Once retail was seen as an unappealing, rough trade run by aggressive men with
barrow-boy mentalities. Actually, it's still aggressive and the owners of
some of the biggest chains are still men. But guess what? Women are tougher.
Sometimes they are even prepared to play rough. They also recognise that,
while the stakes are high, the hours punishing and the job requires
mathematical agility, creative vision, ruthless logic and the intuitive
talents of a fortune-teller, it doesn't get much more exciting than selling
£2 billion worth of merchandise and pocketing a small fortune for yourself
at the same time.
Linda Bennett is estimated to be worth £150 million. Belinda Earl left
Debenhams with £3.6 million. Between them the eight women profiled here
generated a turnover of about £11.5 billion last year and oversee nearly
1,500 shops.
While it's true that most of the CEO positions are still occupied by men,
women are closing the gap. This year Kate Bostock was tipped for the top job
at M&S when Sir Stuart Rose steps down in 2011 - the first woman even to
be considered. Belinda Earl, having nudged Debenhams along its
transformative path in the Nineties, is busy making over Jaeger as its CEO.
Meanwhile, Jane Shepherdson, having worked for Sir Stuart and Sir Philip
Green during her 20 years at Topshop, is finally a CEO at Whistles.
It is easy to become insular and jingoistic when the subject of the British
high street crops up. So, in the interest of balance and maturity, here is a
serious caveat: some of its slicker and more sophisticated destinations -
Zara, Cos and Gap, to name three - are foreign invaders. And here's another:
notwithstanding the arrival of Banana Republic (American), the British high
street, on the whole, woefully under-serves grown-up women who are not the
same size as Kate Moss.
That said, the high street is an admirably vibrant, competitive, flexible
entity. Case in point: Gap, once a bastion of bland US basics, now a test
tube of London-based, mainly British talent who design separate collections
for the European market. Second case in point: L.K. Bennett, the shoe
company founded 18 years ago on the hotly contested assumption that there
was room for a quality footwear brand that didn't pile it high and certainly
didn't sell it cheap. Third case in point: Jigsaw, the quirky chain of
80-odd shops that has remained independently owned (by husband and wife John
and Belle Robinson), progressing over 30 years from a student haunt to
somewhere that offers women with evolved tastes and reasonable budgets a
genuine point of distinction. Fourth case: George at Asda, which last year
sold £2 billion worth of clothes that combined value for money with an
enthusiasm for fashion. Fifth case in point: Jane Shepherdson's forthcoming
collections for Whistles, which, to judge from our sneak preview, will be
classy, grown-up and intelligently fashionable.
Their success is one reason why our high street remains a world-class symbol
of vibrancy. Because if the chains have been partly shaped by us - the
stroppy British consumer - then it's because the retail talents on these
pages knew how to respond. These are women who developed their passion as
fashion-mad youngsters in the Eighties “designer decade” and cut their
business teeth in the boom-and-bust early Nineties. They don't see fashion
just as a commodity. They wear it, love it and adapt it through good days
and fat days, recessions and bull markets. They know what we want because
they want it, too. And they all wear their own brands - with the occasional
bit of Marni, Margiela, Westwood, Balenciaga and YSL thrown in (hell,
they're fashionistas and they're on great salaries).
They will need all their intuition and ballsiness in the coming months as
economic factors bite harder. But they reckon they're ready for it.
Belle Robinson, 43, Co-owner, Jigsaw
Belle Robinson was the creative force behind Jigsaw Junior in the early 1990s.
Five years ago Jigsaw launched Kew. In 2005 she opened The Shop at Bluebird
on the Kings Road in London, for those seeking less obvious designer labels.
Jigsaw has 45 UK stores and nine in the US. Kew has 28 in the UK. Turnover
for the group last year was £81.5 million.
How would you assess your impact on Jigsaw?
We have 1,200 employees but it is an un-corporate environment. As it's my
husband's company, we live and breathe it. We're yin and yang. I'm the
mouth, though I hate confrontation. And I'm a gut reactor: we don't do
five-year plans. I love clothes but hate shopping.
How do you stay in tune with your customers?
