Motherhood and momentum share the stage in New York
Motherhood and work shared top billing in New York, where four senior leaders from fashion and beauty met to discuss doing both at once. The session put product, design and personnel chiefs on the same stage.
The conversation was called 'Multipliers: Motherhood & Momentum'. It took place as part of the 2026 WWD x FN x Beauty Inc Women in Power event, an industry gathering, according to WWD.
Stephanie Kramer, chief human resources officer at L'Oréal North America, the regional arm of the French beauty group, guided the session as moderator. Kramer is also the author of 'Carry Strong: An Empowered Approach to Navigating Pregnancy and Work', a guide to pregnancy and employment.
She was joined by Emily Cole, executive vice president, chief product officer and creative director at Kenneth Cole Productions, the fashion company. Her brief spans senior management, product strategy and design leadership, three functions that shape what a label sells and how it sells it.
Christina Fair, president of the consumer products division at L'Oréal North America, also took part. The title refers to the mass-market side of the business, products made for wide sale through shops and other retailers.
The fourth speaker was Alejandra Rojas, creative director and chief executive officer at Alejandra Alonso Rojas, her own fashion label, as listed by WWD. In small houses the two roles often sit with one person, combining design decisions with running the company.
The line-up brought together different corners of the industry. One speaker came from a founder-led fashion company. Two came from a large beauty group, one from human resources and one from brand management, while one came from an independent label built around its founder.
For anyone picking up this story on a phone, the names matter less than the jobs they describe. Product, retail, design and human resources set pay, hours and hiring. Those decisions affect who can combine a senior role with raising children.
For readers outside the industry, that mix is the point. Fashion and beauty are often seen through finished images, clothes on a runway or products on a shelf. The panel framed them as workplaces too, where schedules, leave and promotion shape who stays and who leads.
No single career path dominated the stage. The speakers hold operational, creative and people-management posts. Their common ground was senior responsibility held alongside parenthood.
