Julie Macklowe
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Julie Macklowe (born Julie Lerner in December 1977) is an American socialite. After marrying into the Macklowe family, she was briefly a hedge fund manager after spending 12 years working on Wall Street.[1][2] She is a philanthropist.[3] In 2021, she released The Macklowe, an American single malt whisky.[4][5] She previously founded vbeauté, a former skincare line for women.[6]
Background
Macklowe was born in Aspen and raised in Arizona,[7] the daughter of Frank Lerner. She took over her grandfather's T-shirt company and transformed it into a women's sportswear company.[8] She completed her B.A. in economics and B.S. in commerce, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce in 1999. It was there that she received an early induction into New York finance circles while taking John Griffin's class.[5]
Career
2000-2008: Early Career
In 2000, Macklowe worked with Chase Capital Management (now JPMorgan Partners) in Seoul and Hong Kong where she helped structure leverage buyouts.[8][9] Between 2003 and 2006, Macklowe was the managing director of Metropolitan Capital Management, and in 2006, she joined the investment firm SAC, where she managed investment portfolios for Sigma Capital Management.
2009-2010: Macklowe Asset Management
In 2009, backed by Millennium Partners, Macklowe opened her own $250 million hedge fund, Macklowe Asset Management. In October 2010, Macklowe closed the fund to pursue her own investments in fashion businesses.[10] In an interview the following year, she said, "I haven’t looked at a stock since the day I left.”[11]
2010-2020: Fashion Industry Investments
After leaving a career in finance, Macklowe turned to the fashion industry, leveraging her prior business experience with her family's clothing business.[8]
BaubleBar
In December 2010, Macklowe's first fashion industry investment, BaubleBar, launched with help from Accel Partners.[8] The online startup, sells jewelry directly from suppliers and designers, which normally work with retailers.[12] Macklowe helped the company in its initial fundraising efforts and currently sits on the company's board.[8]
Macklowe was the muse for Zang Toi, for his Spring 2013 collection and debuted on the runway show September 9, 2012.[13]
Vbeauté
Macklowe launched her own skincare company, Vbeauté on November 1, 2011.[14][15][16] Vbeauté started as a luxury, travel-friendly toiletry kit that meets TSA regulations for carry on luggage and was developed by CRB Cosmetics, a research lab in Switzerland. The inspiration for the company came in 2009, when she was flying to a friend's wedding in France, when her toiletries were confiscated by security. In 2011, the company raised $4 million and sold at 37 stores.[17][18] In September 2014, vbeauté launched a deal with the Home Shopping Network (HSN) to be sold exclusively at HSN and select boutiques.[19][20][21] Vbeauté sold a wide range of luxury skin care products, known for containing the Alpine Rose as a main ingredient.[22]
Vbeauté went out of business in 2019.[23]
2021-current: The Macklowe
In December 2021, Macklowe launched The Macklowe, an American single malt whiskey. Macklowe is distilled in limited quantities, and according to The New York Times, retails for $1,500.[24] It is available at various New York bars and restaurants.[25][26][27][28][29] Macklowe told The Wall Street Journal that decades of curating her own collection of whiskey inspired her to create her own brand.[30]
Macklowe partnered with Scottish distiller and blender Ian MacMillan, known for his work with Bunnahabhain and Bladnoch.[5][31] The brand follows a farm-to-table philosophy, which includes locally sourced malted barley.[32] The product is made, matured, and bottled in Kentucky using traditional bourbon production techniques, using a column still and copper doubler.[4][33] The product is bottled in hand-crafted, hand-painted bottles that are designed after flasks.[26][5]
Jean-Georges’ restaurants, Eleven Madison Park and Daniel, the Polo Bar, and restaurants like Marea, Catch Steak, Carbone, Le Pavillon, Le Bilboquet, Casa Cipriani, Casa Lever, Lola Taverna, Nick & Sam's Steakhouse, Bemelmans at the Carlyle, the Grill, the Lobster Club, and Tutto il Giorno serve it.[5]
Personal life
In 2004, Julie married Billy Macklowe, son of Harry B. Macklowe, and founder of the William Macklowe Company. The couple lives in Manhattan and Long Island with their daughters.[34] In addition to their residence in New York City, the couple owns houses in both Aspen[35] and the Hamptons.[36]
In 2008, Macklowe was named Vogue magazine's "It Girl".[37]
