Laird + Partners, the New York City-based fashion, luxury and lifestyle branding agency, today announced that it has appointed Patrick Yee as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Trey Laird, Laird + Partners founder and current CEO, will continue to serve as Chief Creative Officer and Chairman. Laird + Partners also confirmed the launch of a new content agency, AIR + Partners, that Yee will head.

Patrick Yee was an early partner at Refinery29, serving as its Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, and he is credited with developing the company's extraordinary growth and playing a key role in defining the brand and its content strategy. He spent eight years there, in a role that was pivotal in growing the company from under 10 employees to a nine-figure global business with over 450 employees around the world. During Yee's tenure, Refinery29's monthly reach expanded from under 100,000 to over 150 million and achieved industry-leading engagement, becoming the No. 1 digital media brand in fashion, beauty and style in the U.S.

"As content creation and digital strategy are increasingly transforming our industry, I wanted to find a bold and forward-thinking partner to take our capabilities and expertise to a totally different level, and Patrick has that vision," said Laird. "His experience in making Refinery29 one of the world's leading lifestyle media brands, his passion for providing compelling and original content, and his overall digital media experience make him the perfect leader to bring on-board." Continued Laird, "He has been at the center of creating revolutionary new ways for brands to connect with consumers, mixing creativity with analytics, and I am looking forward to working with him to lead our company to its next stage of growth."

"I'm incredibly excited to join the Laird + Partners team," said Yee. "Laird + Partners has set the bar for how an agency should partner with brands that rely on style and elevation to win. It has a rare combination of talented creatives, high-profile clients, dedication to innovation, and momentum in the industry. I'm honored to join the leadership team at Laird + Partners and look forward to continuing to build and push boundaries as I have in my career at Refinery29." Continued Yee, "At Laird + Partners, we will expand our capabilities and industry-leading insights, but our mission remains unchanged – to help connect brands with audiences innovatively, exceptionally and with signature style."

Yee's appointment comes at a time of accelerated growth and momentum for Laird + Partners, which has built a strong legacy of partnership with celebrated fashion and luxury brands such as Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Jimmy Choo, Swarovski and Karl Lagerfeld, and is bringing its unique insights and brand innovation expertise to an expanded stable of bold marketers. Most recently, the agency has been celebrated for its work helping companies such as American Eagle and Lane Bryant claim their place in the social conversation through innovative content and by building meaningful, purpose driven platforms that drive the brands' strategies. In addition, last year Laird + Partners won the Grand Prize Clio for Integrated Digital Campaign for its Tom Ford Digital Fashion Show starring Lady Gaga.

About Laird + Partners 

Founded in 2002, Laird + Partners is the leading branding agency specializing in fashion, luxury and lifestyle, with a mission to bring an omnichannel strategic approach to elevated creative excellence. Its unique offering has attracted blue-chip fashion and retail brands, as well as forward-thinking marketers in diverse categories such as hospitality, wellness and beverage, all of which rely on style and visual execution to win. Laird + Partners believes that every brand has a story to tell, and that each story should be informed by consumer insights and told natively where its target customers are. It has a deep understanding of the business challenges and changing consumer expectations that drive an increasingly complex physical, digital and social world. Laird + Partners is an MDC Partners agency.