Caleres appoints first-ever design chief

U.S. footwear group Caleres announced on Monday the promotion of Natelle Baddeley to the role of chief design and product officer, effective immediately.

In this newly created role, Baddeley will take the creative helm of the majority of the Caleres brand portfolio, including Naturalizer, Vionic, Dr. Scholl's, Veronica Beard, Vince, Franco Sarto, Blowfish Malibu and LifeStride.

She will be responsible for leading product strategy across design, merchandising, and innovation, and will continue to report to Jay Schmidt, chief executive officer of Caleres.

“I am tremendously proud of the work we have done over the last five years to elevate product across Caleres’ portfolio of powerful brands," said Baddeley.

"I am passionate about innovation as the catalyst to accelerate brand value, improve customer loyalty and ultimately drive growth. I look forward to working closely with Jay and the senior leadership team to achieve the strategic, long-term vision of Caleres.”

Joining Caleres in 2018 as senior vice president, design, merchandise, and product development strategy, Baddeley's career in footwear and accessories spans more than 30 years, including time as the senior vice president and creative director of global design for Nine West and Bandolino at Jones Apparel Group. She also led footwear design at many European brands as well as retailers Debenhams and Marks and Spencer.

"Natelle's passion for the Brand Portfolio and its consumers, combined with her considerable design acumen and technical expertise has made her a natural fit for this role," said Schmidt.

"She has a proven track record of improving go-to-market strategy, shaping creativity, designing commercial best-sellers, and developing her team members’ talents."

In its most recent trading update, Caleres reported net sales of $695.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2023, a decline of 5.8 per cent from the second quarter of the previous fiscal.

Caleres appoints first-ever design chief

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