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!
What fuels your creativity within or outside of your professional world?
Being around so many amazing humans — between my friends, my peers, and all THE BOARD members who are looking to the future and sharing what inspires them, what scares them, and how we can co-create new ways of living and working.
I also find expansive thought in nature. I live in Laurel Canyon and do a hike almost every morning to move my body and open my mind via podcasts, music, and the scenery. This is my true therapy.
I have even been combining these by taking walking meetings — it is profound how different the connections become when you walk and talk!
Who are the women you admire most?
I would put my 19-year-old daughter Luella at the top of the list. She is fierce, intelligent, and wise beyond her years. I have watched her struggle to find her place and her people and I am learning so much by watching her take flight as she continues to come into her own.
She has a fierceness she picked up from watching me interact with employers, clients, and building THE BOARD from the ground up, but her organization, planning, and tenacity are next level. Her focus and goal-setting is so much more powerful than I could even have contemplated at that age.
What is your favorite quote, motto, or mantra?
It’s all about the long game. I did an Akashic Records reading a few months ago (insane!) and “the guides” told me that I was “the tortoise not the hare,” which fully reinforced this mantra that I have learned to hold as my north star.
When I was starting my business, I put immense pressure on myself to “figure it all out” when I truly was not sure what I was even building. I was setting arbitrary goals versus being ok with organic evolution. Meanwhile, each week, month, and year I continued to learn so much more about the opportunity at hand: disproving my initial hypothesis, seeing things I never thought of, connecting new dots. My “hare” approach meant I was moving so fast I had to pivot every time I learned something new.
When I took the “tortoise” approach it allowed me to breathe easier and realize it is not a race to a finish line but a constant evolution of a very powerful collective journey that can take flight in many ways — and my job is to try different wings along the way.
What are some pieces in your closet that you could not live without?
Vintage cutoff Levi's shorts, Birkenstocks (I have five pairs so far), wide leg Acne Studios jeans, Clare V. Grande Fanny in black that I wear crossbody, white linen J.Crew men’s button down, and any navy and white striped sweater.
What is your idea of a perfect day?
Take a morning hike with my daughter, get fresh flowers to place all around the house, meander through a vintage flea market, have a light lunch at the bar of Petit Trois with rosé and french fries, get a 90-minute massage (I have a membership at The NOW), have close friends and family over for an Argentinian BBQ (my husband Diego is the king), and end in the hot tub under the stars before sliding into bed.
Is there a place you travel to that always feels right?
NYC is that place for me. We lived there for 19 years and I go back two to three times a year. As a Tribeca native, I always hit The Odeon, ONDA Beauty, La Esquina, and Gemma at The Bowery Hotel. It’s also hard to go wrong at Keith McNally restaurants! (Bathazar, Minetta Tavern, Pastis, and Morandi.)
Selima Optique in Noho is a great off-the-beaten-path spot — I adore Selima and she is an amazing curator and vintage collector!
It feels like I never left but also, after my fix, I am happy to go back to Laurel Canyon.
Who are your favorite emerging or under-the-radar designers, artists, photographers, or chefs?
I really like Kallmeyer and Marfa Stance. I also recently met the founders of Still Here and am excited to try their denim!
Of course my husband Diego is my favorite photographer!
What is an off-the-beaten-track hotel where you feel at peace or energized?
We have been doing more Airbnbs these days. We have a place in Mammoth if you’re ever looking for a peaceful outdoor getaway!
When I go to NYC The Walker is in a good location and they are always lovely.
What is a cultural experience that has had a profound impact on you?
We did an incredible trip to Morocco for my brilliantly talented friend Amy Neunsinger’s 50th birthday a few years back. There were 18 of us and it was really life changing. From shopping in the souk with the brilliant colors and smells of the spices to the daily call to prayer to relaxing in a hammam, we were fully immersed in a different culture totally unlike anywhere in the US or EU.
What is your idea of perfect hospitality in any service industry?
It’s the attention to details and kindness. My brow artist Jimena Garcia has been the most consistently amazing in this regard — she’s a brilliant artist and a delightful, kind, smart, detailed-oriented pro.
Rude, snooty, “can't be bothered” service is sadly more common than not — and it is a total buzzkill.
What place or destination has changed the way you think about fashion, design, culture, or art and why?
I love Buenos Aires, where my husband is from. The mix of Latin hospitality with a European sensibility, the old world architecture, the delicious late night dinners (I put on 10 pounds in one week!), the bustling energy, tango in the streets, the amazing flea markets and vintage stores (just don't speak English or the prices go way up!) — you feel like you've gone a bit back in time and it is really magical.
What are a couple of things our readers should know about you (outside of your bio)?
I am on the founding team of i am a voter., a non-partisan coalition to increase civic engagement via brand and celebrity partnerships. I became an “accidental” activist when Trump first was elected as the apathy was deafening. Knowing how hard women had to fight for the right to vote and watching peers just not vote because they thought it didn’t matter was heart-wrenching. It felt crucial that I join the fight for our democracy in whatever way I could.
I am a mother of two amazing humans and see them as by FAR my greatest accomplishments!
What is the best career or personal advice you ever received?
Never burn a bridge. I have built my career and now my own business on relationships. Even the challenging ones take different shapes over time. I am constantly being reached out to by peers I’ve not seen for years who may not have been the kindest or most helpful to me — and I know they feel ashamed. When they reach out for help, I do what I can. A little kill them with kindness and taking the high road never hurts!
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I love the notion of approaching business as a tortoise vs. a hare.