A Glimpse of Michelle Dillard Hobbs

Interview

Apr 30

Growing up in Arkansas, I was always so proud to be surrounded by such kind, curious people, but especially when one of them went on to do interesting things and represent the state well. One of those people is Michelle Dillard Hobbs whom I grew up with in Little Rock. Michelle and her older twin sisters, Alexandra and Annemarie, were not only the most gorgeous girls in the room, but they were also among the most intelligent and hard-working. After attending the University of Southern California, Michelle went on to Harvard Business School and held an assortment of highly coveted internships throughout those years, including one at Facebook under Glimpse favorite Stephanie Latham. These days Michelle can be found in New York City with her husband and daughter, where she helps run the family business, Dillard’s department stores. Besides overseeing several brands in the shoe department (hello dream job!) she also spends her time designing and developing her own stunning shoe line, AD & Daughters. At Glimpse we are HUGE fans of her brand. The price point is extremely reasonable and we place the designs right up there with all of the ultra luxury lines - they are THAT GOOD. But of course they would be with someone as stylish as Michelle behind the scenes. Below we get a glimpse of her life and favorites.

Give us a brief description of your background in the fashion industry. You went from the University of Southern California to Harvard Business School and then…

Starting with college internships, I always focused on opportunities in and around retail. In college, I interned in investment banking with JPMorgan covering retailers. Post-college, I spent a season in Hong Kong learning about supply chain and manufacturing before ultimately launching my career at Walmart working as a merchandiser-turned-buyer. Following business school, I worked for Michael Kors as a buyer and after a few years, the opportunity to join the business my family manages arose and I decided to make the jump, shifting from Ready-to-Wear to Footwear in the process.

What is a typical day like for you at AD & Daughters?

I manage several footwear brands at Dillard’s, but AD & Daughters is my “pet” brand, and on a smaller scale, representative of my daily responsibilities.

Every morning starts with checking sales from the day before and answering emails that came through overnight. After addressing any immediate issues and adjusting our strategies to drive near-term business, we shift to discussing future seasons since we are always working about 6-12 months ahead of the product you see in the market.

Depending on the time of year, I might be reviewing prototypes and tweaking constructions while discussing leather selections or I might be reviewing our next season’s campaign direction with our marketing partners.

No two days are alike but some of my favorite days are when I get to work on the sales floor and learn from our customers first-hand. Nothing is more satisfying than making a customer happy.

You have the most beautiful little girl, and the sweetest husband. How do you separate your work life from your family life?

My husband and my daughter are my whole world. I am lucky to get to do mornings with my daughter before heading off to work. In between meetings or calls, I’m constantly checking in on Nanit, Nest, or Facetime. Luckily, my team is understanding and perhaps even a little amused by it.

David and I prioritize making it home in time for our daughter’s bath and bedtime, scheduling any dinners after 7:30. On nights when David and I are both home, we make it a point to sit down to dinner together and discuss our days. Growing up it was the family rule when my dad was in town and it is still one of my favorite parts of the day.

And speaking of your husband, you two met while you were at HBS. What was that experience like and what did you learn?

David actually didn’t attend HBS but we did meet while I was there and because of it. One of my closest friends in business school, Miles Clements, introduced us and I repaid the favor multifold because Miles ended up marrying one of my college best friends, Cynthia Cook Smith, in June 2017 two weeks before us.

Aside from relationships, business school was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I learned how important it is to be thoughtful, strategic, engaging, and motivating in managing others. I’m not perfect, but I certainly try to live up to the challenges our professors set forth to consider all stakeholders’ interests when making decisions.

Now that you’re living in New York, how do you spend your weekends and what is it like to be a young mom in the city?

When we are here, we love to be in Central Park. It is the greatest gift to the city, residents, and visitors and we are thankful for it every day. I feel fortunate to be a mom in this moment in time with so many creative solutions built around helping us optimize our time. We use Misfits Market to deliver fresh vegetables, Instacart to help with other groceries, Jetblack for anything non-perishable, Cook Unity for chef-created meals, and the list goes on and on. I’m so appreciative of all of the hard work put into launching and sustaining these creative businesses that deliver so much value (literally!).

You’re also very close with your sisters. How do the three of you collaborate for Dillard’s or AD & D?

We joke that we can fight like none other but we also love each other more than you can imagine. We text all day asking opinions on whatever we are working on and challenging one another when we see something we don’t like. We recently launched a section of the site called The Edit by D3 where we put our favorite things. It has led to some hilarious family chats, but it’s emblematic of how we work together--there isn’t much we wouldn’t do to support the company and one another.

Any advice for budding designers?

