EXCLUSIVE: Bloomingdale’s Taps Janelle Lloyd as RTW Fashion Director

Janelle Lloyd is joining Bloomingdale’s as women’s ready-to-wear fashion director on Monday, just in time for the upcoming fashion weeks in New York and Europe.

As a member of the store’s fashion office, Lloyd will report to Kevin Harter, vice president of integrated marketing. Bloomingdale’s other fashion directors are Justin Berkowitz for men’s, Marissa Galante Frank for beauty and accessories, and Kelley Carter for home. Lloyd succeeds Arielle Siboni, who left the company and now works as a consultant and stylist.

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“Janelle will hit the ground running in her new role at NYFW and is thrilled to view the fall 2024 season’s collections. She will also be covering Paris fashion week for Bloomingdale’s,” the company said in a statement.

Her appointment comes on the heels of some key senior-level changes at Bloomingdale’s, including Denise Magid’s promotion to chief merchant last spring, and Olivier Bron’s start as chief executive officer in early November. Bron replaced Tony Spring, who on Monday officially succeeded Jeff Gennette as CEO of Macy’s Inc., the parent company of the Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury brands.

“Janelle comes to us with a diverse background of roles and experiences, including buying, brand management, interior design, ad sales and fashion. In fact, she started her career at Bloomingdale’s as an assistant buyer and has worked with many of the brands we know and love throughout her career,” Bloomingdale’s said. “With an MBA from New York University and experience working at Google, she brings a variety of expertise to the team.”

Lloyd has had a strong social media presence, and runs “Wait, You Need This,” a weekly online shopping newsletter and Instagram account that spotlights her favorite fashion and home decor styles. “She has upward of 126,000 engaged followers, has long marked her as a style authority with refined taste and an impressive eye,” Bloomingdale’s said.

On the “Wait, You Need This” site, Lloyd describes herself as a fashion and retail industry veteran with experience as a buyer, stylist and marketer. She will continue to make recommendations through the platform, though its future will be determined down the line.

She got her start in the Bloomingdale’s buying office, “but my obsession with home decor drew me back to school to study interior design. I didn’t stay in that industry for long, but dabble in decor projects whenever I can. Since then I’ve worked as a freelance wardrobe and prop stylist for the likes of Ralph Lauren and Club Monaco, spent time at an apparel start-up, and helped create strategies for brands at a boutique digital agency.” Lloyd also worked at Google where she pitched the idea of joining YouTube to “the household brands you know and love,” Lloyd said on the site.

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