173. Emilie Rubinfeld | Leading the House of Herrera

Summary

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What We Wore — Episode 173: Emilie Rubinfeld | Leading the House of Herrera

Host: Laura Vinroot Poole
Guest: Emilie Rubinfeld, President of Carolina Herrera
Release Date: May 14, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of What We Wore features a compelling conversation with Emilie Rubinfeld, who has been instrumental in steering the legendary House of Herrera since Carolina Herrera’s departure in 2018. Through her leadership, Emilie has navigated the brand through industry changes, global challenges, and a significant creative transition. She shares a candid look at what it’s like to run a global fashion house, the importance of culture and mentorship, and what it truly means to balance creativity with business.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Remote Work, Image, and the ‘Tabletop’ Look

• Emilie describes mastering the art of "Zoom fashion" during the pandemic—projecting style from the waist up while working from home in Connecticut.

“It’s accessories, but it’s, like, looking fabulous from the waist up.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [00:47]

• The importance of upholding the Herrera image, even when out of the usual New York environment; discussions about "tabletopping," where visual impact in a virtual or dining context focuses on the upper body.

2. Essence of Carolina Herrera—Past and Present

• Discussion about Carolina Herrera’s influence: her shoulder-focused designs, her inimitable personal style, and how the house’s DNA remains central even as Wes Gordon leads creative direction.

“Carolina Original was the woman of the shoulder… there’s always a bold shoulder.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [02:44]

• How Wes Gordon builds on this foundation, adapting signature details for a new era, and how the transition honored Herrera's spirit while moving forward.

3. Company Culture and Family Values

• The importance of family and balance instilled by Mrs. Herrera, paralleling certain Latin and Southern cultural values.

“Family is everything. She really ran this business so that it felt like that… We need to keep that all in perspective.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [05:32]

4. Emilie’s Early Life, Education, and Career Path

• Emilie traces her journey from growing up in New Canaan, Connecticut—close to the garment district and the architectural icon, the Glass House—to her education at the University of Michigan studying art history and political science.
• Her start in retail, impactful internships at Calvin Klein, and entry-level job at Giorgio Armani.

“I didn’t know it could be a career… I didn’t think that there could be this whole, you know, array of journeys and pathways...”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [13:26]

5. Career in Luxury Fashion Houses: Armani, Akris, Herrera

• Stories of precision learned at Armani ("best fashion business school"), working within European brands, and learning importance of detail—from trunk show invitations to menu items.
• Transitioning to Akris, a Swiss brand, where she led PR and marketing, and brought a bigger, storytelling-driven approach during the industry’s digital transformation.

“At its heart, marketing, PR… is connecting the product with the people… So much of what we talk about today is storytelling.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [25:49]

6. Adapting to Digital and Embracing Change

• Embracing new technologies (including AI); seeing rapid digital transformation of fashion PR/marketing not as a threat, but as an opportunity.

7. Mentors and Leadership Lessons

• The influence of mentors like Caroline Brown and lessons from watching leaders shape company culture.
• The importance of feedback, being proactive, and the value of honest communication during uncertainty.

“There’s no playbook for that… I’ve kind of come up with my own ways of managing… I’m a big believer in communication.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [43:50, 44:30]

8. Wes Gordon’s Arrival & Creative Direction

• Behind-the-scenes of how Emilie recognized Wes Gordon as the ideal successor, her role in the transition, clandestine early planning, and the support given by Mrs. Herrera to ensure Wes’s creative independence.

“Working with Wes is a dream partnership… he takes great feedback. He sees that he wants the same things as I want. We can be really open… I trust you to be open with me. I’m not threatened.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [40:30, 41:00]

9. Fashion & Fragrance—The Puj Connection

• Integration between Carolina Herrera fashion and beauty under Puig, with an emphasis on consistency and storytelling across products, from runway to fragrance and lipstick.

“Someone can be introduced to the Herrera world, you know, at a $250 fragrance to a $10,000 gown.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [35:18]

10. Surviving and Thriving Through COVID and Industry Shifts

• Emilie's crisis management approach during the pandemic: embracing transparency, staying close to clients, resisting trends (like fleeting "athleisure" pivots), and doubling down on the DNA of the brand.

“We couldn’t keep dresses in stock… You have to kind of stick with what you know best.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [46:12]

11. Mentorship, Scholarships, and Advice for Aspiring Fashion Professionals

• Emilie's passion for nurturing talent via internships and scholarships (Fashion Scholarship Fund, CFDA Carolina Herrera Scholarship).

“Be proactive in your own career. Ask for it. Don’t let it happen to you… If you don’t have confidence, fake it till you make it.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [49:32, 52:30]

12. Personal Style and Memorable Outfits

• Emilie and Laura’s childhood style memories, importance of fashion as self-expression, and Emilie’s favorite prom dress.

“I was hoping you would ask me that question… My senior prom dress was by Pilar Rossi. Black and white, strapless, asymmetrical… super chic.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [53:00]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

On the combination of rigor and hospitality at Armani:

“He was so exacting and precise… not from a place of being a control freak. But it was important to have… that experience feel like you’re at an Armani event.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [20:04]

On leadership succession at Herrera:

“She hasn’t physically stepped foot in this office since then [2018]… She wanted Wes to do his own thing. Totally rare.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [42:28–42:46]

On weathering crises:

“There’s no playbook for that. How do you prepare for the unknown?”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [44:01]

On advice to young women in fashion:

“It’s really hard to be successful in a brand that you can’t relate to… Nurture your network… be really proactive. If you don’t have confidence, fake it till you make it.”
— Emilie Rubinfeld [49:32, 52:30]

