Updated 6:41 p.m. ET April 14

Nordstrom confirmed Tuesday that Yumi Shin has officially joined the company as executive vice president of global brand partnerships.

Shin’s move from Bergdorf Goodman, where she had served as chief merchandising officer, to Nordstrom was widely expected, but had been stalled by litigation. Saks Global, the parent company of Bergdorf Goodman, filed a federal lawsuit in November 2025, alleging that Shin violated her noncompete agreement and stole proprietary information. Shin subsequently filed court papers seeking to dismiss Saks’ lawsuit. According to a court document filed at the end of March, the case was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice and without costs or attorneys’ fees to any party. Dismissal with prejudice means that the plaintiff cannot refile the same claim again in that court.

According to Nordstrom officials, Shin’s responsibilities include but are not limited to brand partnerships and merchandising strategies supporting the designer, beauty, handbags and fine jewelry categories. This is a newly established role at Nordstrom overseeing the luxury and beauty businesses.  

Shin takes on responsibilities formerly held by Sam Lobban, as well as additional ones. Lobban was executive vice president and general merchandising manager for apparel and designer. He left Nordstrom in July to become chief executive officer of Thom Browne.

Shin will report to Jamie Nordstrom, the chief merchandising officer, and cousin of brothers Erik and Pete Nordstrom, the co-CEOs.

In recent seasons, Nordstrom has been aggressively building up its luxury and designer business, in part capitalizing on the turmoil at the bankrupt Saks Global. The strategy involves encouraging designers to provide exclusive capsules and store experiences.

Officials told WWD on Tuesday that the company has planned hundreds of designer experiences in 2026 including a Christian Louboutin museum exhibition, a capsule celebration with Kristina Blahnik of Manolo Blahnik and an exclusive dinner with Kim Bekker of Isabel Marant.

Nordstrom officials also said the company is continuing to invest in store environments and its digital platform. Key stores in markets such as New York City, Seattle and Bellevue will see the first phase of a broader store investment strategy, with additional locations and geographies expected to be added on shortly.  

Near-term projects specific to Shin’s role are a newly designed handbag department at the Manhattan flagship, which will feature a lighter more open environment, luxury finishes and a modern aesthetic, followed by the shoe floor next year.  

Shin will also focus on reimagining the men’s store next to the women’s flagship and expand the women’s fine jewelry hall and partnership with Muse to create “a more trend-driven, discovery-oriented mix of emerging and established jewelry brands.”

In addition, Shin is introducing a new retail concept, The Edit, which is lifestyle-driven with a dedicated in-store environment for customers seeking “tailored, everyday sportswear, placing established icons alongside emerging designers with genuine cultural momentum including Kallmeyer, Nour Hammour, High Sport, Rohe, Heirlom, Jamie Haller, Lisa Yang and more.”

In a statement Jamie Nordstrom said, “We’re energized by the momentum we’re seeing in our designer business. We are excited that Yumi Shin has joined our team to help build on our capabilities to curate an offer from the world’s best brands. What continues to inspire us are our customers — who they are today, who they’re becoming and the loyalty we’re building with the next generation of luxury consumers. That’s a foundation we’ll continue to invest in.” 

Shin added: “Nordstrom occupies a truly unique position in fashion, the scale of a national retailer with the soul of a specialty store. With Nordstrom’s vast footprint across the country, not just in major metros, it allows luxury brand partners to reach a geographically diverse, high-value customer. What drew me here is the depth of the customer relationships and the genuine commitment to broadening the designer expression, from the way product is curated to the experiences built around it. Nordstrom is also the destination for beauty discovery, with a strong pipeline of initiatives that keep us closely attuned to what’s new and next.”

Shin, who has been seen at certain Nordstrom events this year and at fashion shows, served as Bergdorf’s chief merchandising officer since January 2019. She joined Bergdorf’s in October 2018 as executive buying director and was promoted four months later to CMO. Before Bergdorf’s, Shin worked at Saks Fifth Avenue for nearly 12 years, rising to senior vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s designer ready-to-wear, handbags and accessories. Before that, she was senior vice president, general merchandise manager and chief site merchant for Saks Direct. Earlier in her career, Shin served as a divisional merchandise manager at Prada, and a buyer at Barneys New York.