Natalie Levy: How the CEO rebuilt Aéropostale and Lucky Brand

Natalie Levy arrived at Aéropostale in 2017 as president and chief merchandise officer, just two months after the company had been removed from a 243.3 million dollar bankruptcy sale. She was the first executive hire brought in to rebuild the brand, which was known at the time for selling mainly logo T-shirts and fleece for young consumers. She faced the challenging task with optimism. “I saw an iconic brand with a real connection to its shoppers and an opportunity to shape how it shows up for a new generation,” Levy told FashionUnited.

The executive was invited to lead the brand by Julian Geiger, who founded Aéropostale in 1987 when he was senior vice president for men’s at Macy’s, where he first worked with Levy. Geiger served as Aéropostale’s chief executive officer from 1996 to 2010, and returned from retirement as CEO from 2014 to 2016 to help turn around slumping sales before passing the torch again.

“I’ve always believed in building relationships throughout your career, and that early connection at Macy’s ultimately brought me here,” Levy said.

The decision to lead a brand nearly out of bankruptcy also felt personal to her. “As a mom to two daughters and an aunt to several nieces, I’m also naturally a frequent Aéropostale shopper. I’ve always been drawn to the teen space because it’s incredibly dynamic. Trends, interests, and behaviors are constantly evolving, which makes it both exciting and rewarding to help brands stay connected to what matters most to young consumers,” she said.

Three brands, one CEO

Later, Levy also added oversight of Nautica in 2018, then Lucky Brand in 2020, after Authentic Brands Group and SPARC bought the denim label out of its own bankruptcy for 140.1 million dollars. By December 2021, Marc Miller, then chief operating officer of the newly formed SPARC Group, elevated Levy to chief executive of the newly created SPARC Lifestyle Group, adding P&L, planning and allocation responsibility across all three brands to the merchandising and design mandate she already held.

“Whenever you are working across more than one brand, it is important to preserve each brand’s identity and voice and lean into them so you can reach consumers where they are,” Levy said. “There are certainly things you can share across brands, whether that’s operational capabilities, talent or expertise. But the product, customer experience and culture must be specific to each brand. The goal is to give each brand the support to grow without losing what makes it distinct.”

The next inflection point arrived in January 2025, when JCPenney merged with SPARC's brands to form Catalyst Brands. Levy kept her role as brand CEO through the transition, now reporting to Catalyst chief executive Marc Rosen.

“The Catalyst Brands portfolio gives us the ability to benefit from meaningful scale, while also protecting what makes each brand unique. It brings a modern, credible approach to growing brands that consumers already know and love,” Levy said.

Between Macy’s, where she worked as a buyer from 1986 to 1993, and Aéropostal, Levy held executive positions at Lord and Taylor, Ann Taylor and The Children’s Place. The work experience taught her to manage across multiple brands, categories, price points, and vendor relationships, she said. “It also gave me an early education in the wholesale business. I learned how to work with brand partners, identify growth opportunities, and ensure a brand is presented consistently across different channels and retail environments. That perspective has been incredibly valuable throughout my career and is especially relevant today as wholesale continues to be an important growth driver for brands like Aéropostale and Lucky Brand.”

Rebuilding Aéropostale and Lucky Brand

Aéropostale's performance has seen double-digit year-over-year growth, a reminder that the brand's much-discussed run toward a billion dollars in sales, the level it held before its 2016 bankruptcy, remains in sight. “We’re experiencing explosive growth, with 35 new stores planned between this year and next, while continuing to expand our reach through our wholesale business,” she said.

Under her leadership, Aéropostale partnered with JCPenney to bring in more consumers while allowing the brand to meet them where they’re already shopping. “We’re continuing to invest across the brand, from physical retail to digital storytelling and IRL experiences, and we’re excited about the momentum that’s creating,” Levy said.

Lucky Brand, which came out of bankruptcy in 2020, follows a different but also successful path. “Wholesale distribution has been a bigger growth driver. We have an opportunity to bring Lucky to more consumers through the right retail partners while continuing to build on its denim heritage and connection to music, creativity and self-expression,” she said.

Leading three completely different brands, such as Aéropostale, Nautica and Lucky Brands, can be operationally demanding. For Levy, there are areas where the brands can benefit from shared expertise and scale. “But the way we bring them to life has to be different,” she said. “The common thread is making sure each brand shows up authentically for its audience.”

30 years in retail

Over the course of her career, Levy said she has changed her mind about how quickly a consumer can move on from something they loved. “The pace of change now is incredible,” she said.

“That has made me much more focused on listening and staying curious. You can’t assume that because something worked five or ten years ago, it’s going to work today. At the same time, I don’t believe the answer is to chase every trend. The strongest brands know who they are and evolve from that foundation."

For the brands under her leadership, Levy expects them to keep up with this pace. “I want them to be bigger, stronger and to continue to reach consumers in new, innovative ways,” she said. “Ultimately, I want both to be thriving, forward-thinking businesses that are actively shaping culture, and we’re excited to action that path every day.”