Irene Newman is an innovative and inspirational global design leader. With over 25 years in the fashion industry spanning design, product development, brand management, business development, and merchandising — both domestically and globally — she offers a rare combination of creative vision and business acumen.
Central to her success is her ability to understand and capitalize on national and global trends, translating them into compelling product at speed. Irene has worked across an exceptionally broad range of categories: beyond fashion, her expertise extends across soft lines, hard lines, costumes, and animatronics — bringing the same design rigor and creative leadership to each. She has extensive experience in brand building and creative collaborations with celebrities and sports professionals, from brand identity to full-line execution. Additionally, she has a unique track record of success in wholesale, private brand, and vertical retail across a wide range of organizations.
Irene is at the forefront of modernizing the design process, integrating AI-driven trend forecasting, 3D design and virtual prototyping, and business intelligence tools to accelerate speed to market, reduce waste, and enable smarter, data-informed creative decisions. By embracing these technologies, she helps brands move faster, collaborate more effectively, and bring product to life with greater precision and less environmental impact.
Irene lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three sons. She is an avid runner who has completed six marathons. She lives and works by the following principal; like marathoning, to be successful takes grit, focus, and determination!