I am our customer. Age is increasingly irrelevant as an identification. Women
want fashion but not indiscriminate trends. A lot of designers, including
women, don't embrace bosoms or anything over a size 14. I'm 5ft 10in (1.78m)
and size 14-16 - I end up doing a lot of fashion through accessories.
How will things pan out on the high street in the next few years?
Greedy landlords are killing the high street. The economic climate is
deteriorating, yet rents go up. How does a young designer get started? No
wonder the high street is full of homogenised mobile phone and coffee shops.
John says he could never get Jigsaw off the ground if he was trying to do it
now.
Belinda Earl,46, Group Chief Executive, Jaeger
Earl became Britain's youngest retail chief executive in her thirties, at
Debenhams. She joined Jaeger as CEO in 2004.
She began her career at Harrods as a graduate trainee and held various fashion
buying and management positions. Jaeger has 132 shops in the UK, and sales
of £82.2 million.
As a woman, what qualities do you think you bring to your role?
I'm a strong team-builder and a good communicator. I'm as demanding as our
customers and share the same work/life balance as many of them.
How do you combat the effect of the economic downturn?
The important thing is to build customer loyalty. A brand's perception can
change in the consumer's mind if it is out of tune with their demands and
expectations.
What is a typical day?
There is no typical day. I could be with the marketing department in the
morning, then hopping up to Manchester or checking out fashion retail in
Milan.
Has your personal style changed since you scaled the ladder?
I'm not really into power dressing as such, but I want to feel flattered by my
clothes and tend to opt for investment pieces. Nowadays I don't wear a
jacket as much.
Rebecca Farrar-Hockley, 35, Buying and Creative Director, Kurt Geiger
Farrar-Hockley joined Kurt Geiger, Europe's largest accessories retailer, in
2002. As well as its own stores, Kurt Geiger runs the shoe departments of,
among others, Harrods and Selfridges. Previously, Farrar-Hockley was head of
ladies' accessories at Selfridges. Kurt Geiger has 17 stores and more than
70 concessions. Turnover is £130 million.
Is it tougher for women getting to the top?
In some ways, no: we have a bigger armoury of tools. A woman can be a man in a
man's world or play the girly card to her advantage. I got a kick from
wearing a Prada fairy outfit and tiara down Bermondsey High Street at 6.30am
to our board meeting - here's a blonde fairy who can actually read an IPL
sheet.
The credit crunch: what's your plan?
Be brave. Shoppers want some escapism from all the doom and gloom.
What's the future of shoes?
By 2009 we'll be going back to utterly conservative shoes with a mid heel.
How much variation is there between stores?
As little as possible. Just because someone lives in Glasgow or Brighton
doesn't make them less of a fashion person.
Fiona Lambert, 43, Brand Director, George at Asda
Lambert originally worked at George - the first brand to be sold in a
supermarket - 16 years ago with its founder, George Davies. Before returning
in 2007, she was women's product director at Next. George is stocked at 310
Asda stores and 15 Asda Living stores. Its global turnover is £2 billion.
Who are George at Asda's main competitors?
The rest of the high street - but for me it was never about being the next
Miuccia Prada. The buzz is bringing style to millions of women.
Is the fashion industry incompatible with family life?
It can entail a lot of travel and you work quite long hours, but I couldn't
have done this job if I didn't have children - it means that I have an
understanding of the issues my customers face. The 45-plus woman is badly
served at the value end - it's always assumed that she has money. You have
to be reasonably intuitive and instinctive, too.
What about the ethics of low prices?
The press focused on our £3 jeans - everyone assumed the worst, but it's
economy of scale. The big change is that price isn't the only factor. People
are questioning every aspect of what they buy.
Yasmin Yusuf, 49, Creative Director of Miss Selfridge
The former CEO of East, Yusuf joined Miss Selfridge in her current role in
2006. It returned to profit in 2007, after a £3.5 million loss in 2006.
Yusuf was previously head of M&S womenswear, and worked as head of
design for Warehouse. Miss Selfridge has 159 UK stores.
How will the high street look in five to ten years' time?
It's hard to say because this generation has grown up with technology and they
are used to an instant world.
What kind of implications will that have for the fashion industry?
Well, in ten years' time who knows if we will still have the catwalk shows? Or
whether there will be fashion seasons because of the changes to weather and
climate? Will you be able to log on to the internet and have live fashion
shows of the new deliveries each week, then have the items delivered to you?
