Fern Mallis
- Full Name
- Fern J. Mallis
- Date of Birth
- 03/26/1948 (62 years old)
- Place of Birth
- Brooklyn, NY
- High School
- James Madison High School
- Undergrad
- University at Buffalo
- Neighborhood
- Upper East Side
- Other Residences
- Southampton, NY
- Filed Under
- Fashion
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Who
A longtime fashion insider, Fern Mallis spent years as the executive director of 7th on Sixth and senior VP of IMG Fashion before stepping down in early 2010. She's since announced plans to launch her own consulting and advisory firm, Fern Mallis LLC.
Backstory
A Brooklyn native, Mallis grew up in the garment business—her father traded in scarves, and her uncle in textiles. After stints at Mademoiselle and several retail companies, Mallis joined the CFDA as executive director in 1991 when it was still a tiny, disorganized organization. Two years later, after watching the ceiling nearly collapse during a show, she set about reinventing Fashion Week.
Pre-Mallis, Fashion Week wasn't anything like it is today: designers showed in random, unregulated (and occasionally dangerous) venues. She changed that with 7th on Sixth, which took responsibility for organizing shows in tents at Bryant Park, obtaining sponsorship dollars, inviting press, and sorting out the all-important seat assignments. In 2001, the CFDA sold 7th on Sixth to the entertainment and media powerhouse IMG. Mallis followed along and spent nine years as senior VP of IMG Fashion before stepping down in 2010.
Of note
During her time at 7th on Sixth and IMG Fashion, Mallis made Fashion Week into a major institution—one that now generates hundreds of millions in revenue for the city. She also made efforts to expand the franchise beyond New York City. In 2003, she launched Fashion Week in LA; Miami followed in 2005. And she's expanding internationally with events in Mumbai, Moscow, Hong Kong, and Sydney. But the legendary toughie—"Fern is a fighter who will punch your lights out to get her point across," a friend once told a reporter—also has a softer side. A tireless fundraiser, Mallis has helped raise more than $30 million for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer and $15 million for AIDS research since the early 1990s.
Personal
Mallis is single. "In this business, I don't meet a ton of straight men." She lives on East 68th Street and spends downtime at her home in Southampton.
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