The insiders fashion buyers snapping season
July 7, 2010 5:44 am | 4 Comments
BRIDGET COSGRAVE
Fashion & buying director, Matches
‘I always loved fashion,’ says Cosgrave, who cut her teeth with a traineeship at Simpsons of Piccadilly. ‘I was sent to
cashmere mills, everywhere. It was such great training.’
In her 20s, she hopped to Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge before taking the helm at Matches in 1998. ‘I loved what they were doing,’ she says. ‘People love Matches today because it has a sharp edit.’
ON BUYING: ‘People have the wrong impression of buying. It’s not just going for what you like. You have to be totally in tune with the client and the trends, and then balance that with a shrewd business sensibility.’
TOP AUTUMN TREND: ‘I’m passionate about navy blue,’ says Cosgrave, who names Lanvin’s ribbon-inspired collection as a top forerunner.
HOT NEW DESIGNERS: Joanna Sykes, designer at Alberta Ferretti and Giorgio Armani, new to Matches for autumn/winter.
TOP COLLECTIONS: The Row, by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. ‘I was surprised when I met Ashley how involved she was. She paid a lot of attention to detail. That’s unusual, lots of celebrity collections are just namesake, but this has real integrity.’
MUST-HAVE: ‘The Yves Saint Laurent banana pants, Balenciaga necklaces and Sophie Kokosalaki pieces are on waiting lists.’
BEST AUTUMN SPLURGE: Burberry Prorsum Prussian blue cashmere trench. ‘It’s so flattering,’ says Cosgrave. ‘Nobody makes a trench like Burberry.’
BEST BUDGET-PIECE: James Jeans military coats. ‘They are practical and make you look very put together.’
AVERYL OATES
Fashion & buying director, Harvey Nichols
Industry veteran Oates started out as a model before making the switch to the business of fashion. Her first job was a buying break at Mrs Ong in Singapore, where she became well versed in the world of international designers.
‘I had my pick of everything. I brought Jil Sander, Donna Karan and Prada to the store. It was amazing,’ she says. Between this and taking the fashion director helm at Harvey Nichols, Oates has worked her magic at everywhere from Harrods to Laura Ashley.
ON BUYING: ‘The way women shop has really evolved. Women today look for much more provenance in what they buy,’ says Oates. ‘They are very educated about fashion.’
Bag a Kara Ross clutch at Harvey Nichols
TOP AUTUMN TRENDS: ‘The gothic look, it’s so romantic. The jewellery is very important. Givenchy is a great example. Roland Mouret (right) has some classic sculptured styles.’
HOT NEW DESIGNERS: Roksanda Ilincic: ‘She’s really turned a corner. We’re stocking her for the first time this autumn. It’s beautiful.’
TOP COLLECTIONS: Rodarte’s collection inspired by Japanese horror movies. ‘Absolutely beautiful,’ says Oates. ‘This is our second season with them.’ She adds: ‘Lanvin. We keep making the area bigger, and keep selling out.’
MUST-HAVE: Kara Ross clutches. Lanvin costume jewellery. Camilla Skovgaard shoes. ‘They are must-have shoes, totally. But still very fashion.’
BEST AUTUMN SPLURGE: ‘Balenciaga. The whole collection is iconic.’
BEST BUDGET PIECE: ‘Anything at D&G. They’ve captured the right mood for the season. It’s affordable, too.’
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