Also, people are living longer and staying younger. In ten years' time a
25-year-old won't necessarily behave or dress like a 25-year-old does today.
Jane Sheperdson, 45, CEO of Whistles
Shepherdson is the “retail visionary” of Topshop who increased the store's
profit from £9 million in 1998 to £110 million in 2006. This year she was
appointed CEO of Whistles. The new collection goes into stores this August.
Do you feel pressure to dress in a certain way?
Of course. I'm trying to convince people that we will provide stylish clothes
for discerning women; I must look the part.
As a woman, what qualities do you bring to your role?
I don't have to find out how women think, feel or shop, because I am one. I
manage by exciting and motivating everyone so they want to do their best. I
can't bear hierarchal systems; it's “we” rather than “I”.
Is it tougher getting to the top as a woman?
Yes. It's still a man's world. Sometimes you have to be a little bit more
aggressive and confrontational, and for a lot of women that can be hard. I
can be tough, though. I can be scary if I want to be.
Linda Bennett, 46, Designer and Founder, L.K Bennett
Bennett was No 525 on this year's Sunday Times Rich List, with her shoe
and clothing label estimated to be worth £150 million. She launched the
brand in 1990 with £13,000 of savings and a £15,000 loan. Now there are 85
stores in the UK. In 2004 Bennett tried and failed to sell the company for
£75 million. It is currently for sale again.
Why do you think the British high street is such a success?
Because of the brilliant young designers who graduate from our colleges. It's
different in Europe, where new designers go to work at the big fashion
houses. Also retailing is more developed; there's a very fast turnaround
here.
How does the threat of a downturn affect your approach?
To survive you must ensure that your product and service are the best, and the
shopping environment is fantastic. It will be hard for small, independent
stores.
In your position, do you feel that you need to dress in a certain way?
You need to know what suits you. I don't like wearing tailoring to work; a
dress and a cardi is more me.
Kate Bostock, 50, Executive Director for Clothing, M&S
The only female executive on the M&S board, Bostock was product director
at George at Asda before she was lured to be head of M&S womenswear in
2004 and is widely credited with its turnaround. The chain has 12 per cent
of the womenswear market. There are 560 stores in the UK, including Simply
Food. Turnover is £9 billion.
Is it tougher for a woman to get to the top?
It's just tough, full stop. You have to work hard and sacrifice some aspects
of your personal life. But women now have far more support from their
families.
In what ways are you similar to your average customer?
Incredibly so. I'm aware of value, but quality is equally important.
What is a typical day?
I talk to suppliers a lot and have strong disciplines about getting the
product in on time. I travel a lot. I was in India four weeks ago, I
probably go on six supplier trips a year, and I go to New York, Paris and
Italy to visit stores and see shows. My day starts at 8am and I work late.
Interviews by Carolyn Asome and Lisa Armstrong
But guess what? Women are tougher.This is so typical of newspaper writers, make some statement as if it were fact.
A typical one is the strange idea that women are better at multi-tasking.' absolute nonsense! Actually they have difficulty looking beyond the walls of their own little world.
Peter, Huddersfield, UK
as someone from australis, may i set the record straight and say that unless you live in sydney or melbourne, australian fashion is very restricted. we have no equivalent to topshop etc. it's all very expensive or disastrously cheap and nasty; it's bland and slow to copy the trends.
elizabeth, hobart, australia
I agree with Rebecca, The UK high street provides nothing new or exciting or of any quality.
Fiona, London,
I think the article is more to the point of these women doing a terrific job at the top. Its "quality"catering for the masses rather than your boutiques.But all mentioned do this well for a broad customer base.No way is Australia's fashion scene that great at all (RE Rebecca's comment),no variety.
Natasha, London, England
Yes, Whistles is terrific (I've just bought a really lovely suit in their sale) and so are Hobbs, Toast, and Ghost ,all in one stretch of ordinary North London high street near my house.
Dectora, London, UK
I disagree with this idea of the UK high street being world class. It's hard to find anything unique, low end or interesting - no select boutiques with choice pieces at good prices. The quality of a £40 top is as bad as one at £10. Come on, look at Australia's fashion scene - they do it well!
Rebecca, London, UK