SIDELINES
JOCKEY’S NEW CHIEF: Debra S. Waller has been named chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Jockey International Inc. in Kenosha, Wis. She steps into the position left vacant in December by the death of her mother, Donna Wolf Steigerwaldt, who owned the privately held $100 million company.
“Donna is a consummate professional who knows this business inside and out,” said Edward C. Emma, Jockey president and chief operating officer, in a statement late Wednesday evening. “Her mother groomed her for this position for nearly two decades.”
Waller started at Jockey in 1982 as an administrative assistant, working her way up over 20 years to vice chairman of the board and assistant to the president. In the statement, Waller said she planned to keep the company private.
FILA SHUFFLE: As part of its continued efforts to streamline its organization and convey a more cohesive image globally, Fila USA has made a series of executive changes.
David Kahan has been promoted to senior vice president and general sales manager of Fila USA, succeeding Doug Herkner, who plans to retire. In his new post, Kahan will oversee sales, focusing on key accounts and country club pro shops. He will also be responsible for inventory control, retail accounting and special sales events.
Kahan will divide his time between the company’s corporate headquarters in Sparks, Md., and its New York offices.
Kim Nelson has been named vice president of creative services and apparel, a new post. She will work with the company’s creative team in Italy to see to it that U.S. consumers’ needs are covered in the global line.
Danny Lieberman has been promoted to vice president of product merchandising and apparel. Most recently, he was director of apparel production. Lieberman is now handling some of Nelson’s former responsibilities including apparel merchandising, and production and sourcing for the U.S.
WEAR IN THE WORLD: National Geographic will unveil a T-shirt and sweatshirt line at this weekend’s Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. Licensed to Joe Blow, a Millersville, Md.-based apparel manufacturer, the magazine’s new apparel will be offered at specialty stores later this spring, according to a National Geographic spokesman.
National Geographic will also launch a line of footwear designed for adventure travelers and urban hipsters. Produced by Rugged Shark, a Lighthouse Point, Fla.-based company. The magazine plans to ink additional licensing deals later this year, including a major apparel line.
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STAGING CELEBRITIES: Off the Rack, a new theatrical spoof about the fashion industry and the evils of consumerism, takes a few playful jabs at aspiring activewear designers Serena and Venus Williams and Christy Turlington.
One skit in the play, which runs on Monday nights at the Red Room in the East Village, pokes fun at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where the Williams sisters are enrolled. In another scene, a fictional supermodel talks about giving up the catwalk to study at NYU-the route that Turlington took.