As the senior vice president of denim design at J.Crew and Madewell, Mary Pierson has had a hand in growing one of the industry’s biggest success stories. Pierson has worked for high-profile fashion brands, including Tommy Hilfiger and Gap along with the supply chain players, like Cone Mills and Li & Fung.

For most of the last decade, Pierson has been instrumental in the production and design of denim products for J.Crew and, over the last two years, Madewell. Under her tutelage, Madewell has become a crown jewel in denim retail and is on its way to securing its own IPO.