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Section Timestamps

• Mastering the ‘Zoom Look’: [00:31–02:18]
• Carolina Herrera’s Signature Style and Transition: [02:44–03:51]
• Corporate Culture, Family Values: [05:32–07:01]
• Connecticut Roots, Fashion Family, Early Career: [07:20–14:17]
• Entry to Fashion: Internships, Armani Days: [14:35–20:01]
• Building a Career in Luxury: Akris to Herrera: [23:05–27:17]
• Digital Transformation in Fashion: [27:17–28:04]
• On Leadership, Mentors and Taking Risks: [28:04–30:18]
• Joining & Leading Herrera, The Role Explained: [30:43–33:18]
• Puig and the Fusion of Fashion & Fragrance: [33:31–36:08]
• Wes Gordon: Discovery, Creative Shift, Collaboration: [36:56–43:15]
• Leadership During Crisis, Playing to Strengths: [43:50–47:31]
• Client Connection, Fit and Process: [47:31–48:18]
• Mentorship, Scholarships, and Career Advice: [48:43–52:30]
• Prom Dresses and Personal Style: [53:00–54:48]
• The Beauty of the Fashion Industry: [54:56–56:40]

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Final Thoughts

Emilie Rubinfeld’s episode is a unique insider’s look at the blend of elegance, strategy, and adaptability required to run a globally renowned fashion house. She highlights the power of strong mentorship, the importance of listening to both colleagues and clients, remaining faithful to brand heritage while innovating, and making space for the next generation. Rubinfield’s warmth, openness, and actionable advice make this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in the fashion industry or in effective creative leadership.

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For additional resources, follow @shopcapitol and @whatweworepodcast on Instagram.

Transcript

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I'm Laura Vinroop Poole, and this is what we wore. Emily Rubenfeld is the president of Carolina Herrera, who's confidently leading the house into a new chapter after the departure of Carolina in 2018. Emily offers a window into the vast opportunities in the business of fashion and shares how she's pivoted and communicated openly in challenging times and that there's no playbook for running a global fashion house.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I've really perfected the Zoom fashion look. I mean, anyone who's ever had a Zoom with me since 2000, since 2020, and I have perfected the Zoom look.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Okay, and what is the perfect Zoom look? It's earrings, for sure.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

It's accessories, but it's, like, looking fabulous from the waist up.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

What do you have jeans on underneath? Sweatpants.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

But in my case, because I have to represent Herrera head to toe. Yeah.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Were you remote during the pandemic?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So we, you know, it's so funny because, like, not funny, of course, but it was just. Just hard to even fathom that, like, one day in March, it was like we were all in the office, and then day we were. It was like a ghost town here. We weren't back until June, and actually we came back, I would say, a bit earlier than most because we operate the atelier. Yeah. So as soon as, you know, we were able, we came back. But of course, we were, you know, on Zoom and of course, having that remote work experience. So I really always tried to still represent Herrera, even in the Zoom environment.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Well, and this was actually going to be my first question. You live in Connecticut, I think?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I do, yeah.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And so that must have been really interesting to dress in full Herrera from Connecticut.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And it still is to. To. To this day, you know, so I'm often the one on the train commuting, wearing something fabulous and standing out in my head to toe. Herrera looks. But the. The Zoom look, really, let's. How. How do we craft an impactful image from the waist up? So, you know, we have great fashion jewelry, I think, about what's the shoulders? And this is a. From the spring collection, as you know.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Have you ever talked to Wes about it?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

About this? Oh, he knows.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Really?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Oh, yeah. He. He knows. We talk about it all the time

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

because there's, like, a new thing around the industry that people talk about. It's called tabletops.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, Tabletop. Yeah. It's really very good point. It's. It's the same idea. That's so awesome. I would look like this at a dinner party or, you know, cross the seat Guest at a, at a dinner or a restaurant.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And the shoulders are so good.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

The whole collection from, well, Carolina Original was the, the woman of the shoulder. So if you look at, you know, some Carolina Herrera iconic imagery photography, there's always a bold shoulder.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And Wes has done, as, you know, such an incredible job of interpreting Carolina's style for today. So the shoulder is a great example of that.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Those are really small details. Is that something that you said out loud or is something that you discussed?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

We talk about it. We talk about those details that make, you know, something Herrera or not, or make it more west era of Herrera, which he likes, which he's coined. So, so we talk about it because I think it, you know, at this stage, Carolina left the company in 2018. So, you know, Mrs. Herrera is here in the house in terms of essence. But, you know, this, this is now a collection that is, has Wes's stamp on it for sure. And it's great to talk about it now with you because you've been with us since Wes's start here at Herrera and it's our 45th anniversary.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Oh, wow, that's incredible. And also, you know, it's so funny, Emily. The Met Gala was this week and there was a great, several great posts about her specifically going to the Met Gala. And just every single look, you were just like, oh, my God, she is so chic. Like, no matter what she puts on, you're like, what?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah. So she founded the company in 1981 and, you know, she had one of those life changing conversations with, in this case, Diana Vreeland, who said, you're so chic, you're so known for your personal style. Other women should experience that. You know, you need to start a collection. And so that's really how the impetus to the house and where we are today. And you know, we've, we've really. And I think even from Carolina to Wes, how do we take that great sense of style and carry it through, you know, every collection so that the woman who wears Herrera feels that she feels her most confident and beautiful in a way that was sort of inspired by her own personal style. Mrs. Herrera. So is it the white shirt? Is it how she wears a jacket? You know, something casual, how she styles herself for evening?

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

One of the things that always pops up for me, like when I see images of her, especially from earlier times, maybe even before she had the collection, I always, like, she must have really, her parents must have really loved her. Like, there's some, there's something that she admits that, you know, that. Like, that just full confidence and looking so different from everybody else and going with it and not feeling. I don't know, that's just my. I'm like, she must have had an interesting childhood.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I. You know, we talk to her a lot about, obviously, her history and how did she become herself and who she is, and. And she, to your point, has that incredible sense of conf. And it comes from somewhere and. But. But how I see her today and being a dedicated mother to her four daughters, grandchildren, and her great grandchildren. Family is everything. And she really ran this business so that it felt like that. That, you know, we're doing. We're. We're working in fashion. We need to respect each other, but at the end of the day, we have lives. We, you know, have families, and we have friends, and we need to keep that all in persp. So she really created this company culture around how she is as a person. So she's a confident woman. Of course, you see that in how we do, but also in the company culture.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I don't wonder if that's a Latin thing, because I think Oscar did the same thing, actually.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

