Fashion & Luxury Dinner

Ariane is the Founder and CEO at HATCH and twobirds New York. She started her career at American Express, where for eight years she worked in the global firm’s marketing department. In 2007 Ariane left American Express to launch twobirds New York, a collection of bridesmaid dresses designed to be wrapped in over 15 ways to flatter women of all shapes and sizes (thus, “killing two birds with one stone”). She solved the very real need of providing versatile investment pieces for the millions of bridesmaids who want to look and feel beautiful while celebrating the milestone of a loved one.

In 2010, Ariane was newly pregnant with her first daughter when she grew frustrated by the lack of stylish wardrobe options for expecting women. She saw yet another void in the market for chic, timeless pieces that women could invest in during pregnancy and continue to wear afterwards. What began as a line of classics has now evolved into a full lifestyle assortment, featuring ready-to-wear, intimates, accessories and beauty.

Today, Ariane continues to nurture the growth of both twobirds New York and HATCH. She is focused on developing the HATCH retail presence throughout the United States, where at its New York and Brentwood stores, she is creating a physical community space that provides education, information and connection for expecting mothers and all women.

After noticing a lack of functional yet stylish laptop cases while working as a journalist for French TV, Clare decided to create her own line of handbags and accessories in 2008. Over time, Clare’s been able to cultivate an identifiable aesthetic that's all her own and has been recognized worldwide by influencers, tastemakers, celebrities and bloggers, who support and wear the line. Clare’s strong connection to France, where she spends a significant amount of time each year with her French husband and son, remains at the core of the brand, with signature elements visible within every collection. Clare has been profiled in both regional and national publications including The Los Angeles Times and Vanity Fair. In 2014, Clare was recognized for her contributions to design as a new member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), an organization with which she now works closely. 2018 marks the tenth year for the brand with now 7 retail stores and hundreds of stockists both in the US and abroad.

Melissa Mash is the Co-Founder and CEO of Dagne Dover. Previously, Melissa worked at Coach managing its brick-and-mortar and e-commerce accounts, before being promoted to lead the turn-around at Coach’s first EU/UK store. During that time, she saw an immense opportunity for a high-quality brand with classic silhouettes and smartly-designed interior pockets at a compelling pricepoint. That brand became Dagne Dover. Melissa currently leads business development, recruiting, investor relations and retail partnerships for the company. Melissa has a MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BA from NYU.

Lilla P Founder and Creative Director, Pauline Sokol Nakios, is a veteran of the apparel industry. Her retail roots run deep. Originally from Charleston, SC, her family owned a furniture store on the infamous King Street for close to a century.

In 1998, after years in the retail industry, Pauline set out to create the “perfect tee” and launched her brand that began with one simple style. In the years since the debut of that tee, the company has grown into a collection of understated luxury wardrobe staples that are timeless and unfettered yet full of subtle details. The brand can be found in high end specialty stores and retailers across North America as well as online and at Lilla P located in New York’s Meatpacking District.

Pauline and her husband and business partner, Thomas, reside in New York City with their two young boys. Together they continue to grow the business and are active members in the business community and serve on the boards of several non profit charities.

Laura Lisowski Cox is the Co-Founder and CMO of Oars + Alps, a direct to consumer skin care brand for people who lead an active, on-the-go lifestyle. The products are made with natural premium ingredients. The company launched in 2015 after Laura quit her high-profile job at Facebook.

Laura has spent most of her career focused on the digital space. She started her career at Digitas NYC in Strategy & Analytics advising Fortune 100 companies on digital acquisition and retention strategies. Clients included American Express and Delta. She then become Director of Consulting at OgilvyOne in Hong Kong helping companies such as Louis Vuitton and IBM on integrating customer data in their digital space to drive overall growth. Finally, Laura ended up at Facebook advising companies like Apple and GoPro on how to best advertise on facebook to drive both revenue and brand - and closely working with their teams to measure and optimize budgets across channels.

Laura holds an International Master of Finance from the Brandeis Business School. She has a double major from Brandeis University in Economics and Psychology. She has always held a fascination with data and human behavior.

Laura raced downhill skiing for 7 years and was the captain of her ski team in high school. Her husband is an avid skier as well and has completed a handful of marathons - he is currently training for his first triathlon.