Altar'd State taps new head of design, opens new design office

US womenswear retailer Altar'd State has appointed Leila Heydari as its new head of design, and announced the opening of a new design office in LA.

Heydari joins from surf culture brand Billabong, where she has been heading the design for women's and girl's apparel, swimwear and accessories since 2015.

Prior to Billabong, she spent almost five years at Urban Outfitters, most recently serving as creative director of women’s apparel. Earlier still, she spent four years at Abercrombie & Fitch, most recently as senior designer of accessories.

Commenting on her appointment in a statement, Heydari said: “Altar'd State has been working toward the vision of an in-house design team, and I am delighted to be the leader to bring this team to life.

“It feels good to join Altar'd State and Stand Out for Good, Inc. They are proving that purpose-based retailing can make a difference for guests and for communities in need too.”

Heydari’s appointment follows a number of top-team hires at Altar'd State recently, including Cristina Ceresoli as chief marketing officer.

Altar'd State also announced Tuesday the opening of a new design office.

Callie Lewis, chief merchandising officer at Altar'd State, said the new LA-based design office will give the company’s teams a “leading-edge focus on exclusivity and quality” and will allow it to expand into new product categories.