But like, that. That family feeling in the office itself,

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

and he always made it feel so human and unlike any other place I ever went. You know, like, it just felt like he was just like a. He had great manners. He was just like. He was socially adept. It was like a normal. It was one of my, you know, some of my only normal interactions with designers anyway.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Certainly west gives you that. Yeah. Feel.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah. Maybe it's a Southern thing. Maybe it's not Latin. It's just southern. Maybe that's southern.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Hemisphere or.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Wes has the most incredible manners. You know, walking down the street. He never lets me walk on the outside. You know, it's the South.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah. Well, I want to ask about you. Okay. So I want to. I want to go back to. Are you from Connecticut? You grew up in Connecticut, So I

[Emily Rubenfeld]

was born in la.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Oh, wow.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And then as a. As a young person, I lived for a couple years in Dallas, and then I would say my formative years have been in New Cana and Connecticut, so we're about an hour outside New York City. But I love it after all these years, I still love it there so much. I just. It's. It's just a really special place. I actually live now where I grew up. Wow.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I do, too, like you. Awesome. And your parents. Were your parents there when you moved back?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, yeah. So they helped, you know, with the kids, and my sister lives there. It's a great community. But what's also great about the where I live in Connecticut is there's a lot of people from the industry. Yeah. And we, I hosted some time ago a get together big dinner of everyone from different brands, from different retailers. We had sort of a fashion dinner in Connecticut and it was just fun that so many of us chose this lifestyle, chose this community and are really enjoying it. And I would add, and I know you have a love of architecture and I am just a few homes away from the glass house.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Wow, that's incredible.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Living very different than Philip's glass house.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

But were you aware of it as a young person?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yes, actually. So he was, you know, obviously very famous when I was the kid growing up in my town. And he would drive around or be driven around in this like incredible vintage Mercedes and he had his like iconic glasses and he's our local celebrity and it was fun to see him out and about and going to dinner at the different restaurants and. And then when he, when he passed away, it became this incredible museum foundation for people to enjoy. So it's really a destination on mid century modern architect lovers bucket list to come and visit.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

That's awesome. So how aware were you of Manhattan growing up in New Canaan? Was it something you did and you just took the train in?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, I would take the train in or drive. My dad actually worked in this in the garment district where I am right now. In fact, his like office, he passed away. But as a kid we would be in this neighborhood and it's so crazy to think like the restaurant he always went to is next door and the parking, the parking garage that he parked in is underneath this building. And so it's just like, how did that happen?

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

That's crazy.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, it's really crazy. So we were really connected to the city and of course when I was in high school I would sneak into the city.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

You know, trouble. No, not to get in trouble, but to just see it. It's amazing. And it's, it's so fun to have teenage daughters who also just always want to come to the city. That's so funny.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

So were you, was anybody in your family stylish and was fashion like a thing for you or was it other stuff?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

No, it was fashion always.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Really? Always. Oh, wow.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I don't know. Have you like had the first memory of an outfit you loved? You know, I remember I like like your first memory of an outfit?

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Every. I mean, I have every. It's so funny because I would say even now I would say I'm not really into fashion that much. I'm actually, you know, I run my business. I'm really into helping people. I'm not really that into fashion. But then if you ask me, I'm. I could tell you everything I wore to every first day is kindergarten. You know, like everything.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

What was your outfit? Save kindergarten?

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Well, I. So I'm 54. Am I 54? I think I'm 54. So it was 1977, and I had this green jumpsuit that zipped up and had an applique that said stop, go.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Just like a. Like a workers thing. Yeah.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

It was so cute. I mean, and I had the same haircut I have now.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Cheap today. Yeah.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

But then I also remember. Sorry, this is your podcast.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

You were in. You were into fashion.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I was into fashion. I brought my sister that same year. I brought my. My sister was born. I brought her for show and Tell and I wore the. I wore it when I brought her. I wore tan leather lederhosen with a heart applique on the front. Like, I.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So someone must have bought that for you.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Did you now if the later has the leather. Wearing leather to school?

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I think again, 1977. I'm not sure. I think my mom brought it to me from a trip. But. But yeah, I. It's funny when you, like, I would say I'm not that into fashion. I'm not fussy, I'm not whatever. But I am so particular about every single thing, and I remember every single

[Emily Rubenfeld]

thing, and you remember and it was important to you. And so I'm the same like what I say, I'm fashion obsessed with. It's my career path. But it's also, you know, I. I think about what I wear. I have fun with it. I have memories about outfits that made a difference that. That were inspiring to me. And. And it was something that was always. I was conscious of making fashion decisions.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yes. So your dad worked in. In the garment district, did you. Was he. He was in fashion in a way, or in manufacturing?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

He was in textiles. He was text. In the. In the textile industry. And, you know, because you're in Charlotte, it's interesting because he, you know, it was a really challenging time over the last couple of decades when manufacturing left the South. Yeah. And so every business trip, he would be in the south. And then it just stopped. And so the. So this whole area used to be, I would say, really not only just, you know, we do. I would say about 30 to 40% of our manufacturing in this neighborhood, but it was, you Know, a Mecca also for the. For the textile industry.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Because, you know, it's. It's mainly gone overseas, so.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And did you know that you wanted to follow in his footsteps? Did you know that you wanted to do something similar?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So I. I was interested in it, but this is really. This is really something that's relevant to this conversation. And sort of what I'm passionate about today is that I didn't know it could be a career. Like, so if you were asking my younger self, you know, could you ever imagine a career in fashion? I didn't know what it would be. Right. So I would think.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Because you didn't know anybody who did something that looked like what you wanted to do, right?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, exactly. I think it was knowing about the options. Knowing about what? A career. All the career options. I. I think when I even was in college, thought, like, a career could be a lawyer or a doctor or finance. I didn't think that there could be this whole, you know, array of journeys and pathways to have a career in this incredible industry that I'm so passionate about.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And it's so vast, and it's so, like, complex. Actually, my daughter starting is. Is interning with me. She's 21, and I think she thinks. Yeah, and I think she thinks that it's, you know, like Project Runway or so, you know, I don't think she has any idea how complex it is.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I think her next internship should be at Carolina Herrera.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I would love that. She would love that.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Because we've been amazing. I take pride. And our HR team has done an amazing job with our internship program. These internships are so important, and I can't champion them enough because you get in and you see, oh, wow, there's this department. There's this department. You know, there's product development.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

