Angela Quaintrell

With over 30 years unrivalled retail experience in high-end fashion retail, I was the Senior Fashion Buyer at Liberty of London for 14 years responsible for a turnover of £18 million and for turning Liberty into a fashion store. I was the first buyer to buy Alexander McQueen and helped him with his pricing and range planning. I was the first to buy and showcase the highly praised Belgian designers, Dries van Noten, Margiela and Demeulemeester and built a strong relationship with the Japanese designers Yamamoto, Miyake and Watanabe.

From my experience as a buyer, I understand how high-end retail works; what buyers look for; how they plan their seasonal purchases and work their budgets; and how they strategically build their relationships with new designers.

Since leaving Liberty I have worked on the other side of the relationship, as a sales manager and at Shirin Guild. As a sales agent I have represented labels such as Elm at both Paris and New York Fashion Weeks which has given me a great opportunity to broaden my network with buyers. I personally know many of the ‘A’ list store buyers in the UK and internationally. These experiences make me highly compatible with the knowledge and network requirements required by the CFE.

Having spent so long in a well rewarded high-level retail position, I am now enjoying giving something back to the industry, working with many SMEs and also supporting start-ups evolve into established labels. I have worked for the CFE for the past two years, have also been working over the past five years with Colin Mc Dowell on the Fashion Fringe platform, and am an advisor to the BFC Fashion showcasing fund panel. I have contributed to the Vauxhall Fashion Scout  Advisory Salons talking to 25 young Designer businesses and advising them on retail strategies and  work with LCF MA students on a regular basis.