October 28, 2011 |
FROM THE VAULT (SUMMER 2011)
Stephen Ayres – The Menswear Buyer, Liberty
A recent tweet reads: “Hates a square toe shoe. Why oh why do city boys do this???” Obviously they’ve yet to discover Liberty’s menswear department. You’d never find something so abhorrent on their shelves. Simply put, they would never make it onto Stephen’s list.
SO, HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS BUYING LARK? WERE YOU A BIG SHOPPER?
“I fell into it really. I’d always been interested in fashion but didn’t feel creative enough to be a designer. I never knew the role of a buyer existed until I moved to London at 19 and worked on the shop floor at Selfridges – it sounded perfect for me. A role for a buyers admin became available, I applied and luckily got the job. I worked hard and made my way up the ranks. I love that being a buyer allows you to combine being creative and business minded. Once all the fashion shows and selecting is over I’m responsible for the profitability of my business. It’s a balance I enjoy.”
WHEN YOU GO ON YOUR SEASONAL SHOPPING SPREE, DO YOU IMPULSE BUY? OR DO YOU HAVE A GIANT SHOPPING LIST? SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF: 500 SHIRTS, 700 PAIRS OF TROUSERS – 250 FROM LANVIN, 450 FROM DRIES?
“I plan my budget at brand level each season so I go into the market knowing how much I’ll spend on each brand. This can change according to the strength of a collection. The majority of the time I buy on instinct, I know instantly if I think something will work for my customer. However, some brands require a more methodical approach and I refer to analysis to help put the selection together.”
DO YOU EVER WORRY ABOUT HAVING BOUGHT THE WRONG THING? OR ARE YOU CONFIDENT SHOPPER?
“I’m always confident in my selection, but as the buying season is six months prior to it arriving in store there’s always the odd, ‘Did I really buy that?’ moment.”
IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT?
“All the time they like what I’m selecting for the store I believe they are… ”
by Natalie Dembinska
Photographer Sean Thomas – www.seanthomasphotography.com