What kind of skill set is needed for that department? There is production different than product development. There's design. There's merchandising, sales. It's just like you said, that you use the word fast. And certainly the options. There's so many avenues to pursue.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Were you a natural leader? Were you a leader as a kid?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I think I would say that I was comfortable in my shoes. I could articulate. I could, you know, express myself in a way I could organize. But I wouldn't say I. It was obvious that I was going to be in the job I'm in today as a young person.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Where did you go to college? What did you study?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So I went to the great University of Michigan.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yes.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Which I'm proud to Be an alum from Michigan. We had a great, great season in basketball. And that was a. A transformation, like, from high school to college was amazing. It was the. The most incredible four years and really

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

far away and really different from new can away.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Totally different. Like, I think what undergraduate class? Like, 30. I mean, 30, 50,000. You know, the campus has like 50,000 students. So it was a total, you know, like, use the word transformation. And I studied art history and I studied political science. And I loved my two majors. And I embrace. I love them, really love them. And I had so much fun on the art history side. And like, could that be in, you know, galleries or pursue art on the political science side, could that lead me to being a lawyer? And junior year, going into senior year, I had an internship at Calvin Klein. So before that I retail. So. So my first job was at a men's store in my town. And I loved dressing mannequins and, you know, seeing the new collections as they would come in. And they were men's, and in fact, they distributed Ralph Lauren and Patagonia.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

What a cool store.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

They had these, like, this great curation. And I still have some of the Patagonia's pieces that I had from. From. From then and then also some of the Ralph. And I would love styling, mannequins, mixing.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And of course, you can imagine New Canaan was Preppy Handbook, you know, manifest the Preppy Handbook. So I would love doing that, but always worked some kind of retail job. And then I had this internship at Calvin Klein, so started to see that there are opportunities in the industry. And so when I graduated college, you know, I kind of dabbled in exploring law school. Didn't think that I didn't go to law school, but I was, you know, exploring the LSATs and whatnot. And then I had, I would say my first real fashion job was a PR assistant at Giorgio Armani. Oh, wow. And that's like, kind of kicked it off.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And what. What year was that around?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

That was in the late 90s.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah. So that's a totally different time in fashion. Will you talk a little bit about that and sort of what your job would have entailed?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, so. So actually this is. This is fun. Like my first week on the job, it was actually a really fun one, a fun anecdote. And as we walk down memory lane, and I'm happy when I can still remember these things. The first week on the job, I had to walk a photographer through the Guggenheim because Mr. Imani had this incredible exhibition at the Guggenheim. And it was so beautiful. And I was like, this is incredible. And what a magical industry. I also kind of cried to my first week because my desk was in the sample closet and.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

You mean cried by, like, cried happy tears.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Not when I was in the closet, by the sample closet sitting on, on

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

top of beaded gowns.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, exactly. It was, I was like, is this really a desk? But it was, it was really. And, and I, you know, can't stress enough. Like, having that first entry level job is really such a great starting point, such a great kickoff if you make it something, you know. So, so I really, you know, did everything I could to take on whatever tasks were presented. You know, always looking for opportunities to do more, to present myself in a way that if there was an, the next job or the next, you know, new task or area that I can contribute, I wanted to, to, to participate. So. And, and it was an amazing, an amazing place to work then.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And will you talk about him a little bit?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah. So, you know, I was, I was in a subsidiary office or a satellite office being in New York and HQ was Milan, but you really felt Mr. Romani's presence. So, you know, even as a, you know, entry level team member, and he was so exacting and precise. You know, I think any of the colleagues I worked with then would say, you know, it was the best fashion business school, like, to really have an eye for detail, to, you know, you know, at the time I was supporting events, so trunk show invitations, you know, to make sure that the font was the right size, size or even menus, you know, to make sure that if you're serving hors d', oeuvres, it was nothing stinky or it was small and bite size and the trays and the, you know, to, to, to really be mindful of every single detail, to have it be beautiful and precise and cared for. And I think that came from a love of what he did, you know, and, and a care and, and not from a place of being a control freak. But it was important to have. To be a great host. To be a great host and have that experience. Feel like you're at an Armani event that has his name on it.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Well, and, I mean, it didn't hurt to start your internship at Calvin Klein

[Emily Rubenfeld]

and have, and have that experience you

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

had a lot of.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And what was, you know, amazing at Armani too, is the, you know, how he was so involved in all aspects of the business, from high to low, from the, from the Runway show to an invitation.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And he spoke zero English, right?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

