On September 10, 2026, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and fashion entrepreneur Sutton Stracke brought together leading voices from fashion, entertainment, design, and sustainability for the 5th Annual Women Pioneers of Circular Fashion. The event, held during New York Fashion Week at the Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance, honored Susan Rockefeller, entrepreneur, conservationist, and Founder of Musings Magazine; Julia O'Mara, Co-Founder and COO of Pickle; and Kristy Caylor, Founder and CEO of Trashie.
Now in its fifth year, Women Pioneers of Circular Fashion recognizes women who are helping move the fashion industry toward a more circular economy through entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable practices. The evening featured a preview of Sutton Brands' Green Label and circular-fashion retail experience, a live performance by the Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance, and an intimate gathering of fashion, entertainment, and sustainability leaders. The event was also filmed for Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Stracke has made circular fashion an increasingly important part of her work beyond her television career. Through Sutton Brands, she is focused on keeping beautiful clothing in circulation through curated collections, retail experiences, and take-back partnerships that connect designers, consumers, and the infrastructure needed to keep garments in use and out of landfills. The September 10 celebration also marked the opening of the Name'Em City Pop-Up Tour, a five-city retail experience bringing Sutton Brands' circular-fashion concept to New York, Nashville, Dallas, Charleston, and Chicago through spring 2027.
"Every year we set aside one evening in New York for the women actually doing this work," said Sutton Brown, Founder of Sutton Brands. "Susan, Julia, and Kristy have each solved a different piece of the same problem — how you get clothing moving again instead of sitting unworn. This industry has no shortage of conversation. These three have volume."
The 2026 honorees each bring a unique approach to circular fashion. Susan Rockefeller, through Musings Magazine, has used storytelling and advocacy to encourage a more thoughtful relationship with what we make, consume, and value. Julia O'Mara, Co-Founder and COO of Pickle, is helping transform the traditional concept of fashion ownership by creating a shared approach to closets and clothing. Kristy Caylor, Founder and CEO of Trashie, has helped make clothing take-back more accessible by creating systems designed to encourage consumers to move unwanted clothing out of their closets and back into circulation. Previous honorees include Rachel Kibbe, Sarah Barnes, and Dana Thomas.
The New York celebration welcomed a notable group of entertainment and fashion personalities, including fellow RHOBH stars Erika Jayne and Tracy Tutor, designer Brian Atwood, The Real Housewives of London star Juliet Mayhew, model Lance Stefanakis, GURUS Fashion Director Nolé Marin, KJ Dillard, model Victoria Pousada Kriendler, and influencers Kay Dudley and Tay Dudley. The event was presented in partnership with The Return, GURUS, Graham 100—celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Martha Graham Dance Company—Sutton, Est. 1971, S&M Wine Co., J.T. Meleck Distillers, and Berkeley College.
Sutton Brands, co-founded by Sutton Brown, formerly known to television audiences as Sutton Stracke, is a circular fashion house built on the belief that beautiful clothing should stay in circulation. Through curated collections, retail experiences, and take-back partnerships, Sutton Brands works to connect designers, consumers, and the reverse-logistics infrastructure necessary to keep garments in use and out of landfill. The company's Sutton Brands Sustainability philosophy emphasizes longevity, reuse, repurposing, and more conscious consumption, offering an alternative to the traditional linear fashion model. More information is available at SuttonBrands.com.
For the Long Beach area and the broader fashion industry, this event signals a growing shift toward circularity. As consumers increasingly seek sustainable options, businesses that adopt take-back programs and resale models may find new opportunities. Sutton Brands' expansion through the Name'Em City Pop-Up Tour, which runs through spring 2027, could serve as a blueprint for other retailers looking to reduce waste and extend the life of garments. The recognition of women leaders in this space also highlights the role of entrepreneurship in driving environmental change, potentially inspiring more local businesses to explore circular practices.
