MIANSAI APPOINTS BARBARA COOK AS CEO, ANNOUNCES GROWTH PLANS

Miami-based accessories brand Miansai has appointed Barbara Cook as chief executive officer. Her primary focus is to continue the growth trajectory through 2016, largely by way of an aggressive global e-commerce push, international wholesale expansion and growing the women’s sector of the business. The brand will be re-launching and re-designing its website in March.

Prior to joining Miansai, Barbara was president of Hudson Jeans, a $100 million premium denim company based in California. Under her leadership, Hudson radically shifted the brand’s marketing strategy and worked on the integration strategy that transitioned Hudson Jeans from private equity ownership to a subsidiary of Joe’s Jean. Barbara has also held positions at GAP Inc, T-Mobile and Starbucks.

In other news, Miansai, which has a store in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, will open its second flagship store in March on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California. Consistent with its Soho counterpart, Miansai Venice will showcase walnut wood, marble and metal finishes and high i-beam ceilings. The store’s feature will include a “Build Your Own” monogram station as well as a Kombucha tea bar. There will also be an outside garden area where guests will have access to complimentary Wi-Fi and the opportunity to linger and enjoy their surroundings.

“We wanted to have a bookmark store on each coast and choose a location that fits the ethos and the aesthetic of Miansai,” said founder and creative director Michael Saiger. “Venice Beach is quintessentially Los Angeles and a leader in the creative world. We’re proud to be sharing a street with some of the best brands in LA.”