VMSD - November 2017 - 28

TOP WOMEN
IN RETAIL DESIGN
2017

Roe Palermo

Roe is responsible for Lord & Taylor's instore visual experience, including windows, merchandising, renovations, store
openings, promotional signage and fashion presentations - for all 50 locations. A
graduate of New York's FIT, she earned a
bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising and has dedicated her career to the
field of retail design.
In addition to Lord & Taylor, she has
worked for Mitchells (Westport, Conn.), a
family-owned luxury apparel retailer with
roots in the Northeast - a move she credits
with teaching her a valuable lesson about
retail: "It taught me the meaning of community, and retail being part of a community," she explains.

R IC HAR D C ADAN, FAIR FIE LD, C ONN.

DIVISIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, MERCHANDISE PRESENTATION AND STORE VISUAL
LORD & TAYLOR, NEW YORK

What do you like most about your

What's your advice to those striv-

job?

ing to elevate the role of women in

"Every day is a new challenge, whether it's
a project, working with people, opening
a store, working on a holiday window or
teaching the next leaders. I'm passionate about what I do; it's hard to not be
obsessed with the work and drive home
the best possible customer experience."

design?

"Continue to be a great role model, be true
to yourself, honest with others, share your
knowledge and help others be successful.
We need to take risks to leverage new ideas
and not be afraid to let failure happen. Talent comes from those who are fearless."

usually happens is the expansion program
moves on to another team. The design or
program changes.
"It's easy to get frustrated when the
changes go in a direction different from the
original brief, but things do change. You can
only do your best work while you have it.
Build great relationships so maybe you can
continue to influence, but then you need to
move on to the next big adventure."
How important is the role of women

Bink Zengel

VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND EXPERIENCE
INNOVATION
LUXOTTICA, MASON, OHIO

In her role at eyewear conglomerate Luxottica, Bink focuses on strategy, branding and
"fearless experimentation." An architect by
training, she has spent much of her career
leading the creative for new business development at Luxottica, including store design
concepts for LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut,
Pearle Vision, Target Optical, Sears Optical

NOVEMBER 2017

VMSD.COM

What is one of your biggest challenges professionally?

"My team's work focuses on prototypes
and new business development. This
means sometimes we do beautiful, amazing projects, and sometimes we fail. What

"I believe mentoring is a responsibility of
every individual. For women, it's a way to
honor the women who were pioneers in
design and business. It's also a way to pay
it forward. Mentoring is a great place to
start the cycle of respect, trust and confidence. It is an opportunity to model the
way and practice of being the person most
of us want to be. I am grateful to all of the
women and men who have taken the time
for a cup of coffee, encouraged me to be
fearless or maybe gave some uncomfortable feedback I needed." 

C O UR TE S Y O F LUX OTTIC A

as mentors in the workplace?

and Luxury Optical Brands.
She says she believes the magic comes
from connecting great ideas with great
partners in disciplines like brand development, consumer insights, omnichannel,
finance, operations, as well as product and
visual merchandising.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of VMSD - November 2017