Aurora James and Her Brother Vellies Brand Name First CEO

Brother Vellies has named Behnaz Ghahramani as its first CEO. The brand, which launched in 2013, said today that Ghahramani will work directly with founder and creative director, Aurora James, to build upon Brother Vellies reputation as a purpose-driven and female-led company.

“I am so excited to have Behnaz join me to lead Brother Vellies into its next chapter. She shares my passion for the mission of the brand and the incredible community we have built around it, and her expertise will help bring Brother Vellies and our values of craftmanship to so many more,” James said in a statement.

Prior to this, Ghahramani served as chief marketing officer at Stuart Weitzman where she oversaw brand strategy, marketing communications and e-commerce globally. Ghahramani previously worked at Ralph Lauren as VP for global, marketing of luxury collections, Lauren and licensing brands, as well as at Gucci.

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While at Gucci as director of marketing for the Americas, she also supported the development and launch of Chime for Change, a global campaign founded by Gucci, Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyoncé Knowles Carter to raise funds and awareness for girls’ and women’s empowerment, with a focus on education, health and justice.

“I am thrilled to join Aurora James and take Brother Vellies to its full potential as a purposeful, sustainably driven company that supports artisans and redefines the meaning of luxury in our industry,” Ghahramani said. “I hope that together we can pave the way for more women, especially women of color to follow their dreams and successfully launch their businesses. I hope for Brother Vellies to be the case study that business can indeed be a force for good.”

James was named the 2020 Person of the Year by FN for her championing of diversity in fashion. She took on a vital leadership role in the industry, guiding important conversations about racial justice and she continues to focus on addressing fashion’s critical issues, which includes furthering her 15 Percent Pledge. The non-profit was created by the designer to help boost Black brands by holding retailers accountable as they commit to dedicating 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned labels. Companies that have made the pledge include Gap Inc., Nordstrom, Kith and Macy’s, among others.