Babson College to Honor Fashion Entrepreneurs Ruthie Davis and Michael Bastian

WELLESLEY, Mass., April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ruthie Davis M'93, a leading independent designer and the founder of the only luxury female American shoe designer label in the industry; and Michael Bastian '87, an American fashion designer known for his namesake label, Michael Bastian, and his work for brands such as GANT, will be inducted into The Babson College Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame during ceremonies on the Wellesley campus on April 16, 2015.

The Hall of Fame celebrates alumni who have distinguished themselves in entrepreneurial endeavors across all types of enterprises. Babson alumni entrepreneurs are inducted annually where they are recognized for their accomplishments in creating economic and social value.

About Ruthie Davis M'93

Babson is honoring Ruthie Davis for her numerous achievements as an entrepreneur and leader in the fashion industry. In 2014, Ruthie Davis was the only footwear designer to be accepted into the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America). Additionally, she was named the 2014 "Footwear Designer of the Year" by AAFA (American Apparel & Footwear Association) at their annual American Image Awards. In 2013, Ruthie Davis was distinguished as one of Goldman Sachs' "100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs," one of Footwear News' "20 Directional Design Stars" in 2013 and 2014, and one of Vogue Italia's "Vogue Talents." Currently, the Ruthie Davis story is the first chapter in the top seller "Motivation" book titled, Life Outside the Box, by Marilyn Wilson.

Ruthie Davis earned her Bachelor's degree in English and Visual Arts from Bowdoin College. She went on to earn her MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson's Olin Graduate School of Business with the intention of someday forging an independent fashion label of her own. Ruthie Davis then honed her design and marketing skills by holding executive positions at Reebok, UGG Australia and Tommy Hilfiger before launching RUTHIE DAVIS in 2006. 

Designed in New York and handcrafted in Italy, Ruthie Davis is renowned for her architectural shapes, luxurious mix of materials, uncompromising quality and vivid color palette. The RUTHIE DAVIS brand is sold in top tier retail establishments worldwide. In January 2014, she launched her own global ecommerce store on RUTHIEDAVIS.COM. In 2016, Ruthie plans to open the first Flagship Ruthie Davis Store in New York City. 

RUTHIE DAVIS is a top choice for celebrities and fashion tastemakers including iconic performers Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Jennifer Lopez; A-list celebrities Halle Berry, Sofia Vergara, and Shailene Woodley; supermodels Joan Smalls and Karolina Kurkova; and young Hollywood stars Emma Roberts, Zendaya Coleman and Demi Lovato. Her designs have been featured in New York Fashion Week runway presentations by Alice + Olivia, Dennis Basso, David Meister and Doo Ri among others. Recently, Ruthie Davis collaborated with menswear designer and animal activist John Bartlett on the launch of her first vegan shoe line, as well as Daniel Silver and Steven Cox of Duckie Brown for their debut women's fall 2014 collection at New York Fashion Week. Her Ruthie Davis (heart) John Bartlett collaboration has been shortlisted for the WGSN Global Fashion Awards in the category of "Design Collaboration," and the winner will be announced in May 2015. Additionally since 2013, Ruthie Davis has been collaborating with pop star, Lady Gaga, on custom shoes.

Ruthie Davis serves as a television fashion expert with regular spots on Bravo, E!, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox News, and NBC among others. She consistently dedicates time to mentoring emerging designers and entrepreneurs. Whether it be teaching a course at FIT, or lecturing at MIT's Sloan School of Business, her message is always clear, "Find your passion, work hard, live your dreams."

About Michael Bastian '87

Michael Bastian is a luxury American menswear designer born in Lyons, New York, a small upstate town near Lake Ontario. Upon graduating from Babson in 1987, he moved to Manhattan, taking his first job as an assistant buyer at Abraham & Strauss, subsequently taking on roles of increasing acclaim at world-renowned institutions—Sotheby's, Tiffany & Co., and Ralph Lauren. Bastian was appointed as men's fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman in 2000. It was during his five-year tenure there that he was inspired to introduce his eponymous line, Michael Bastian.

In 2007, his first full year in business, Bastian was named the CFDA's newcomer menswear designer of the year. 

Partnering with global lifestyle brand GANT in the fall of 2010, Bastian created a fully-realized collection of men's and women's ready to wear as well as eyewear and watches under the label GANT by Michael Bastian. In its second full season, the collection earned Bastian the nod as one of GQ magazine's six finalists in the running to be selected "best new menswear designer in America." Over the course of nine collections, GANT by Michael Bastian earned worldwide popularity—re-invigorating the classic American brand—and burnished Bastian's own credentials as one of the most important influencers in menswear. 

In the summer of 2013, Michael Bastian collaborated with global retailer UNIQLO to create a line of limited edition polo shirts, under the label "UNIQLO X Michael Bastian." The instant and overwhelming success of the line led to the release of a second capsule the following spring, this time including children's polos. 

Other licenses and partnerships have included jewelry with George Frost, leather bags and accessories with Frank Clegg, hats with Eugenia Kim, and shoes with Stubbs & Wootton.

Always on the leading edge, Michael Bastian introduced the MB Chronowing in the fall of 2014, a handsome Smartwatch of his design, engineered by Hewlett-Packard. Both the classic and limited editions launched exclusively on Gilt Groupe and sold out shortly after their debut. 

Nominated for four consecutive years from 2008-2011 as a finalist for the CFDA's menswear designer of the year award, Bastian claimed victory in 2011 and earned yet another nomination in 2013. 

Designed in New York and made entirely in Italy, now in its ninth year, Michael Bastian is carried across the world in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as his own webstore.

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds^®. The College is a dynamic living and learning laboratory, where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society—while at the same time evolving our methods and advancing our programs. We shape the leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to create economic and social value. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought and Action^® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.

CONTACT: Michael Chmura, 781 239 4549, [email protected]

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SOURCE Babson College

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