

That people with so much less than you are truly happy and unbelievably generous to strangers. That money does not make you happy. Actually, it is giving that makes you happy.

That life is all about the little moments, not the grand gestures. Be still enough not to miss the moment.

PROUDEST OF.

"My year away. My self-exploration as a person. Seizing the opportunity that came my way. It gave me life experience I wouldn't have had otherwise."

WHAT WON'T BE WRITTEN ON ANN WATSON'S TOMB STONE That she met all of her career goals.

MISTAKES.

"All of my mistakes have been made through impatience."

EXTENDING KINDNESSES.

"I have been fortunate enough that in almost every role I've had, I've had a relationship with young designers. I've had the chance to help young people. When someone calls and asks me to meet with his or her daughter and talk to her about a career in fashion, I always make time. I make time to visit schools like Parsons and SCAD and the University of Chicago."

ADVICE TO YOUNG CREATORS.

"Go sit on the steps of Alber Elbaz [Lanvin designer, Paris] until he lets you in.