In 2011, Macklowe hosted her 34th birthday party, which also featured the launch of her new vBeauté skin care line. The event was part of a cooperative effort to raise money for VH1's Save the Music Foundation.[15]
In December 2022, Macklowe's 45th birthday party made headlines for its high-profile 600-person guest list and risqué dress code of "leather and lingerie". The party, its guests, and fashion were featured in New York Magazine.[38]
Macklowe has been photographed at various social and philanthropic events wearing a range of designers including Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Balenciaga and Oscar de la Renta. She has attended events such as the Couture Council and New Yorkers for Children fall gala.[11][39][40][41] Macklowe also collects ball gowns, some of which have been showcased in the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty art exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.[42][43][44]
Philanthropy and other activities
Early in her career, Macklowe created the “Learn to Invest” class for the all-girls Cathedral High School in New York.[45]
Macklowe previously sat on the board of VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, whose mission is to restore music education in the United States.[46][47] Macklowe and her husband co-chaired the 2015 concert dinner at their summer estate in the Hamptons for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, where musicians such as Jason Derulo headlined.[47][48][49] The concert raised nearly $800,000.[50][51]
Macklowe is actively involved with the Seven Bar Foundation, a non-profit which provides microfinance for impoverished women. She also serves on the friends committees for New Yorkers for Children, a non-profit which focuses on the academic success of foster children, and the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to whom she has contributed four of the exhibit's gowns.[52][53][54][55]
After Hurricane Sandy hit New York, Macklowe and her family offered to take refugees into their Upper East Side home.[citation needed]
Macklowe sits on the advisory board of the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce.[11] She is also a founding advisory board member for Fashion Week at Lincoln Center,[56] the current Chairwoman of the Fashion Institute of Technology's Couture Council,[57] and co-chaired the 2015 Couture Council Luncheon.[58]
References
- ^ "Katie Little. "A hedge fund manager’s unexpected, second act in cosmetics". CNBC, September 7, 2013. Accessed August 25, 2024.
- ^ Rubin, Julia (2012). "BEAUTY BEAT: Julie Macklowe Gives Us The Lowdown On vbeauté". STYLEITE. Styleite, LLC.
- ^ "Marvelous Macklowe Single Malt".
- ^ a b "Julie Macklowe's Latest Venture? An American Single-Malt Whiskey". Vogue. 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ a b c d e "There's a New Whiskey Winning Over Wall Street". Bloomberg.com. 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ Uticone, Christina (2012). "A SENSITIVE SUBJECT: SKIN CARE LINE VBEAUTÉ LAUNCHES IN HOUSTON". Houston Press. Houston Press LP.
- ^ Peter Davis (18 March 2011). "Chic of the Week: Julie Macklowe". Avenue Insider. Manhattan Media. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Clark, Evan (1 December 2010) "Julie Macklowe: Beginning with a Bauble." Women's Wear Daily. p 3-4.
- ^ "Julie Macklowe as Fashion Backer" Women's Wear Daily. December 1, 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Five Successful Female Entrepreneurs Who Pivoted Out of the Finance Industry" Forbes. 2/06/2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ a b c "Julie Macklowe: A Fashionable Life". Harper's Bazaar (September 2011): 504–509. Archived from the original on 2011-10-16.
- ^ Carter, Nicole (2 July 2012). "A Lot More Sparkle Than Morgan Stanley". Inc.com. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ "Zang Toi Gives A Sneak Peek Into His Spring 2013 Collection Ahead of New York Fashion Week [PHOTOS]". Ibtimes.com. 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
- ^ "Belle of it All". Quest Magazine. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- ^ a b Heymen, Marshall (21 December 2011). "Swapping finance for facial products". article. wall street journal. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ^ Chang, Bee-Shyuan (7 December 2011). "Beauty as Their Business". The New York Times.
- ^ "After Hedge Funds, a Career Rejuvenation". Businessweek. 2012-02-02. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
- ^ "A hedge fund manager's unexpected, second act in cosmetics". CNBC. 7 September 2013.
- ^ Cyk, Jayme (2014). "Vbeauté to Appear on HSN". WWD. Fairchild Publishing.
