Desiree Gruber
Born (1967-06-25) June 25, 1967
Miami, Florida, United States
Occupation(s)Television producer, entrepreneur, fashion publicist, venture capitalist
Known forProject Runway, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
TitleCEO of Full Picture
Co-Founder of DGNL Ventures
Board member of
Spouse
​
(m. 2002)​
Children1
Websitewww.fullpicture.com

Desiree Gruber (born June 25, 1967) is an American television producer and entrepreneur. She was the executive producer of the fashion reality television competition Project Runway[1][2] and the co-creator of Theodora and Callum, "an accessories-based line inspired by world travel."[3] She is also the founder and CEO of a production company, Full Picture.[4][5]

Early life and career

Gruber was born on June 25, 1967, in Miami, Florida.[6][7][8][9] In an interview with Daily Front Row, Gruber said that her father was a businessman and a green beret and he had her enrolled in ROTC when she was in college, which helped her build leadership skills.[10]

She started her professional career as an assistant in the A&R department for EMI Records in 1989, and as the general assistant on the New Music Seminar in 1990.[11]

In 1991, she joined the marketing agency Rogers & Cowan as an assistant publicist, later promoted to director of entertainment, and eventually to vice president of entertainment in 1997. During her time there, she helped in the publicizing and branding of Victoria's Secret, The Limited Inc., and Elite Model Management. She also worked on U2's PopMart Tour and Miramax Films.[12][13][1] In 1995, she produced the inaugural Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and has since produced the annual events for over 20 years.[1][14]

In 1999, she left Rogers & Cowan to establish her own production company, Full Picture.[15][16] In the beginning, her works included Victoria's Secret supermodel Heidi Klum and designer Roberto Cavalli. She developed a reality television series Project Runway along with Klum and Full Picture's executive Jane Cha.[10] She had also done some advising to supermodel Naomi Campbell.[17][18]

In 2016, she joined Nir Liberboim to co-found DGNL Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund that has invested in brands including Living Proof, Songza, and Fashion GPS (Launchmetrics).[19][20][21][22]

Philanthropy

In 2016, Gruber worked with the former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama on her "Let Girls Learn" campaign.[23][24]

Gruber currently serves on the New York regional board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.[25][26] She is also a board member of "God's Love We Deliver", which provides meals for people living with life-threatening illnesses.[25][27]

Personal life

Gruber and Kyle MacLachlan, 2012

Gruber met and began a relationship with actor Kyle MacLachlan in 1999.[28][29] They married on April 20, 2002.[9] Their son, Callum Lyon MacLachlan, was born in Los Angeles in 2008.[8] The family has residences in Los Angeles and New York.[30][31] They have two dogs, Mookie and Sam.[32][33]

