KERRY BANNIGAN/ CEO 

Ms. Bannigan began her career ten years ago with multiple positions in Public Relations and Marketing while completing her BA English and Communications at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. With an extensive background in marketing, events, and brand management Ms. Bannigan envisioned a much needed revolutionary advance of resources in the emerging and independent fashion market. By teaming up with her business partner Arthur Mandel they launched Nolcha in March 2007.

Bannigan has grown Nolcha's mission to help talented designers and retailers by becoming a leading operator of educational, event outlets, and business-to-business services devoted to fashion entrepreneurs and related retail businesses.

The Nolcha platform includes Nolcha.com, an online fashion portal delivering business education and services; Nolcha Fashion Week: New York, currently held during New York fashion week providing key exposure to press, buyers, and industry figures for emerging and independent fashion designers from all over the world to break into the New York fashion market, in both apparel and accessories; events during London Fashion Week with key partners and Independent Retail Week in New York and Chicago, an initiative to drive business and increase revenue for small fashion retail brands.

Ms. Bannigan splits her time between New York and London working closely with designers, reputable industry companies and associates to continually grow the Nolcha brand on an international platform. Bannigan is on the board of New York Entrepreneur Week and is an active member of several associations including Advertising Women of New York and the Professional Womens Alliance.

ARTHUR MANDEL, ESQ/ President

Arthur Mandel focuses on sponsorship and advertising for Nolcha events and initiatives. He has developed lasting business relationships with reputable companies including Coca-Cola, Lavazza Coffee, Amstel Light, The Business Channel (UK), The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Paul Mitchell, The Arts Institutes and numerous others.

Mr. Mandel has over 10 years experience in the business and nightlife entertainment industry, worked on Wall Street as an Associate for R.W. Wentworth in their Mergers & Acquisitions Energy Division and holds an JD from the St. University School of Law, Miami,FL, is licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Florida and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is fluent in Russian.

LYNN FURGE/ Creative Director

Lynn Furge began her career 11 years ago as a fashion photographer with an internship for Automotive Giant General Motors while completing her undergraduate work at Michigan State University. Specializing in trend analysis and taking new emerging brands and giving them Global Recognition, Furge worked hand and hand with each client to create an entire concept and not just one photo. Client’s included: Maxim and Stuff Magazines, German Marie Claire, 944 Magazine, Marshall Field’s and Company, Harry Winston, Hummel Sportswear, and more.

Throughout the time Ms. Furge spent as a freelance photographer she developed an interest in cosmetics. Signing on to the freelance National Make Up artistry team with MAC Cosmetics, Furge learned the ins and outs of high end fashion artistry, from flawless studio beauty shots to completing full faces backstage at fashion week in twenty minutes.  Ms. Furge brings forth years of experience and a discerning eye for all things fashion. It is the entrepreneurial spirit; however that makes this journalist Nolcha's choice as leader of the creative side of their business. She will continue to work with emerging/independent designers on branding their image and business to the global marketplace.

REBECCA STRONG / Fashion Services Director
Rebecca Strong brings over 15 years experience in the realms of Fashion PR and Marketing, Sales Representation, Image Consulting, and Runway Show/Event production. Her love of all things fashion is inherited from her Grandmother (Fancy Gran!)  It was she who Rebecca grew up admiring and studying her clothing, jewelry and accessories and trying to emulate her impeccable sense of style and classic taste.
 
As Nolcha’s Fashion Services Director, Rebecca manages the backstage for Nolcha Fashion Week runway shows and will most likely be the first one designers speak to when interested in participating in our many events and will gladly walk you through the process.

MARKUS KETTY/ Fashion Director

At 19 years old Markus Ketty began a successful career as a commercial interior designer specializing in restaurants, salons and spas. His talent has taken him around the world, giving him a diverse view and a refined eye. Though he has dabbled in multiple avenues of the design industry, Markus found true love when he tried his hand at fashion. After gaining a coveted spot at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, in London, England, where he graduated with a BA Honors in Fashion Design and Marketing as one of the top three of his class, Markus went on to intern at the studio of British fashion designer Giles Deacon and shortly after, created his own modern cut collection.  In between working as Fashion Director at Nolcha he is diligently working on launching his own label of high-end women's wear, MARKUS KETTY.