- ^ "HSN Previews Fall Fashions at New York Fashion Week". The Recessionista®. 22 September 2014.
- ^ "Beauty Spots" New York Times. May 29, 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Vbeaute". 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Vbeauté Company Profile: Valuation & Investors | PitchBook". pitchbook.com. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ Risen, Clay (2022-12-29). "Where Did All the Bargain Bourbon Go? Blame the Whiskey Mania". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
- ^ Julie Macklowe Couldn't Find an American Single Malt Whiskey to Her Liking—So She Made One Herself; Town & Country Mag; [1]
- ^ a b Julie Macklowe Launches Luxury American Single Malt Whiskey; WWD;
- ^ Julie Macklowe’s Latest Venture? An American Single-Malt Whiskey; Vogue; [2]
- ^ Holiday Gift Guide 2021: Best Whiskeys And Whiskies Made By Women; Forbes; [3]
- ^ Julie Macklowe Brings Luxury To American Single Malt With $1,500 Whiskey; Spirited Zine; [4]
- ^ Taylor, Candace (15 December 2022). "Sure, You've Got a Wine Cellar. What About a Whiskey Lounge, or a Tequila-Tasting Room?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
- ^ "The Team". The Macklowe. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
- ^ "Our Process". The Macklowe. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
- ^ "Cask Nº60". The Macklowe. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Gordon, Kazakina (11 March 2020). "Wealthy New Yorkers Flee to Hamptons, Hudson Valley to Escape Virus". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ Carroll, Rick (18 January 2015). "Aspen penthouse sells for $13.2 million". www.aspentimes.com. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ "Glimmers of Light Downtown". The New York Times. 31 October 2012.
- ^ "Vbeauté takes flight". WWD Magazine. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- ^ Milliner-Waddell, Kelsie Schrader, Jenna (2023-01-05). "The Look Book Goes to Julie Macklowe's Birthday Party". Curbed. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Vanessa Lawrence (17 September 2015). "Inside the New Yorkers for Children Fall Gala". W Magazine.
- ^ Bettina Zilkha. "Couture Council Honors Manolo Blahnik, Raises $1 Million for the Museum At FIT". Forbes.
- ^ Vanessa Lawrence (October 2008). "Indecent Exposure". W. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ^ "THE FOUNDER’S CUT: VBEAUTÉ, IN IT TO WIN IT." JustMax. Jan 19, 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "From finance to fashion: Julie Macklowe uses her $250 million hedge fund wizardry in the beauty world" Culture Mag. 02.10.12. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "A FASHIONABLE LIFE: JULIE MACKLOWE" Archived 2011-10-16 at the Wayback Machine Harper's Bazaar. August 25, 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Julie Lerner, William Macklowe." The New York Times. 21 November 2004. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ^ HD MADE (24 January 2018). "Our Team". vh1savethemusic.org.
- ^ a b "SweetCharity: VH1 Save The Music Foundation". Hampton Daze. Hampton Daze Media. 2015.
- ^ Laffey, Kelly (2015). "Hamptons Stars Align to Save the Music". danspapers.com.
- ^ Bowers, Courtney (2015). "Why VH1 Save the Music is Personal for Julie Macklowe". Hamptons-Magazine.
- ^ "Jason Derulo Rocks the Hamptons". theredcarpetawards.com. 10 August 2015.
- ^ "Average Socialite™: VH1 & VH1 Save the Music Foundation Hamptons Live, Hamptons". averagesocialite.com. 8 August 2015.
- ^ "Charity Ushers In Fall Galas" Wall Street Journal. September 22, 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "AFTER HOURS: SCHOOL TIES" Archived 2011-12-29 at the Wayback Machine W Magazine. September 21, 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Vive Vivier!" Archived 2014-03-07 at the Wayback Machine Fashion Week Daily. October 23, 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "SEVEN BAR FOUNDATION DINNER CELEBRATES AMAZING WOMEN" Archived 2012-08-24 at the Wayback Machine Pink Memo. 06.15.2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "Julie Lerner Macklowe." University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- ^ "The Couture Council". www.fitnyc.edu. Retrieved 2022-07-09.
- ^ "You Should Know: Julie Macklowe". Guest of a Guest.