He, to me, I did not ever encounter him speaking English. He was, you know, when the few occasions I got to meet him and interact with him personally, very warm hugs, handshakes, just really an inspiring person.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And what was it like working for an Italian company?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So I think part of my. The reason why I'm here at Carolina Herrera was it's amazing to work for a European brand. And from Carolina, before Carolina Herrera, I was at Acris, the Swiss luxury brand. But you're not in the headquarters. So when it, you know, when, when I had the opportunity at Carolina Herrera, you're at the headquarters. So where I'm sitting at part of the garment district. And you've been to our offices before. We are, we have the atelier, we have the studio where I have the great privilege of working with pattern makers and sewers. And I'm surrounded by the fabric and I'm surrounded by the process of creation, and I get to, to, to work with Wes every day. So I would say when you, you know, are considering a career in fashion, it's great to get that business experience and get the sort of brand experience working for a European house, wherever it is. But to be where you make clothes is something that is just, you know, it's just the most inspiring work environment. And I think everyone feels it at the office.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Can we go back there? Tell me what it was like moving from Armani to Akris. The only, my only anecdote on that is those the beds in San Gallo Gallon are the most comfortable beds on the entire earth.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I actually just, I, I'm so glad that someone can. I can talk Saint Gallon with someone else. So Saint Gallon being the headquarters of where Actress is incredible. I mean, just talking about the whole Actress experience gives me goosebumps because it was just so inspiring and a family business and a total, you know, family business, you know, built with like, love and care and, and intention and, and really amazing. And Saint Gallen is beautiful, you know, nestled in the alpine foothills, you know, essentially outside of Zurich. And from Armani to, To Actress, I think so much of the approach of Mr. Armani and, and Albert similar, you know, that every detail needs to be considered. We want to be precise. We want to do something right and, and special for our clients. And, and, you know, Laura, you know, that is, you know, to always get that right. And whether you're hosting them in your store or you're putting something, you're making a choice for them to select something from your curation, you want it to be right. So, you know, that was very consistent. But the experience obviously at Actress was different and my role was different.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah, I was going to ask, so what? So at Armani you were doing PR and marketing, and then at Akris, I.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So I left Armani doing PR and marketing and I went to Acris to also do PR and marketing. But, you know, Acris is a much smaller organization. So in a lot of ways, there was a lot to build and establish and, and you know, the, the mandate at the time was to really build some structure around marketing and PR and branding and, and take this exceptional stealth wealth brand and create some storytelling around it and can, you know, some press opportunities and whatnot. So I got to enjoy, you know, where Armani was based in Milan. The beauty of Akris. One of the many things is that Actress showed in Paris and was headquartered in Saint Gallen. So I had this great sort of international European purview and sort of having that entree into Paris. And like, we're doing a show and we're entertaining editors and hosting retailers in Paris.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Will you talk about a little what that role is? Head of PR and marketing? Like, what is it that you did then? And also what. How that's changed now at its heart,

[Emily Rubenfeld]

that sort of marketing, pr, sort of like connecting the product with the, with the people or connecting the product, you know, filling that gap. You know, so how do we create this beautiful collection and then how do we talk about it and, and get the word out that it's there and, and what is the story around that product? So a lot of ways it's. It's that we talk about storytelling. And certainly I wouldn't, if I was at Armani back then, I wouldn't say, oh, my job is storytelling. But, you know, it's, it's because that's so much what we talk about today. And then you didn't really have the digital pieces.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah, the vehicle is so different. I mean, I think that's the thing.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

The credits were everything where you would be, you know, you just wanted editorial credits and print magazines and newspapers and what have you. And marketing was so traditional. It was so much about prints and print and catalog and lookbook and. And traditional events. Some things have changed a lot. Some things not at all. You know, I. And you can attest to this too. You know, the physical event is more important than ever in our stores. Yeah, I mean, it's amazing. We're. We're hosting events in our boutiques and the clients love them and they're coming in and it's been a really Important lever in our business. But, you know, how we're storytelling, how we're, you know, what is an, an editorial credit mean today, how we're communicating on our social channels? You know, all of that has, you know, changed the way that sort of marketing and PR work.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

You were so early. I mean, you were in the middle of that when it changed. Were you resistant to it or were you open to.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Oh, no, no, I love it. Bring it on.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Because you have more control, right? I mean, just.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

No, but I just think embracing, like, just embrace it. You know, I, I like how AI is. You know, we have to embrace it here. You know, the, I'm like, the design team is having a whole AI session today so that they become fluent in the medium and, and how can it enhance our work environment, create efficiencies, create opportunities. So fully embrace, you know, the evolution of how we do what we do.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Before you got to Herrera, did you have any mentors that sort of followed you along the way and changed the way you led?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, well, I would say Caroline Brown, who used to be the president or the CEO of Carolina Herrera. We worked together at Armani and then we worked together at, so we, we've, we've had sort of like, okay, Emily, come check out this company, come. So, you know, and I think she was very Inspired also by Mr. Amani and how he led and how he built his brand. And certainly her strength in, in leadership, you know, is inspiring to me. And, and you know, I, I love that even in the atelier in our studio today at Herrera, you know, the, the team, you know, the, the, the cutters. And, and so they ask, oh, how is, how is Caroline? How is she doing? You know, that, that, that, you know, we're, we're almost 10 plus years since she's been at Carolina Herrera, but her leadership left an impact. And I think, you know, that, that I think is something that all of us in leadership positions should aspire to. That if you leave a company, you know, the, the employees still want to, they care about you. They, you made an impact and they want to know how you're doing and they care about you. Yeah.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

As you moved along from Calvin, but to Armani and to actress, were you clear as you move to each new role, did you feel ready for the next one? Did you know, kind of you were like, I am ready for this because now I know how to do this.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Are you ever full? You know, I think you have to exude confidence and maybe you're scared and, and you know, you have to you know, for me, and I speak for myself, just, like, work hard, do the best you can be, you know, ask, you know, for help. Ask, ask questions. Can I do it better? Can I have feedback? I did it. Maybe I didn't do it right. How should I do it better? To be open to that, to be open to feedback. But certainly it's like, are you. You want it, so you got to kind of, you know, make it happen.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And are you. Was that. Did you work with a leadership coach, or was that something that you just innately knew or learned from mentors?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I would say it came from within. And I didn't work with a. A coach or, you know, I've had leadership coaches along the way, but I think it's. It's my own personal style, you know, that I would. That I would attribute sort of, let's say, transitioning effectively into each role. But the job I'm in now is the best job I've ever had.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And tell me about it. How did you get it? Were you pursuing it, or how did it find you? How did it happen?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I think it was a little bit of a combination. I think sometimes timing, circumstances, and then being at the right place at the right time and having the right skill set, you know, it happens. So, you know, I'm a big proponent of asking for what you want. Don't let things happen to you.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yes.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Don't expect things to happen to you. You know, and. And this.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

If.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

If I was having a review with a team member, I would say, what do you want? You know, make sure you have in your mind that vision for where you want to go, who you want to be, what next job you want, what are the opportunities at the company? You see, so. So I would say those circumstances were there that made it a great moment for me and to take on this role. And I would say, you know, having Mrs. Herrera as your advocate helps.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And so did you. Did you come in as president of the company?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

No, I came in as the head of marketing and communications. Oh, wow. I joined Herrera in 2012, actually. Okay. And so I was appointed president in 2017.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And tell me about that role. Tell me what it entails and what you're surprised that it entails for the

