Biography
Christopher Harlan is a Global Business Leader, Chief Merchant, and Board Member in the Fashion, Home Furnishings, and Hospitality industries. He is the Founder and CEO of XTOPHERHARLAN, a multi-disciplined Studio and Brand Consultancy in Southern California.
Harlan’s notable career spans Executive Leadership roles with the world’s most admired global brands, working alongside the industry’s most innovative and thought-leading CEO’s and Founders during periods of significant growth and transformation.
Before establishing his namesake consulting practice, Harlan was tapped to rejoin Gap Inc, leading product turn around efforts at the 50 year old iconic American brand, Gap. Harlan and his team successfully reversed multi-year negative sales and margin performance in less than a year, and were recognized as the top performing business in the brand.
Prior to Gap, Harlan served as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the luxury lifestyle brand James Perse Los Angeles, working together with the company Founder on engineering the next phase of the brand’s global expansion strategy, the development and implementation of a new product operating model, and introduction of a Hospitality Resort concept in Mexico.
Harlan originally joined the James Perse brand in 2007 as its inaugural Vice President of Merchandising, leading a period of significant growth through category expansion, retail store expansion, the launch of JamesPerse.com, development of the active and wellness sub-brand Y/OSEMITE, and securing a partnership with The Four Seasons Resorts. Through its 45 owned retail stores across the Americas, Europe, and Japan, leased concession shops with Bloomingdale’s, and key wholesale partners such as Nordstrom, NET-A-PORTER, Revolve, David Jones, Le Bon Marche, and Lane Crawford, the James Perse brand is the epitome of Women’s and Men’s casual luxury Clothing, Accessories, Home Furnishings, and Furniture.
Additionally, Harlan has held leadership roles at VF Corporation’s Contemporary Brands Splendid and Ella Moss, Ralph Lauren, and Abercrombie & Fitch.
Harlan is passionate about the community and his role as a coach and mentor to creative talent across the industry, having served as an Executive Sponsor of Gap Inc’s Retail Management Program (RMP), Guest Instructor at Kent State University’s School of Fashion, and Panel Judge for The Joe’s Blackbook Annual Design
Harlan is passionate about the community and his role as a coach and mentor to creative talent across the industry, having served as an Executive Sponsor of Gap Inc’s Retail Management Program (RMP), Guest Instructor at Kent State University’s School of Fashion, and Panel Judge for The Joe’s Blackbook Annual Design