Alex Mill Names a New CEO, Mickey Drexler Remains Chairman
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Alex Mill, the New York-based women’s and men’s fashion brand founded by Alex Drexler in 2013, has appointed Roxanne Stahl O’Hara chief executive officer, WWD has learned.
O’Hara will assume her new role on Monday.
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Mickey Drexler, who did serve as CEO, continues as chairman of the company, working side-by-side with his son Alex; Somsack Sikhounmuong, cofounder and creative director, and soon with O’Hara as well.
Asked how the responsibilities of the team are divided up with the addition of O’Hara, Drexler said, “It’s very much like a partnership here.” He added that one area where she will be heavily involved will be merchandising.
Drexler also pointed out that O’Hara has a strong track record in the fashion and consumer products industries. Most recently, she spent nearly five years as chief merchant of Melissa & Doug, the 30-year-old Wilton, Connecticut-based children’s toy company. Prior to that, O’Hara spent 13 years at J. Crew, where she held several senior positions including senior vice president, head of merchandising, women’s and kids.
While at J. Crew, O’Hara worked closely with both Mickey Drexler, then CEO of J. Crew, and Sikhounmuong, vice president of design of J. Crew at the time.
“I met Roxanne nearly two decades ago when I interviewed her for a position at J. Crew and I never forgot the conversation we had,” said Drexler in a statement. “We talked about the boring stuff that interviews are usually made of, but when the conversation moved to summer jobs, she told me that she pumped gas on the dock of a marina in Cape Cod — that’s when I knew she was special. I never met someone who as a student pumped gas. I don’t judge people based on their résumés. I look for people with true grit, street smarts and instinct so hearing about Roxanne’s unique summer job told me everything I needed to know about her character and work ethic. We couldn’t be more pleased she’s joining the Alex Mill team.”
“Joining Alex Mill is a full-circle moment for me,” said O’Hara. “A few years ago, I came in to visit Alex and Som when they were designing their first women’s line and I immediately fell in love with the clothes and became a loyal customer. I’m excited to get started and work with the Alex Mill team to take the brand to the next level.”
Alex Mill, a small company, operates out of a modest, 6,000-square-foot site on Lafayette Street in SoHo with 23 workers. The brand was launched in 2013 by Alex who was on a quest to make the perfect men’s shirt. The collection has evolved into a tightly edited offering of wardrobe essentials and is available at alexmill.com and through its two freestanding New York City-based shops.
Last week, Mickey Drexler was honored with the Accessories Council’s Visionary Award at the ACE Awards, the trade organization’s annual gala celebrating excellence in accessories and retail. Drexler’s career is legendary. He’s the former CEO of Gap Inc., where he catapulted the Gap brand and launched Old Navy. He also catapulted the J. Crew brand, and launched Madewell which is part of the J. Crew Group.
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