Helen Herrick Inducted into the Retail Design Institute’s Legion of Honor; Cartier Fontainebleau Las Vegas Recognized at RDI’s 55th International Design Competition
It was a proud night for MBH Architects. At the Retail Design Institute’s 55th International Design Awards, held October 21 at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Helen Herrick, Principal and Managing Director of MBH’s New York office, was inducted into the RDI Legion of Honor. At the same event, our Cartier Fontainebleau Las Vegas project, designed with Cartier, was recognized among the Class of 2025 honorees.
A Career on Both Sides of the Table
Established in 2001, the Legion of Honor recognizes individuals whose lifetime contributions have shaped the retail design industry. It is RDI’s highest honor for retail design practitioners. Helen joins MBH Founding Principal John McNulty, inducted in 2023, as the second MBH leader to receive it.
Helen’s career is rare in retail architecture: she has spent much of it as the client. At Eddie Bauer, she managed store rollouts across North America and the brand’s expansion into the UK and Japan. At Gap Inc., she rolled out more than 80 stores a year, then launched the Forth & Towne concept from scratch as Senior Director of Store Design. At Ann Inc., she reinvented the LOFT store experience. As Global Head of Design at Capital One, she led the team behind the Capital One Café, which reimagined the bank branch as a place of hospitality.
Helen joined MBH in 2020 and became a Principal in 2024. Her perspective as a former client shapes how our teams work with brands every day. Her work at MBH includes the Bucherer TimeMachine flagship in New York, a 2023 Shop! Design Awards Gold winner. A longtime RDI member, Helen also served two years as Vice President of the institute’s New York chapter.
“It’s All About the People”
In her acceptance speech, Helen reflected on what stays with you after a store opens:
“As you are in these projects, and a retail store is about to open, you are obsessing because the stain wasn’t perfect on the flooring, or perhaps your newly finished store is flooding from an upstairs neighbor. All of these things are so important at the time. But when you get right down to it, it’s all about the people. What I remember about all of these projects is the teams that I worked with, and how intense it was, but also how wonderful it was.”
She closed by thanking her New York team, many of whom were in the room:
“It is such a joy to work with such a dedicated, creative, and curious team. They make showing up to work every day a pure pleasure.”
Cartier Fontainebleau Las Vegas Recognized for Excellence
At the same ceremony, RDI announced the results of its 55th International Design Competition. Cartier Fontainebleau Las Vegas, credited to Cartier and MBH Architects, was named to the Class of 2025, a group of projects recognized for excellence in retail design worldwide. We’re proud to share that honor with the Cartier team.
Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees, especially Nespresso New York (Bartolini | Lanzi Architects + Valerio Architects Inc.), named Retail Experience of the Year. Our thanks go to the competition’s judges for their time and thoughtful review.
Hosted by one of our own
The evening was co-hosted by Cynthia Ortiz, RDI’s International President and MBH’s Business Development Manager. With one MBH colleague hosting and another accepting the Legion of Honor, it was a night our firm won’t soon forget.
Congratulations, Helen, and congratulations to the Cartier and MBH teams.
