From starting her career on the shop floor at 16 to becoming Chief Merchant at Harvey Nichols, Kate Benson has built a career shaped by a deep understanding of the customer. With retail running through her family, fashion was a natural path – one that has taken her from buying roles to leading the merchandising strategy at one of the UK’s most renowned luxury department stores.
In this interview with TheIndustry.fashion, Benson reflects on her journey through fashion, the lessons she has learned along the way, the leaders who have inspired her, and her ambitions for the next chapter of her career.
Have you always had an interest in fashion? Why does it appeal to you and why did you want to work within it?
Retail is in my blood. My aunt was a Buying Manager at a department store and travelled all over the world; she was always such a glamorous role model. My sister then followed her into the trade, and I went into it directly afterwards.
Tell us about your first job in fashion. What drew you to the role? What this experience was like?
Like many people in the fashion industry, my career began at 16 in a shop. It taught me that if you show drive and ambition, you can get noticed and supported into new and exciting roles. I moved from the shop floor into Head Office as an Assistant Buyer and my career developed from there.
What were the most valuable skills or lessons you gained from that first experience?Â
Working in retail, you learn from the very beginning to think in a customer-centric way. Ultimately, that is at the core of everything we do.
What do you most enjoy about your current role?Â
I love the variety of my days and the number of interesting people I work with across more than 300 brands. I also adore product and still get a huge kick out of seeing a beautiful collection in a beautiful showroom.
Now that I am back working in bricks-and-mortar retail, I love seeing the tangible changes on the shop floor as we transform our product strategy and work with brands on personalising their spaces. In Knightsbridge alone, this year we have introduced 55 new SIS.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice at the very start of your career, what would it be – and why?
To believe in myself. My confidence has built over the years, and I now really enjoy standing in front of large audiences, whereas it used to intimidate me.
What does the next chapter of your own career look like and how are you hoping to grow from here?Â
Having worked as a Buying Director for a few years, I would like my next step to be into a GM or Managing Director role and expand my remit into other functions, such as Retail and Marketing.
Has there been a person in fashion that you have always admired and why?
I have always worked under really strong female leaders, including Donna Player at David Jones, Alison Loehnis at Net-a-Porter, and Julia Goddard at Harvey Nichols.