Georgetown Retail and Luxury Association

On October 23rd, GRLA welcomed Maureen Kelly, the Founder and CEO of Tarte Cosmetics, to discuss her career journey, the clean beauty movements, and her vision for Tarte's future in the digital space. Miranda Mackey Yarowsky, our student moderator who expertly led the conversation, gave us a deeper understanding of Maureen’s entrepreneurial journey and the core values that define her brand. Maureen showed that her path to establishing Tarte was far from ordinary. With two master's degrees in psychology, she experimented with various professional paths, including becoming a fashion buyer, before deciding to follow her heart into beauty. Maureen nurtured Tarte from her one-bedroom abode, driven by her quest for "clean beauty" remedies, despite having no business background or prior experience in makeup artistry. Maureen was inspired by her acne struggles and the need for skincare products that would not aggravate skin issues to create a market solution at a time when clean beauty options were limited. She encouraged others to follow their dreams and trust their instincts by explaining that Tarte was founded on her passion for health-conscious beauty rather than a calculated marketing strategy. When discussing the future of beauty trends in the industry, she expressed enthusiasm for using AI features such as trial sessions to improve the online shopping experience and recreate a welcoming in-store environment. She also talked about the role of TikTok and how it has helped Tarte engage with customers and build authentic relationships. She finished off by saying, "Have faith in yourself because you don't want to be stuck in a job that doesn't bring you joy,” a reminder to do what you truly love, something that definitely should be repeated more often. Thank you to Maureen Kelly and the Tarte team for an amazing visit to the hilltop!

On Thursday, September 19, GRLA, in collaboration with the Baratta Center for Global Business - Georgetown McDonough and the Stanton Distinguished Leaders Series had the honor of hosting Óscar García Maceiras, the CEO of Inditex. Inditex, the global fashion powerhouse led by CEO Óscar García Maceiras, stands as one of the most influential players in the fashion industry. With iconic brands such as Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Bershka under its umbrella, the company has revolutionized the way fashion meets retail and the consumer experience. During this insightful talk, Mr. García Maceiras highlights three important topics related to Inditex’s success that can be attributed to its unique approach to supply chain management, its adaptability in the face of global challenges, and its commitment to sustainability, amongst many others. Inditex shared how their innovative supply chain management minimizes markdowns through agile, data-driven decision-making. By integrating inbound and outbound pricing strategies, they avoid overproduction and align inventory with real-time customer demand—a game-changer in the fast-paced fashion world. The conversation also highlighted Inditex’s resilience during COVID-19, transforming store closures into opportunities to bolster e-commerce and omnichannel strategies. Stores became hubs for online orders, enabling fast delivery and seamless returns. This approach not only tackled immediate challenges but also reshaped their long-term retail vision, blending physical and digital spaces to enhance the customer experience. Thank you to Óscar García Maceiras and the Inditex team for an unforgettable conversation.

The Georgetown Luxury and Retail Association was honored to host Christophe Georges, President of Bentley Americas for a fascinating conversation on the legacy of this iconic car brand. The wonderful Irini Fournier Vardinoyannis moderated the conversation. We greatly enjoyed learning about Christophe's professional trajectory and how Bentley emphasizes craftsmanship, corporate values, and a subtle heritage—and how it has expanded its brand into other luxury sectors, including hospitality and real estate. Christophe encouraged our student audience to look for ways to help luxury companies innovate and take risks while paying respect to the legacy of the past. Thank you to the entire Bentley team, specifically Robert Kauffman and Erin Bronner for partnering with GRLA and making this event a true success!

Join us in welcoming our new Director of Development for the 2024 - 2025 School Year! Tara Murray is a junior in the College, double majoring in Philosophy and Economics, with a minor in Music. In addition to working in GRLA’s Public Relations team for the past two years, she has experience working with Italian design brand Salvatori, Brookfield’s marketing team for the IFC Mall in Seoul, and she was a competitor with McDonough students in the Diane Von Furstenberg InCharge x GRLA Case Competition, focusing on promoting female empowerment in the industry.

Katherine Celia Sotirhos, a junior in the College, is pursuing majors in Government and English while also making strides in the luxury industry, collaborating with prestigious brands like Chloé. She became a member of GRLA during her sophomore year and has been an integral part of the Development team ever since.

Join us in welcoming our new Operations Vice President for the 2024-2025 School Year! Tiffany Pham is a Sophomore in the McDonough School of Business, majoring in Marketing and Operations & Analytics. This summer, she will be joining David Yurman and begin her career in the luxury industry. She joined GRLA her Sophomore year as an Operations Team Member.

Join us in welcoming our new Co-President for the 2024 - 2025 School Year! Carolina Pilar O'Leary is a Junior in the School of Foreign Service, majoring in Global Business with a minor in Italian, while concurrently making significant contributions to the luxury hospitality marketing and global operations space through her work with leading hospitality brands such as Belmond, Marriott, and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. She joined GRLA her Freshman year and previously served on the board as Director of Development.