Gretchen Koback Pursel is the new chief people officer at the company formerly known as Saks Global.
At the Wynn, Couture starts with a splash
“Electric Lady” singer Janelle Monáe lit up the stage, and even jumped into the pool, for the Couture audience Thursday night, topping off a strong start to the show for both buyers and exhibitors.

Las Vegas--Janelle Monáe lit up the stage Thursday night, and made a few waves, in front of the Couture audience, performing some of her newest releases as well as covers of The Jackson 5 and Prince.
The singer and her band rocked out poolside for a solid couple of hours at the Wynn Las Vegas at the show’s private and invitation-only opening night event for buyers and exhibitors, performing their hits “Q.U.E.E.N.” and “Electric Lady,” among others.
Monáe’s debut studio album was “The ArchAndroid,” which came out in 2010. She followed up with her sophomore effort “The Electric Lady” last year, an album that has garnered much critical acclaim and debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.
With her electric performance and a finale that included being carried from the stage to the pool where she splashed around to end the evening, Monáe provided an exciting finale to what buyers and exhibitors said was an excellent start to the show.
“Today was beyond our expectations,” designer Mark Patterson said. “We saw new clients and met with existing customers who all wrote orders. We put a lot of energy into a new collection we’re introducing and we’re so happy that it was so well received.”
The show floor was bustling yesterday as exhibitors and buyers met to talk jewelry, and brands large and small were debuting exciting new pieces and collections around every corner of the show.
Show Director Gannon Brousseau said organizers were thrilled with day one of Couture.
“After all of the hard work of the past year and all of the constant communication we’ve had with our designers and our retailers, it’s so gratifying to come together to celebrate our community in the exceptional ambience of the Wynn. We’re really looking forward to the rest of the show,” he said.
Couture opened Thursday at the Wynn Las Vegas and will continue through Monday, June 2.
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