Awards and recognition

Gruber was one of Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs of 2010.[34] As an executive producer, Gruber was part of Project Runway, which was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards in Outstanding Reality Television Program,[35] received a Peabody Award in 2007,[36] a GLAAD Media Award, and "has also been honored with over twenty media industry awards."[3][37]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Strugatz, Rachel (February 6, 2013). "Desiree Gruber: Under the Radar, On Top of Her Game". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  2. ↑ "Desiree Gruber, Co-Founder, DGNL Ventures LP". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  3. 1 2 "Desiree Gruber | HuffPost". www.huffpost.com. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  4. ↑ Fry, Erika (October 1, 2018). "Why Storytelling Became the Hot New Skill In Business". Fortune. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  5. ↑ Cuccinello, Hayley C. (2018-06-19). "From Hollywood To Silicon Valley, These Women Are Turning A Movement Into Action". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  6. ↑ Turner, Nathan (November 30, 2014). "Where Jonathan Adler, Simon Doonan, Lauren Graham, and Peter Som go to get away from it all". Architectural Digest. Conde Nast.
  7. ↑ Devaney, James (June 25, 2018). Celebrity Sightings in New York City - June 25, 2018. Getty Images. New York (published June 26, 2018). Desiree Gruber celebrates her birthday with Heidi Klum at El Toro Blanco on June 25, 2018 in New York City
  8. 1 2 "Kyle MacLachlan and Desiree Gruber Welcome Callum Lyon". People. July 28, 2008. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  9. 1 2 "Swoon Over Miami". People. Vol. 57, no. 17. May 6, 2002.
  10. 1 2 Gruber, Desiree (February 8, 2013). "The Kid Stayed In The Picture: Meet Desiree Gruber" (Interview). Interviewed by Eddie Roche. Daily Front Row. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  11. ↑ Atkinson, Claire (June 3, 2002). "Profile: Gruber now a part of the celeb circuit she represents". PRWeek.
  12. ↑ "Rogers & Cowan ups Gruber". Variety. October 15, 1997.
  13. ↑ "Desiree Gruber". Gawker. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  14. ↑ Dash, Kristie (February 1, 2018). "Meet the woman who makes the Victoria's Secret Angels glow". Vogue. France.
  15. ↑ Sachmechi, Natalie (June 18, 2019). "Nina Shaw And Aileen Lee On Why Women Need Allies At Work". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  16. ↑ "Desiree Gruber". Tech:NYC. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  17. ↑ Pantin, Laurel (September 2016). "Desiree Gruber Personal Brand Building Advice". Coveteur. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  18. ↑ Horgan, Richard (May 6, 2017). "Kyle MacLachlan's 2001 Oscar Weekend Whirlwind". Adweek.
  19. ↑ "Our Team". DGNL Ventures. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  20. ↑ "SEC Form D – DGNL Ventures" (xml). 2016 – via U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  21. ↑ "Nir Liberboim". Wharton Business Radio. Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  22. ↑ "DGNL Ventures Venture Capital Profile | VentureDeal". www.venturedeal.com. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  23. ↑ Hernandez, Brian Anthony (March 15, 2016). "Diane Warren Explains How Michelle Obama's 'This Is for My Girls' All-Star Anthem Came to Be: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  24. ↑ Zarya, Valentina (March 19, 2016). "Meet the Professional Connector Who Made Michelle Obama's Girl Power Anthem a Reality". Fortune. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  25. 1 2 Gambichler, Meghan. "14th Annual UNICEF Snowflake Ball" (Press release) – via Riverdale Press.
  26. ↑ Crist, Allison (November 28, 2018). "Ringo Starr Calls on U.S., Britain to "Step Up for the Kids" at UNICEF Snowflake Ball". The Hollywood Reporter.
  27. ↑ "Twenty years of God's Love". Gay City News. March 20, 2008.
  28. ↑ Tozer, Paul (December 10, 2000). "Kyle MacLachlan: I, Claudius". The Guardian.
  29. ↑ Cavendish, Lucy (June 15, 2003). "Kyle reaches new peaks". London Evening Standard.
  30. ↑ Mulkerrins, Jane (June 24, 2012). "This much I know: Kyle MacLachlan". The Guardian.
  31. ↑ David, Mark (September 30, 2014). "Kyle MacLachlan To Let Sunset Strip Pad". Variety.
  32. ↑ Diamond, Wendy (July 27, 2006). "Desiree Gruber And Her Dogs, Sam & Mookie, Are Taking Care Of Business". Animal Fair.
  33. ↑ Gillespie, Katherine (June 27, 2017). "Kyle MacLachlan's Web Series About His Dogs Is Weirder Than 'Twin Peaks'". Vice.
  34. ↑ Sellers, Patricia (September 27, 2010). "Meet the 2010 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs". Fortune. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Desiree Gruber". Emmy Awards. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  36. ↑ "Project Runway". www.peabodyawards.com. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  37. ↑ Hamilton, Andrea (2017-10-07). "About Desiree Gruber and her Latest Endeavor, DGNL". Medium. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
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