[Emily Rubenfeld]

job I have now. Yeah. The best job. Yes. Well, you know, I think what, you know, it's. It's the job where you don't know everything. Right. So, like, where you're marketing communications, and you've done that. I've did that for, you know, I was three jobs in. I Know every. You know, like. No, I don't. Of course, I don't know everything, but, you know, the job. But when I, you know, the job I have now, I'm not an expert in product development, but I. But I'm responsible for it. I'm not an expert in production, but I'm responsible for. Or logistics or sales or merchandising and et cetera, et cetera. So you have to have amazing. You have to rely on amazing people.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And let me ask you this. Did Pooj. Did it. Own or acquire Carolina before you got there or after? So.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So they've. They've had the brand for a while. So they were. Fragrance license and have. Have the company. Had the company. So Puja has been part of my life since I started. Okay. Which has been amazing. And yeah, that's a whole dimension that we could do a podcast on, because having that exposure to the world of beauty.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yes.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Just has enriched my world so much.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Will you talk about that a little bit? Just how beauty feeds the ready to wear and just how. How they're symbiotic.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I would say first that Pooj is unique in that, you know, the. The approach is one brand. So we really look at how can we integrate all of the categories in our portfolio together. So think of the fashion show, which. Which really is the greatest expression of a fashion brand, is a great opportunity and a great platform for beauty. Right? You have the backstage. You have 35 models that are beautiful, looking beautiful, getting their makeup done. So if you think about in that way, every. Every fashion show has, for the most part, makeup. You know, they're doing hair and makeup. So in our case, now we have makeup. So, you know, the. And Wes is the creative director of makeup. And, you know, there's that opportunity to talk about the products and. And, you know, I always say that a fashion show is the one moment in time that the world of fashion belongs to you.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Oh, I love that.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Right? No one else has a fashion show that minute that you're having it. Right. The. Or the. The nine minutes that you're having your show. And so it's. It's like, okay, so you have a captive audience globally. Globally. And it's your moment to shine. So think of that. If. If you're in your product portfolio, you have makeup, you have fragrance, you have, you know, so. So we really work together to enhance and enhance all of our products and support the brand as Carolina Herrera. And I think more and more, we're looking for consistency and language and imagery and iconography as much as we can, having very different price points.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I think what's beautiful is that someone can be introduced to the Herrera world, you know, at a $250 fragrance to a $10,000 gown.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And she has something that's Carolina Herrera, you know, at sort of this whole range and range of products. And so if you see a Carolina Herrera fragrance ad, they're wearing, you know, designs that west has worked on in collaboration with the beauty team. And when. When you look at a lipstick container, there's motifs on that lipstick container that maybe were in a collection. They'll look familiar. And. And you see that also played out in our stores. So we really work together, even in language, you know, describing the. The collection, just describing the Fragran.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

It's almost like you have free assets, you know, between the two.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, yeah. They flow. And. And the Met was a. So the Met is a great example. So we. West. West's date was Victoria Charetti, who is the face of our latest fragrance, La Bamba. So she's, you know, on every ad and commercial, and she was his date, and the fragrance just launched. So she's, like, the most beautiful woman and a great. Yeah, yeah. She looked incredible and stunning, and she was wearing, you know, Carolina Herrera. And we could do the story of the making of the dress, but also, you know, talk about fragrance all at the same time. So that's a perfect example, actually, of last.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I want to talk about Wes a little bit, and we had a podcast with him, and he brought you up and talked about you in the interview, and I want to play a clip for you from him.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Oh, that's so nice. We. The shows and Fashion Week, but it was just getting to a point where it's kind of like, what is the business future of this? And as I was kind of thinking about this, I received a call from the now president of Herrera, Emily Rubenfeld, who's amazing, who is just starting in. In her role, to see if I'd be interested in Consulting, because Mrs. Herrera, unbeknownst to me, was kind of early in the process of stepping away. So I came in, and of course, I was like, the idea of this. I mean, listen, if you're a kid from Atlanta who has this outsider's fantasy of fashion who grew loving like Valentino and the magic of these grand American houses, Herrera is a magical thing. I mean, Herrera is, was, is, and hopefully forever will be a cornerstone of 7th Avenue American elegance.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

So how did you. How did you meet Wes, and how did you know that he could be the Right person for this role.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Well, so I. Wes crossed my path when he was a finalist in the Vogue Fashion Fund.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And we, at the time, you know, we're thinking about, you know, Mrs. Herrera thinking about what's her next step. And. But he was someone that I, you know, when you are in New York and you're part of the fashion community, part of the CFDA and what they're doing, the Vogue Fashion Fund is something that you, of course, have your eye on and participate in and what have you. And he was a finalist, and he. I think he had a meeting. He had a meeting in this office, and I noticed him because he's so charismatic, and he. He's someone. When he walks into the room, you notice him. And I kind of did a search on him, and there was maybe a story or a quote or something that he was talking about a trunk show he had done in Neiman Marcus. And the way he talked about the clients and about servicing the clients and about his collection, it sounded like, oh, wow, that's very Carolina Herrera. Like, everything that he said. So I made a mental note and I sent an email off into the ether saying, like, oh, we should meet West Gordon. I saved that email for prosperity. And, you know, when it was the right moment to meet Mrs. Herrera and all of that, you know, they. They connected. And you know, some of my best memories, you know, Wes and I having these clandestine meetings to prepare for the meetings with the push stakeholders, Jose Manuel and Anna, And. And with Mrs. Herrera and. And meeting the. And Mark Puj, too, and, you know, getting him prepared for those meetings. And it was so fun, you know, and talking about the world of Carolina Herrera as he saw it, and what I think was, I would say so impactful to others was how it was beyond clothes. Right. It was her world, her environment, her things. And. And, you know, it really impressed every. You know, the. The stakeholders and certainly Mrs. Herrera, and they enjoyed about a year of creative collaboration until the moment was right where she was like, okay, he's going to be my successor. And we had. She gave her last fashion show bow. February 2018. Wow.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And what was it like watching him kind of transition to this role? I mean, from the outside, for me, it was just so exciting to see somebody just crushing it.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I love hearing that. I love hearing that. That was the perception.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Totally.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So I think there's a lot of anxiety about. Around something like, of course, in a transition like this, you want to make sure you're going to, you know, keep that relationship with your clients, and you you know, and be the Herrera that, you know, Mrs. Herrera established over time without alienating anyone and at the same time become something new. Yeah. So it was this evolution, and, you know, Wes being Wes, and he's such a great person, and he's so smart and he's so in tune to what's around him that he did such a great job of, like, saying, okay, I embrace the past, but I have some. My. Some of my own ideas for the future. You know, when he talked about color, you know, one of the first places he started, I'm sure, you know, he's talked to you about it, is like, Herrera should be a house of color. And that's really been, you know, something that we embrace totally. So, you know, working with Wes is a dream partnership. And I think it's because, you know, all the things I mentioned about him. But also, he's someone who takes great feedback. He's not a defensive person. He sees that he wants the same things as I want. We can be really open, like that work that didn't work. And the same, you know, he gives me suggestions on how I better job too. But, you know, it's. And it's having that trust that, like, okay, I can be open with you. I trust you to be open with me. I'm not threatened. And we have this great collaboration.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

