Paul Blum, the former chief executive of David Yurman, has been named CEO of California clothing and jewelry brand Fred Segal and plans to create huge branded lifestyle centers throughout the United States.
The company’s new partners—which include Hollywood’s famed Creative Artists Agency (CAA)—promise a “major reinvention of the luxury shopping experience under the Fred Segal brand.” The brand intends to build five to 10 Fred Segal lifestyle centers—which will combine fashion, dining, entertainment, cultural events, and health and wellness programs—in the United States and abroad over the next five to seven years.
Some elements of the new concept can be seen at Fred Segal’s new anchor location in the recently renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport. The company will also open seven Fred Segal–branded stores in the SLS Hotel & Casino Las Vegas when it reopens later this summer. This marks the first time a single brand partner has occupied all of the retail space in a hotel, the company said. A Fred Segal concept is also set to open in Japan in 2015.
Blum’s appointment comes as brand owner Sandow brought in Evolution Media Partners as an investor in the company. Evolution’s partners include CAA; TPG Growth; and Participant Media, the global entertainment company founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll. CAA will provide expertise in licensing, branding, digital strategy, and content creation, the company said.
Blum has also been CEO of Juicy Couture and Kenneth Cole Productions.
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