Brother Vellies taps Behnaz Gharhamani as first CEO

US shoe and accessories brand Brother Vellies has appointed former Stuart Weitzman chief marketing officer Behnaz Ghahramani as its CEO.

It is the first time the New York-based brand has had a chief executive since it was founded in 2013 by Aurora James.

Ghahramani began her position at the helm of the business in February, according to LinkedIn, joining from high-end footwear label Stuart Weitzman where she has served as CMO since 2018.

Earlier in her career, Ghahramani spent two years at Ralph Lauren as vice president of global marketing - luxury collections, Lauren and licensing, and five years at Gucci as director of relational marketing.

Brother Vellies appoints first chief executive

“It’s official! So excited to be joining @aurorajames and the team @brothervellies as CEO,” Weitzman announced in an Instagram post.

She continued: “It is rare to find a partner that has the same drive, same passion, same unwavering determination to not only succeed but also to do things differently, to do better, and to have a positive impact in the world.

“Aurora is such an inspiration to me on so many levels, not only is she an incredibly talented designer and creative visionary, but she has been a critical leader in our industry championing for diversity.”

Brother Vellies founder Aurora James is the founder of the 15 Percent Pledge, which was established in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 and which calls on major retailers to pledge a commitment to buy 15 percent of their products from black-owned businesses.

James also made headlines in September after a dress she designed - embroidered with the bold red words ‘Tax The Rich’ - was worn by US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Met Gala.

Ghahramani continued in her Instagram post: “[James’] work @15percentpledge is brilliant in its simplicity and monumental in its impact.

“I could not be more honored to be a partner to her as we take @brothervellies to its full potential.”