What an incredible combination.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I think the other piece of it is, you know, Mrs. Herrera has been part of it. So she. When she gave her last fashion show bow, so that February. So February 2018. She hasn't physically stepped foot in this office since then. Really, physically. Has not even come.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

She's been to the shows, but never been in the office.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

The show.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Wow.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

She's doing her own thing.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

That's incredible.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And it was out of, like, love. Respect. Yeah, Love and respect. She wanted Wes to do his own thing.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Wow.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

She redone his neck. Like, really?

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

That's rare, don't you think?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Totally rare.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Totally. Not making him second guess himself. Make him, you know, have his own wins, his own losses. Like, he owns it, we own it, you know, and. But we're still so close to her. He. They have an amazing, amazing relationship. He sees her, I would say, once every two weeks or, you know, they get together. She get, you know, she. But she is really, you know, giving it to him to. Leaving it to him to do his thing.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Wow. Extraordinary.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

It doesn't always work out like that. And here we are, you know, eight years later, still with so much to do, still so many new projects every year. Is something New and exciting new challenges. You know, shortly after west start, we started our conversation on Covid and that quarantine. But he had just started really, so his first collection, like, so he kind of. We kind of had to restart in 2021. And you know, now there's so much still to do.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

What does no one tell you about being the president of a global fashion house?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Nobody told me. Just sort of the, let's say a playbook for challenging times.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yes. Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And what's expected.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

You know, so. So that balance of crisis managing, the crisis managing crisis managing the business and protecting the business at all costs and protecting and, and being, you know, supportive of the team. So there's no playbook for that. So like at this. So. So how do you wing it? You know, and there's always something that you have to take. I mean, this year, 2020, you know, there's always something.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

How do you prepare for the unknown? And there's no playbook for that. So, you know, so, so I've kind of come up with my own ways of managing and, and you know, I'm a big believer in communication. So I Learned that in 2020. Tell everyone what this is, what's going on. This is what we know. This is what I know. And you know, Pooj really endorses that approach. Tell everyone what you know, tell them what you know, and try to be as. So that people can, can get information. But there's no playbook for that. And at the same time you have to. And, and you know, I'm sure you have to deal with this too, that the team wants to know what's going on. At the same time you're like, I have to make business decisions too.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So, you know, I try to always think about how to protect the business, you know, all the time. And, and what are the pivots that we have to do and keep those sort those scenarios. But certainly living through and working through 2020, coming out on the other side in a great place. You'll appreciate this, this small little anecdote, if you'll indulge me.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Like 20, end of 2020, we were getting. And everyone's, you know, buyers were starting, merchants were starting to feel like they're ready to buy again and come back. And there was a lot of, you know, pressure for Carolina Herrera to pivot to more of an athleisure business. You remember this like when it was like the cashmere pajama or the cashmere.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah, that was so stupid. I'm sorry. It Was so bad.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I don't think we got that feedback from you. But Herrera, if there's a Herrera cashmere jacket and pants suit.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah, I would wear that.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I would wear that too. And you know what? We didn't. Because we're like, we only know how to make, you know, pretty close. And we couldn't keep dresses in stock.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Like, that was the crazy thing. It was crazy that. And designers didn't believe me that I kept on saying now more than ever, because you have these micro weddings and micro events and people are willing. They have so much money, like they're willing to spend and they want to change dresses five times. And they, you know, like the. We need to dresses more than ever.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

You need dresses more than ever. And like, it's kind of sustained. Like, yeah, the demand still are our biggest category dresses and so hard to find.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I mean, you're. You're my best resource by far.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I love that.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I love you.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

That's like a great example. Like, you don't. You have to kind of stick with, you know, what, you know, best. But that. It's like that manual label that I, I think that.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

But. And I also think it's because you probably. But also Wes, are so connected to your clients. I think that was the thing that I really saw was that designers were like living in space and had no idea with how their clients really lived. Whereas I think you guys are way more personally and physically connected to your clients. So you really listen to them and you knew what they needed.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And we know them, you know, they tell us, we know what occasions they have, what events, and still, you know, that's today, Wes is. Is the best at, you know, going to a store, doing a trunk show. He's being in a sitting room, you know, you hosting trunk shows with him. And you can't get it better when the creative director knows with, you know, a first name basis, like what size they wear, what they like to wear, what do they have. And it just really informs the collection so much. And the other thing, you know, Wes is also involved in the production fittings, so he cares, you know, about the product from the inception, from the design to when it reaches the shop floor.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And heels and how it fit.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

And I was going to say, I also know how close you are to your fit models. I mean, they've been there forever.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And knowing how, you know, because we grade off of a certain size and to make sure that that, you know, works once it's been manufactured and it's. It's on the shop floor that it felt like the initial idea in the studio.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah, it's important. What advice would you give or share with a young woman working her way up the corporate ladder in the fashion industry?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I'm glad you asked that because, you know, as I'm in this stage of my career, mentorships, internships are really important to me. We, like I said, we have a great internship program at Herrera. I'm on the board of the Fashion Scholarship Fund. That's incredible. We just launched the CFDA Carolina Herrera Scholarship and today's the panel for that. And, and it's something that, that I'm really passionate about because of what. Full circle to the beginning of our conversation to know and to, to share. What are the opportunities in the industry to cultivate up and coming talent? We talk about the talent pipeline all the time. Like let's get great people and great young people into this industry and help them.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

