Stella McCartney Names

NEW YORK--Yvonne Chahine starts Monday as Stella McCartney's president of North American operations, confirming a report in these columns Wednesday.Chahine leaves her post as vice president and divisional merchandise manager of women's designer collections at Bergdorf Goodman and will be based here. No replacement has been named.Stella McCartney Ltd., a partnership between the designer and Gucci Group, plans to open its first store this September in New York's meatpacking district.Chahine said Thursday that she'd been following McCartney's career as a designer since its start. "I knew her years ago when she was selling on the contemporary floor at Bergdorf's," she said. "She's an incredibly talented and amazing person."In her new role, Chahine will report to James Seuss, chief executive of the London-based design house.Chahine joined Bergdorf's in January 2000 after a four-year stint at Barneys New York."