Christine H. Day, former chief executive officer of Lululemon, has joined the board of directors of Tecovas, an Austin-based Western footwear, apparel and accessories brand. She is the brand’s fifth board member.
Day is the cofounder and board member at The House of LR&C, a B Corp. wholesaler and direct-to-consumer retailer with a focus on fashion and sustainability. She has also served as a board member for Kohl’s Corp, CEO of Performance Kitchen and had a 20-year executive tenure at Starbucks Corp.
Day joins the board as Tecovas achieved 24 percent growth in 2023 and opened eight additional stores, bringing its total retail store count to 32. The brand plans to open new retail doors this year, including its first stores in the Northeast and two additional doors in California.
“I’m incredibly excited to join the Tecovas board and bring my experience to help shepherd the brand’s growth nationally over the coming years. Tecovas has grown from an idea into a nine-figure brand and disrupted the Western industry, especially with its retail expansion. The scale of the business positions Tecovas in a unique opportunity to expand its tent and steward the next generation of Western at a moment when the Western industry has never been more profitable or culturally relevant,” said Day.
Paul Hedrick, founder and executive chairman of the board, said, “We are very pleased to welcome Christine to the Tecovas board. She brings valuable skills and perspectives to our team including experience identifying trends and driving growth in iconic brands. Her insights and capabilities align with management’s focus on building an authentically Western icon brand amidst the challenges of a changing marketplace.”
During Day’s tenure as CEO and director at Lululemon from 2008 to 2014, Lululemon grew its annual revenue from $300 million to $1.5 billion.
As reported, last fall, Kristopher Brock did a limited-edition women’s capsule of apparel and boots for Tecovas, and women’s appears to be a growing opportunity for the brand.
“We plan to grow nationally and enter several new markets in 2024,” said Madisen Li, vice president and product at Tecovas. “Our heritage-meets-modern positioning gives us a unique opportunity to introduce ourselves to customers and remind them why buying cowboy boots is an investment — a true heritage item — whether it’s your first pair or your 60th. The fact that our women’s business is outpacing our total growth (in both footwear and apparel) speaks to a shift in consumer behavior away from fast fashion in favor of heritage goods that are made to last. In 2024, we are launching new silhouettes, colors and materials to offer our largest collection for women to date.”
SOURCE: Women’s Wear Daily