HAARTS 2026

List of 5 news stories.

• 

  Kelsey Scroggins Groome ’00

  MODERATOR
  HEAD OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT, THE NEW SCHOOL/ PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN
  
  

  Kelsey Groome brings over 15 years of experience in business 
  development, strategic partnerships, and international expansion 
  across the retail, luxury, design, and real estate sectors. She has 
  worked extensively with global brands and institutional partners to 
  drive growth, launch new ventures, and structure cross-border 
  transactions.
  
  Kelsey currently leads Global Development and Strategic 
  Partnerships for The New School / Parsons School of Design, where 
  she is responsible for expanding Parsons’ global footprint and building industry-defining 
  collaborations across fashion, design, technology, and the creative economy. Her work strengthens 
  Parsons’ role as a global leader in design education by forging high-impact partnerships, advancing 
  academic innovation, and connecting students and faculty with leading organizations around the 
  world.
  
  Prior to joining Parsons, Kelsey served as Co-Head of TRAUB Consulting, where she advised luxury 
  brands, global retailers and developers across the Middle East, North America, Europe, Asia, and 
  Latin America. She played a pivotal role in launching brands in more than ten countries and shaped 
  large-scale developments such as Hudson Yards in New York and The Galleria / Al Maryah Central
  in Abu Dhabi. Her longstanding advisory work with the Al Tayer Group further deepened her 
  expertise in global fashion retail, brand expansion, and market strategy.
  
  Kelsey is recognized as a thought leader at the intersection of retail, real estate, and innovation. She 
  has championed the emergence of digitally native brands and experiential retail and has been an 
  advisor to cultural institutions such as the MoMA and The Frick Collection. She currently serves on 
  the Board of Directors of Streetsense, a strategy and design firm in joint venture with CBRE, and is 
  on the Alumnae Board of The Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas.
  
  Kelsey began her career in investment banking at Thomas Weisel Partners (now Stifel) and holds 
  an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BBA in Finance with University Honors from The 
  University of Texas at Austin. She resides in New York City with her husband and two children.
  
  
• 

  Anne Schwitters Smith ’92

  MERCHANDISING AND PRODUCT MARKETING EXECUTIVE 
  

  Scarborough, Maine 

   

  Anne Smith is a consumer-brand executive with deep expertise in merchandising, product strategy, and customer insights. A Hockaday and Wellesley graduate, she has spent her career at L.L.Bean and Cole Haan leading multi-category teams and shaping the product stories, assortments, and go-to-market strategies that deliver covetable, high-impact products customers love. She is known for blending creative intuition with analytical rigor to build relevance, strengthen loyalty, and drive sustainable growth. 
  
  

  Beyond her corporate work, Anne serves as Vice Commodore of the Prouts Neck Yacht Club, supporting governance and youth programming. A passionate traveler and lifelong learner, she has explored all 50 states and more than 55 countries and enjoys sailing, tennis, golf, cooking, and time with her family. 
• 

  Anne Wallach ’01

  PRESIDENT AND CEO, FORTY FIVE TEN 
  Dallas, Texas 
  
  

  As President & CEO of Forty Five Ten, Anne Wallach stands at the center of one of Texas’ most influential fashion institutions — leading the brand into its next era with a quiet strength, a sharp creative instinct, and a deep respect for the art of curation. 
  
  

  A Dallas native and Cornell graduate, Anne began her fashion career in New York, where she spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles with Gucci, Marc Jacobs, and Mansur Gavriel. These formative years sharpened her perspective on craftsmanship, operational discipline, and the emotional power of great retail — lessons that still shape her approach today. 
  
  

  In 2018, Anne returned home to Texas, joining Forty Five Ten during a pivotal moment for both the brand and the broader retail landscape. Initially brought on as Vice President of Operations, she quickly became a stabilizing and forward-thinking force as the company navigated shifting consumer expectations, the complexities of a downtown flagship, and the global disruptions that reshaped fashion and luxury. Her leadership — described as measured, thoughtful, and unflappable — helped steer the brand through a period of reinvention and renewed clarity. 
  
  

  Appointed President and CEO in 2021, Anne now oversees the intersection of business strategy, creative direction, and customer experience. She is known for her ability to hold both big-picture vision and granular detail with equal fluency, championing an editorial approach to merchandising while ensuring every operational decision strengthens the brand’s long-term foundation. Under her guidance, Forty Five Ten continues to elevate emerging voices alongside established designers, reinforcing its reputation as a destination where art, fashion, and culture meet. 
  
  

  This year marks another transformative chapter as Forty Five Ten expands to Fort Worth with its highly anticipated boutique and Café Mirador. The project reflects Anne’s belief that retail should feel personal and transportive — a place where hospitality, discovery, and design work in harmony. The Fort Worth space introduces a refined, intimate expression of the brand, rooted in its DNA yet shaped thoughtfully for its new community. 
  
  

  With more than twenty years in luxury fashion and a lifelong connection to Texas, Anne embodies the balance that defines Forty Five Ten today: globally informed yet locally grounded; bold in vision yet meticulous in execution. Her leadership continues to evolve the brand while honoring the creative spirit that has made Forty Five Ten a cultural touchpoint for more than two decades. 
• 

  Robyn Sills Wedgeworth ’02

  SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PR AND PARTNERSHIPS, TECOVAS 

  Dallas, Texas 

   

  Robyn Sills Wedgeworth  holds a B.A. in English from Tulane University. She began her career in New York City at InStyle before pivoting to PR and Communications for global fashion houses Bottega Veneta and Prada. 
  
  

  After a decade in New York, Robyn returned to Texas to lead PR and Partnerships at Fossil Group. She now oversees PR, Partnerships, Influencer Marketing, Events, and Retail/Wholesale Marketing for Tecovas. Robyn lives in East Dallas with her husband, Travis, and son, Lewis. She credits her twelve years at Hockaday for her tenacity, curiosity, and lifelong commitment to meaningful female friendships. 
• 

  Alissa Fagadau Zachary ’01

  FOUNDER & CEO, HIGH SPORT 
  Beverly Hills, California
  
  

  Alissa Zachary is the Founder and CEO of High Sport. With degrees in economics from Cornell University and design from Parsons School of Design, she worked across fashion design, merchandising, and category building—including nearly a decade at The Row and as part of Khaite’s launch team. She founded High Sport in Los Angeles in 2021. 

    

  High Sport is a modular wardrobe for the sport of modern life, designed for polished versatility and defined through tailored silhouettes, custom-engineered fabrics, and technical precision. High Sport is available at top boutiques worldwide and through its own dedicated sales channels, including e-commerce and a retail studio in LA. It has been worn by celebrities from Jen Lawrence to Chloe Sevigny, and featured in Vogue, W, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among others.