Claire’s has made its first C-suite hire since being bought out of bankruptcy by Ames Watson in August 2025, appointing former Athleta executive Michelle Goad as Chief Brand Officer.
Goad will report to Lawrence Berger and Tom Ripley, Co-founders and partners of Ames Watson, which saved Claire’s from liquidation with its $140 million acquisition. Plans for the brand’s reboot in the U.S. include an improved piercing experience, widening the target audience up to age 14 and updating Claire’s store presentation and marketing, reports WWD.
Even as plans for a U.S. comeback take shape, the retailer has re-entered administration in the UK and Ireland. Modella Capital, which owns Claire’s in that region, told the BBC that tough trading conditions and “alarmingly” low Christmas trading left the brand in a “vulnerable” position.
But things are looking up in the U.S., where Goad will oversee a “brand-wide reimagining of Claire’s” across every consumer touch point.
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“If you close your eyes and touch your ears, there’s a high probability that you too are a Claire’s girl,” she said in a LinkedIn post. “It’s a brand that has been at the center of girlhood for decades and for many of us was a rite of passage in becoming the next version of ourselves. While the business had lost its way over the years, its impact on girlhood remains untested, and it is an incredible honor to reimagine what Claire’s must look like, feel like and can create together with Gen Alpha.”
“Michelle is a proven brand builder with a unique ability to connect culture, community and commerce, especially when it comes to the younger consumer,” said Berger in comments shared with multiple media outlets. “She understands the power of this consumer and the responsibility that comes with serving her. We’re confident she will help redefine and modernize Claire’s for the next generation while honoring the emotional connection that has made the brand iconic.”
