Neiman Marcus Fashion Director Ken Downing Is Leaving After 28 Years

Neiman Marcus fashion director and senior vice president Ken Downing is the latest among the Dallas-based retailers longtime, core group of executives to leave the company. His contact list is probably the most extensive in the international fashion business.Downing has represented Neiman Marcus at runway shows around the world including a regular at New York's fashion week. He's held events for Neiman Marcus as far away as Australia and hosted major designers from Donna Karan to Karl Lagerfeld in Dallas.He's the guy who could get both Tom Ford and Stella McCartney to headline a runway show and private party in Dallas at the NorthPark Center store.CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck has been putting his team together since he joined the company in February 2018 and has filled several key positions with experience from some of the top retail brands including Apple, Sephora, Tory Burch and LVMH and hospital business including Starwood Cruise Services. Van Raemdonck came to Neiman Marcus from Ralph Lauren's European division and he succeeded longtime CEO Karen Katz. Jim Gold, president, and Neva Hall, executive vice president for Neiman Marcus stores left on March 15, the day that the company opened its first store in Manhattan in the Shops at Hudson Yards. Downing has been in his current job since March 2006, but he's been with Neiman Marcus since 1990. His first job was in the visual department of the Beverly Hills store and later became director of visual planning and presentation for all stores.Downing came to Neiman Marcus from I. Magnin. He's a Seattle native and a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in apparel design and is a graduate of Seattle Central College.Twitter: @MariaHalkias  Continue reading...