Katherine Power
Katherine Power is an American fashion entrepreneur and co-founder of Los Angeles, California-based Clique Brands. She also co-founded fashion brand Who What Wear, and its first spinoff, the Versed line of skincare products, which are part of Clique Brands. She also founded makeup line Merit Beauty, and co-founded both the wine company Avaline Wine with actress Cameron Diaz, and Powered Brands, a beauty-focused SPAC. She has also written several fashion books. Life and career. Power was born in Orange County, California. Her parents were in the racehorse business. She took a summer internship  at Touchstone Pictures, which eventually led to her being hired as a production assistant. She left Touchstone to work for special events promoter Brent Bolthouse, where her work was noticed by Elle Magazine. She was hired by Elle and helped book celebrities for the cover of teen magazine Elle Girl. She eventually became Elle's West Coast fashion editor. While at Elle, she met fashion journalist Hillary Kerr on the set of Project Runway. The two became friends and in 2006 decided to start a fashion newsletter that they called Who What Wear. Who What Wear. Who What Wear started  in 2006, and evolved from a simple daily fashion eNewsletter and blog, with posts about the latest fashion news, to a media brand, including a co-branded line of clothing with retailer Target Corporation, and fashion books. Power served as Creative Director when the brand first started. In May 2019, Power launched the Versed line of skincare products as Who What Wear's first spinoff. Clique Brands. In 2012, Power and Kerr founded Clique Brands as Clique Media Group, with Who What Wear as the group's first media brand. The group's strategy was to launch or acquire media  properties for different consumer segments, and collaborate with various brands to develop tailored content for the different audiences. In 2014, Power took over as the group's CEO. By August 2018, after several acquisitions, the group's portfolio included the fashion brands Who What Wear, Byrdie, Collegefashionista, JoyLab, MyDomaine, Obsessee and The Thirty. In January 2019, the company sold Byrdie and MyDomain to American holding company IAC's Dotdash subsidiary, formerly known as About.com. Avaline Wine. In July 2020, Power launched Avaline wine with actress Cameron Diaz. The company initially produced two flavors of organic wine. Merit Beauty. In January  2021, Power launched Merit Beauty, a line of makeup with seven products. The brand is marketed as fashionable minimalist, and was initially sold through a direct to consumer web site. She also partnered with retailer Sephora to sell the line in its stores and on its website. Powered Brands. In January 2021, Power and business partner Dana Settle, a founding partner at venture capital firm Greycroft, launched Powered Brands, a beauty-focused Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). Powered Brands trades on NASDAQ under the symbol POWRU, and had over $1.5B in orders on its first pricing day. Powered Brands  is reportedly planning to invest the funds in beauty, wellness and personal-care brands. Books. In August 2009, Power and Kerr co-wrote the fashion book, "Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style For Real Life". In March 2011, they co-authored their second book, "What to Wear, Where". In May 2016, they published their third book, "The Career Code", a professional development guide for young professionals. Awards and recognition. In 2016, Power was named to Fortune Magazine's 40 under 40 list. Personal life. Power lives in Beverly Hills, California, with editorial and commercial photographer Justin Coit, and their  son Sebastian.