Neiman's Ken Downing joins American Dream mall project

Former senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus is stepping down from his roles with the luxury retailer at the end of this week to lend his expertise to American Dream.

A future New Jersey retail and entertainment center, American Dream is being developed by Triple Five Group, who currently owns the two largest malls in the United States. When completed, the new mall will take over 3 million square feet with at least 250 stores alongside entertainment spaces for a Nickelodeon Universe theme park and a DreamWorks water park.

Downing will become the first chief creative officer of Triple Group, leading the design, advertising, marketing and PR teams. Unlike his work over the past 28 years with Neiman Marcus, Downing will work beyond luxury fashion and lead the creative teams covering all fashion brands, plus entertainment and dining. He will report to president Don Ghermezian.

“No dream is too big, no detail too small [for Triple Five]," Downing told WWD. "These are the ideals that are the cornerstones of my career. Joining Triple Five as chief creative officer is beyond exhilarating. With Don and the Triple Five teams, we’ll redefine the idea of redefining retail. I’m looking forward, first and foremost, to contributing to American Dream.”

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