**Caleres Appoints Industry Veteran to its First-Ever Design Chief Role**
* Caleres has appointed Michelle Wlazlo to the newly created role of Chief Design Officer.
* Wlazlo has over 20 years of experience in the footwear industry, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Product Design and Development at Vince Camuto.
* In her new role, Wlazlo will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of design for Caleres’ portfolio of brands, including Famous Footwear, Naturalizer, and Sam Edelman.
**New York, NY – March 8, 2023** – Caleres (NYSE: CAL), a leading global footwear company, today announced the appointment of Michelle Wlazlo to the newly created role of Chief Design Officer, effective immediately.
Wlazlo brings over 20 years of experience in the footwear industry to Caleres, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Product Design and Development at Vince Camuto. In this role, she was responsible for leading the design and development of all footwear collections across the Vince Camuto, Vince, and ATM Anthony Thomas Melillo brands.
Prior to her time at Vince Camuto, Wlazlo held various design leadership roles at Kenneth Cole Productions, Tommy Hilfiger, and Nine West Group.
“We are thrilled to welcome Michelle to Caleres,” said Jay Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Caleres. “Her exceptional design expertise and proven track record of success will be invaluable to our company as we continue to elevate our product offerings and drive growth across our portfolio of brands.”
In her new role, Wlazlo will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of design for Caleres’ portfolio of brands, including Famous Footwear, Naturalizer, Sam Edelman, Allen Edmonds, and Dr. Scholl’s. She will work closely with the brand presidents and design teams to develop and execute creative and innovative footwear collections that meet the needs of Caleres’ diverse customer base.
“I am honored to join Caleres and lead the design vision for such a respected and iconic portfolio of brands,” said Wlazlo. “I am excited to work with the talented team at Caleres to create footwear that is both stylish and functional, and that resonates with consumers around the world.”
Wlazlo holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
**About Caleres**
Caleres is a diverse portfolio of global footwear brands. Our products are available virtually everywhere – in the nearly 1,000 retail stores we operate, in hundreds of major department and specialty stores, on our branded e-commerce sites, and on many additional third-party retail websites. Our brands include Famous Footwear, Naturalizer, Sam Edelman, Allen Edmonds, Vionic, Dr. Scholl’s, and Ryka.
With an 85-year legacy in the footwear industry, Caleres is committed to continuing to inspire people to feel good…feet first. For more information on Caleres, please visit www.caleres.com.
**Media Contact:**
Matt Kovacs
ICR, Inc.
646-277-1272
matt.kovacs@icrinc.com.
