HEADING WEST: Diane Neal, who reenergized Bath & Body Works, is vacating the chief executive officer post to relocate to San Francisco and explore new job options, notably Charlotte Russe.
“She’s leaving Bath & Body Works on a good note. She just didn’t want to stay in the Midwest,” said a source.
Neal could check out other San Francisco-based retailers, such as Gap Inc., where she previously worked, or Sears Holdings Corp., which a year-and-a-half ago reestablished its merchant team in San Francisco and recruited a lot of talent from Gap. Levi Strauss & Co. is also based in San Francisco. However, two sources said she’s had conversations with Charlotte Russe, which has been struggling recently. Jenny Ming is running Charlotte Russe. “It’s not the right fit,” said one of the sources.
Last year, Ming established Charlotte Russe’s creative offices in San Francisco to tap the large talent pool there. The company remains based in San Diego. She became president and ceo of Charlotte Russe in fall 2009, when Advent International Group paid $380 million to take the company private.
DARK MATTER: The Grand Palais in Paris is prized for its soaring 11-story vaulted glass roof, and the quality of light that pours through it. But this season, Karl Lagerfeld will have none of it. He’s scheduled Chanel’s couture show on July 5 for 10 p.m., which should be after sunset.