New Canaan Library will host its 2025 “Conversations with Business Leaders” event at 7 p.m. Thursday, welcoming 1992 New Canaan High School graduate Emilie Rubinfeld, global president of New York-based luxury fashion house Carolina Herrera (register here). In conversation with Bob Mitchell, co-CEO of Mitchells Stores, Rubinfeld will not only relate insights from helming of one of fashion’s most important legacy houses, but will also informally share looks from the current collection on stage.
We sat down Monday with library CEO Ellen Crovatto, Exhibitions & Community Engagement Coordinator Miki Porta and Events & Marketing Consultant Allison Zinczenko, to get more details on the widely anticipated talk.
Here’s a transcription of our conversation.
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New Canaanite: What is the library’s ‘Conversations with Business Leaders’ series?
Ellen Crovatto: ‘Conversations with Business Leaders’ was something that was begun with the help of Hazel Hobbs about 20 years ago. And she played an important role in bringing together people who could identify New Canaan leaders in the business community to speak to the public. So we’ve had people like Jeff Immelt, Bob Seelert, David Neeleman, the gentleman who ran JetBlue. When I heard that Emilie Rubinfeld was someone who lived in town, I knew that we had to get her. Such an important role in the fashion world, the president of a major luxury brand. It’s the only luxury brand in the United States apart from Ralph Lauren.
What’s the format of the event? How is it going to run?
Miki Porta: It’s very exciting. Emilie will be in conversation with Bob Mitchell of Mitchell Stores first, and they’re going to talk about her career, their brand, their business, how she’s handled the transitions and dealt with challenging times. Both of them are local, by the way. She’s a New Canaanite and he grew up in Wilton. These are local kids who have gone into fashion and done great things. So it’ll be an interesting conversation. And then instead of a Q&A, we’re going to have a live fashion show, with models showing the new looks from the Carolina Herrera line, and music—the whole Monty. We’re going to start with a reception, a little wine, thanks to Whispering Angel.
What would you say to someone who has never been to a ‘Conversations with Business Leaders’ and is maybe on the fence or just hearing about this one now?
Allison Zinczenko: I would say, first of all, that you hear from local talent. You get a deep dive into their business. It’s almost like Career Night, but for adults. You get to go and really hear the story of how these people got there from here, because most of them are either from New Canaan or from the area. It’s a fascinating story because we’re getting this story again and again. Leadership lessons, financial lessons, all kinds of lessons from people in very different spaces. And Emilie graduated from the University of Michigan with a liberal arts degree in art history. So right there, it’s not a typical path. She didn’t go to Wharton or go to business school. She comes to her visual medium with a liberal arts degree. And that’s interesting, I think, for students and young people to hear.
[“Conversations with Business Leaders: Emilie Rubinfeld” is free and will be held 7 t 8 p.m. Thursday at New Canaan Library. Register here.]