April Uchitel
Fashion and beauty industry leader and co-founder of THE BOARD
April Uchitel has a creative sixth sense, editorial vision in her DNA, and the business chops to match. After an enviable career leading companies across fashion and beauty — with brands like Diane von Furstenberg, Violet Grey, and ONDA Beauty — she decided the corporate C-suite grind wasn’t it. She knew there had to be a better way.
Enter THE BOARD, her answer to a world where collaboration, talent, and connection reign supreme. With THE BOARD, April has gathered over 225 of the most talented experts in fashion, beauty, wellness, CPG, innovation, and sustainability to help growing brands tackle their biggest challenges — laying the foundation for the future of these industries.
April doesn’t just talk about legacy; she lives it, believing that how you treat people defines the impact you leave. Her leadership isn’t about power — it’s about presence. It’s magnetic, never intimidating.
Ok, I admit it: I’m slightly obsessed. Of course April is an i/Editor.
Read on for the upcoming trends she’s most excited about, her favorite bi-coastal spots, and the mindset shift that has helped her build such an impactful business.
Q&A
One of your superpowers is not just recognizing talent in people, but also seeing their potential. What are some of the traits that give you this feeling?
I think I have a bit of a sixth sense with people that has been honed over 30 years and hundreds of thousands of conversations. The secret is being able to identify kindred spirits, sense the takers and bull-shitters, and gauge the authentic humanity that I feel is a non-negotiable for any collaboration or working relationship to grow from.
As a former executive in both the fashion and beauty worlds, what current fashion and beauty trends do you think are fads and which ones are here to stay?
I believe the “trend” of age representation in both industries continues to gain momentum and is here to stay. Beauty brands are creating effective products for the 50+ consumer (like what Sarah Creal is doing), menopause is becoming mainstream, and our longer life expectancies are impacting the wellness industry with ingestibles and a focus on clean and science-backed products.
Fashion is showcasing older models on runways, magazine covers, and in ad campaigns, while movements like Pamela Anderson’s no-makeup initiative are challenging the beauty myths perpetuated by advertisers for decades.
This demo is still a significant untapped market — the fact that women over 50 hold a combined spending power of over $15 trillion (according to Forbes) should be proof enough!
Paid subscribers get access to the full interview below, including April’s under-the-radar favorites, travel recommendations, and more. I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber to support our work — and a huge thank you to those who already do!