Always fail forward. Trying to offer items that are not improvements of where you were and then having weak sales is the most disappointing form of failure. At least when you push forward you know you gave your best effort, but you always kick yourself when you try to rehash a trend that has passed.

What’s next for AD&D?

We had a beautiful handbag line at our launch but the quality wasn’t up to our standards so we pulled back. I’d love to get the category re-released in the market with the right product since it helps tell our story so much more clearly.

We are still tinkering with the shoes and that will never stop, but we are settling in on a few key design elements that I think will become iconic to the brand and we’ll work on rounding out those franchises even more in the future.

FAVORITE PLACES

Hotel? Amangani in Jackson Hole

Resort? I’m not a huge resort person

Destination with kids? Montage Laguna Beach

Destination with husband? Santa Barbara

Solo destination? My office

Restaurant with husband? Uncle Boons

Restaurant with kids? Whitby Hotel

Do you prefer the city or country? Country

The mountains or beach? Mountains

Boutique for yourself? If I’m not wearing something from Dillard’s, it is from my dear friends’ line, Brock Collection. Their clothes are the stuff of dreams and Laura is one of the sweetest people alive.

Boutique for your kids? Not a boutique, but Dillard’s has an incredible kids‘ selection

Home decor store? Gianetti Home

Jewelry store? Not a store, but Coady Culha is the best

Skincare store? Dillard’s

TRAVEL STYLE

Uniform? Oversized white button down, classic jeans, AD & Daughters flat mules, and an Antonio Melani cashmere sweater

Accessories? All things I never take off…tiny gold hoops, wedding ring, thin gold rings and small gold chain bracelet.

Skincare on board? Drink water

Travel carry-on? Was my Tumi, now my daughter’s LLBean Totes.

Luggage? I love these giant North Face Duffles on wheels. They are indestructible and huge.

Travel bag for kids? The slightly smaller North Face duffle

Stroller? I’m a Doona Evangelist

EN ROUTE

Favorite airline? Delta (Though I hope they never lose your bag permanently. It is painful.)

Airplane activity for kids? Shredding the in-flight magazine.

Must-have for your child’s carry-on? More bottles of milk than seem even remotely reasonable and four changes of clothes.

Must-have for your carry-on? Old school earphones so you don’t have to use the $2 pair on the flight

Favorite travel gadget? MyCharge

General travel tips? I never saw a use for airline lounges until I had a daughter.

LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING AHEAD

Best travel memory? My first solo flight with my daughter. A comedy of errors.

Most memorable meal? First date at Il Buco with my now husband

On your bucket list? Patagonia

EVERYDAY…

Mom uniform? Jeans and cashmere sweater

Date night uniform? Any Brock top and jeans

Favorite shopping website for yourself? ModaOperandi.com and Dillards.com

Favorite shopping website for your kids? Dillards.com

Morning routine? Up at 6, gym, shower, etc before daughter wakes at 7

Favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes? Mediterranean Breakfast from Jacks Wife Freda. Lunch sushi from a London favorite Itsu. Dinner Avocado Pizza and Coconut Lemongrass Soup from The Mark

Skincare routine? Drunk Elephant C-Serum, La Mer moisturizer, Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, Clea de Peau concealer, Gucci Westman Blush and Highlighter, Lancome mascara.

Beauty tip? I need some…

Favorite perfume? Not much of a fragrance person

Favorite room in your house? My daughter’s room, it is a little treehouse with so much light.

Favorite piece of furniture? The Tapestry hanging in our bedroom. My dear friend and designer Austin Varner found it for me and it is a lifetime piece.

Favorite piece of art? The Thomas Hammer piece I bought for my husband for our first anniversary. It reminds me of all the tire tracks in the parking lots we hung out in during our high school years in Mississippi and Arkansas.

On your playlist? Almost all country music or oldies. Love Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, and John + Shay lately

Stationery? Arzberger

Bedding? Anything white, percale, and hemstitched is my favorite.

On your nightstand? A whole stack of books from an awesome gift I received from Gift Lit

On your reading list? Anything Jill Kargman. I’ve been a huge fan ever since Odd Mom Out.

Recommended books? Hillbilly Elegy

Favorite magazine? Vogue and Town and Country

Favorite app? Nanit

Favorite Instagram account? Too many to list, but if I had to chose, I’d say of my friends for different things… Bradley Agather Means for latest and greatest lifestyle, Pia Arrobio for what is trending in wellness and health, Hayley Bloomingdale for her clever captions, Natalie Obradovich for photography, and Alexa Von Tobel for the coolest new start-ups.

Best piece of advice? If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten

Favorite charity or cause? My husband and I support Ducks Unlimited and the preservation of wetlands for future generations

Analia Driscoll