Markus Ketty spends his time on the Nolcha team looking at the over all design of the website as well as finding talent to report on, aiding the Creative Director with photo shoots and styling assignments.  His voice of reason and reality is consistently used during the major creative projects of the entire company.

ALLY GUNDEZ/International Business Director

A native New Yorker, Ally Gunduz has over twenty-five years of experience in international business development and recently served as Trade Commissioner for the Swiss Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate General of Switzerland in New York for nearly a decade.

Also as the Global Business Director of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and developed their Global Portfolio of Products and Services which includes her unique "Country Partner Program", a comprehensive country branding campaign promoting bilateral trade between the United States and a target country.  She is currently leading programs for the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Colombia, Brazil, has organized visits for delegations from Inidia, and China, and has provided consulting for government officials of several countries.

Her dedication to international trade and investments is noted with achievements for receiving the International Global Business Partner Award during World Trade Week 2004, establishing the first business women’s department of Switzerland's official trade and investment agency, Swiss Business Hub USA, and founding the Swiss American Council of Women, a non-profit organization established in 2003 to promote and strengthen the international role, leadership and professional development of Swiss and international women.

Ally Gunduz is an active Board Member of the Foreign Trade Commissioner’s Association of New York.

GEORGES AVRIDOR/ Social Media Manager

Georges Avridor studied photography & graphic design for over 12 years and claims a love of art since the age of five by drawing and painting in his spare time. He credits the passion for his work as the result of his mother sewing and designing dresses back in their home country of Haiti. In addition to becoming widely recognized for his photography he has developed a reputation for mastering the use of lighting in capturing the beauty in many other things. With his art background, Avridor is able to concentrate Nolcha's social media division towards the right people that make influential differences in fashion.  Georges now works for corporations globally which has enabled him to circumnavigate the globe, building Nolcha's fan base as he goes.

KRISTEN MONTGOMERY/ Fashion Services Coordinator
Kristen joins the team with a background in retail and fashion merchandising management; educated at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She assists in the planning and organizing of Nolcha events; with a specific focus on Independent Retail Week: New York and Chicago. Kristen works closely with fashion designers and retailers to ensure that they succeed throughout  each opportunity offered via Nolcha initiatives. 

NOELLE FROST / Fashion Services Coordinator
Originally from Dallas Texas now living in New York City, Noelle Frost is a student at FIT with an Associates Degree in Fashion Merchandising and currently working towards completing a Bachelors Degree in Advertising Marketing Communications. Noelle assists designers and retailers through the Independent Retail Week and Nolcha Fashion Week process.

JUDY GALLOWAY / Market Research Fashion Business Services
Judy Galloway, Managing Partner of G-Group Marketing, is a market researcher and brand marketer. Named an “It” market researcher by Women’s Wear Daily Beauty Biz in 2005, she has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Market Research & Consumer Behavior teaching in the Masters Degree Program in Cosmetics & Fragrance Marketing and Management at FIT [Fashion Institute of Technology] the State University of New York. She currently publishes the G-Ometer Report ©, a trend forecast that charts the characteristics and contradictions of our culture.  Not only is Judy a consistent and noted contributor for Nolcha.com, with G-group Marketing she also serves as the Market Research executive for Nolcha’s Fashion Business Services.

NICOLE LEINBACK REYHLE / Retail Fashion Business Services
Nicole Leinbach Reyhle is an experienced retail and wholesale professional who has a passion for small businesses. After holding both regional and national roles for companies that include Franco Sarto Footwear, Via Spiga Footwear and Accessories, and Adidas America,  Reyhle founded Retail Minded in an effort to support small to mid size businesses within the retail and wholesale marketplace. In addition to her work with Retail Minded, Reyhle is an instructor at Columbia College Chicago, teaching various retail and writing courses.

DAWN K TERRICK / Branding Fashion Business Services
A writer, editor and branding and marketing communications professional, Dawn K Terrick, owner of DKT Communications exemplifies forward thinking, diversity, creativity and resourcefulness. She welcomes collaborations; from financial experts to marketing and sales strategists to creative minds, Dawn models the right teams to get the job done well above expectation and is not only a contributor for Nolcha.com but the expert behind the Branding section of Nolcha’s Fashion Designer Services.