So the advice I like to always give is, you know, the, the and there's different stages of it but first if to, to really think about the brands that you love. So it's really hard to be successful in a brand that you can't relate to. Yeah, right. So it's, you have a team member in your store who's like not really into the store environment and the vibe type of clothes you curate. Hard to be successful. Hard to be successful in doing your best work if you're at a brand that doesn't resonate. So like if you have the luxury of making, you know, of identifying brands, have an affinity for and really can feel and feel the story. Like I really resonated with Carolina's story, Mrs. Herrera's story. I love that she started the company which when she was 40 and that she, you know, it's a, what was a woman founded company. Like all of that I really loved, I resonate, it resonates and all of that. So that's really important. Number two, I would say is, is this whole idea of network networking, networking, making contacts and really nurture your, your network. And it could be a small exchange with someone that you can have the opportunity to leave an impression on. Write a handwritten note, at least send a follow up email, you know, really nurture that connection. You know, a lot of the, the, my colleagues and peers are leading companies today that I worked with at Armani. So like making sure that I have great relationships with those, those people. And then you know, and I, and I mentioned this earlier and I think it's really important, important pursue what you know, be, be proactive in your own career. Ask for it. Don't let some, let it happen to you, great if something falls in your lap, but be really proactive. And I think that that goes back to, you know, if you don't have confidence, fake it till you make it, you know, and, and you know, really, really pursue, feel that you can ask, why not? Because you won't know. And I was actually just having a conversation with a grown up someone in his career for a long time and I was like, this opportunity is there for you. Like, like formulate a presentation, think about how you would articulate it and go for it, you know, so really, I think even for that, the, the next generation of fashion executives or those that are making a career out of fashion, get it, get that first job by, you know, get in there and, and start to see where you could bring added value and then present that, present yourself. You know, we, we had, you know, we have matriculated interns into full time positions here, you know, and, and really to encourage them to say, I did this job, I'd love to, you know, be considered for this job. Why? Because I learned this, this and this. So, so that, that's something that's really gonna be, you're, you're sort of manifesting your own destiny.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah, I love that. Thank you.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Did I answer your question?

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Really good. Yeah. And I think it's gonna be really helpful.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Okay, good.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I wish I'd heard it a few years ago.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

No, it's hard. It's hard. It like doesn't come naturally to like, you know, and I've done like a PowerPoint of like, Emily should do that. Like I can do. My skill sets are this, you know, but that, it's, it's a painful process at times, but it will serve you well.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah. Most important question. What did you wear to prom?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I was hoping you would ask me that question.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

It's very important.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And actually I'm very passionate about my prom dress and I need to find it, but it was, and I was, I was, I'm lucky that I have my mom. She really embraced my high school dance fashion desires and my sister, who she used to be an editor at Harper's Bazaar, but we're really close. And she also had a passion for prom dresses too. So we didn't go to our own proms, we went to other, other proms and. But my senior prom dress was by my mom indulged me. We went to the city to buy it and we went to a boutique and, and It's a brand called. And I have to look at if, if, like, what's the history of this brand? It was a designer called Pilar Rossi. Oh, yeah, I remember it was, it was black and white, so I clearly had an affinity for black and white fashion theme. Strapless, asymmetrical, super chic. Looked so good. It was great.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Short or long?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Short. Oh, cool. Sort of tiered waist, strapless, asymmetrical, like, Like a little craft. Oh. Like black on one side, white on the other. And then my date, what looked great in his, like, very.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Did you do sheer hose? Like a sheer black?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I did. I did. As. I think it was, I think it was like a sheer. A sheer. And, And I have to look back at my yearbook, but I think I was voted best dress.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Seriously? That's awesome.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

I need to, I want to fact check that.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

That's a first. That's a first. I love that.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

But I, I, I think I was voted. I hope it wasn't a joke.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

No, I believe. Well, I feel like in New Canaan, maybe a lot of people were like, ll. I mean, Patagonia or llb.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Patagonia. Llb.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

You had a leg up there. Anything that I haven't asked that feels important to share?

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Well, I would just say, like, thank you for this opportunity. And I, and I think you and I know so much that this industry that we call fashion, like, coming after, you know, coming off of the Met, which was controversial, at the end of the day, we have to remember that this is a beautiful, creative industry. And, you know, we love what we do, and we love that we can be so close to creativity and be so close to business, and it's really this beautiful meeting of worlds culture, and it's so inspiring. It takes us all over the world, like you and me, and, you know, I really encourage young people to be proactive in exploring ways. And there's so many organizations, like I said, the cfda partnering on a scholarship program, you know, the, the Fashion Scholarship Fund is, is touching students all over, you know, the country who want to be in fashion. So, you know, there's a reason why, you know, and there's a reason why that, you know, the, the Met, all eyes were on the Met because people are so interested, and it's such an incredible industry.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Beautifully said. I love, I love it so much. Yeah. I love it so, so much.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

I'm never bored.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Never. There's always. And look, I got to do a podcast with amazing you today.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Ditto. No, thank you.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And then this afternoon, we're going to be meeting students that are, you know, designers in the making to talk to them about a scholarship opportunity.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Wow. Love. Yeah.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

And then tomorrow we're talking, you know, Wes is going to be presenting ideas for the Runway collection in September, celebrating our 45th anniversary. So. Hello. How lucky.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

Yeah. Fabulous. I love it so much. Thank you, Emily, so much for this. I appreciate you spending the morning with me.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

No, it was a pleasure. I'm glad. I'm glad we had the opportunity to connect.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

It was a lot of fun. I'll see you either in New York or Paris. And.

[Emily Rubenfeld]

Yeah. Love to watch. Yeah.

[Laura Vinroop Poole]

People need to see it both. Okay. Thank you.