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Dawn Mello (October 5, 1931 – February 16, 2020) was an American fashion retail executive and consultant and the one-time fashion director and president of Bergdorf Goodman. Later she was the president of her own firm, Dawn Mello & Associates LLC.
In 1975, Mello was hired by Bergdorf's then chairman Ira Neimark to become the store's fashion director. It was during this tenure at the store that she is credited with discovering and promoting the talents and designs of Michael Kors. In the 1980s, she was a mentor to Donna Karan.. b
She was hired by Maurizio Gucci to work for his family brand in 1989, and re-launch the fashion and luxury image, that Gucci had lost over the past decades. She quit after 5 years in Italy and returned to Bergdorf Goodman as president of the company.. Bergdof's vp Vikki Haupt said of Mello's role with the store..“What Anna Wintour is to Vogue, Dawn Mello was to Bergdorf Goodman.”
Mello appears in the 2013 documentary Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's.
Mello died on February 16, 2020 at the age of 88.