Buyer news and archive

Scoop's Fireside Chats: Fenwick buyer Melanie Westwood discusses modern retail challenges

Scoop rounded up its February 2026 edition this week, hailing solid attendance from buyers and a sense of optimism from exhibitors. This season saw the introduction of a new Fireside Chats programme, which saw Scoop director Karen Radley host a series of talks with buyers to address the reality of business in the present day. One of these talks...

Featured

Fashion

Major shows, memories and buyer favourites: FW26 highlights from Berlin

Following fashion weeks in Paris, Milan and Copenhagen, all eyes have been on the German capital in recent days. Berlin Fashion Week has established itself as a hub for emerging talent and a new destination for international brands. It was indeed global labels this season that made up the big names on the calendar. These include the Berlin-based...

Fairs

Spring Fair: Anthropologie buying director outlines relevance, restraint and customer connection

At this year’s ongoing Spring Fair in Birmingham, UK, visitors gathered at The Style Atelier to hear how one of fashion retail’s most distinctive chains defines relevance in the current landscape. In conversation with fashion commentator Caryn Franklin, Gill McCulloch, buying director at Anthropologie Europe, set out how the brand balances...

Featured

Fashion

Harrods buyer impressed by Chanel and Dior debuts at PFW SS26

Paris Fashion Week spring/summer 2026, which took place from September 29 to October 7, saw debuts at Chanel, Dior, and Balenciaga, and delivered a season of “extraordinary reset,” according to Simon Longland, director of buying for fashion at luxury British department store Harrods. Longland told FashionUnited over e-mail: “Paris offered a...

Featured

Fashion |In Pictures

Romantic gowns, dramatic tailoring: Highlights of LFW according to Harrods’ buying director

With London Fashion Week SS26 officially wrapped, attention now turns to buyers across retail as they review the collections at hand and decide where to go from here. Among those is Simon Longland, director of buying for fashion at department store giant Harrods, who shared his impressions of the week and reflected on London’s evolving position...

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Fashion |Interview

Fewer compromises and more clarity: Buyers at German retailer Apropos share insights for SS26

The spring/summer 2026 season traditionally kicked off with Pitti Uomo. But while the Florentine menswear trade fair is dedicated to menswear, Apropos – The Concept Store focuses equally on womenswear and menswear from the very beginning of the season. For over 40 years, the concept store, with locations in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Berlin,...

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Retail|Interview

Beyond the rack: How Onefifteen’s buyer is shaping its lifestyle-driven vision in Taiwan

In the heart of Taipei’s Da’an district, the flagship store of Onefifteen exists as somewhat of a florally-infused oasis within a metropolitan backdrop. The luxury multibrand retailer sits in the foundations of a historic 1950s building, renovated to both retain its background and modernise this antiquity for a string of dedicated consumers that...

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Fashion |Interview

Machine-A: 'We're coming to an end of what we call trends'

Machine-A was born out of the idea of offering up-and-coming brands a space. When Stavros Karelis launched this multi-brand concept around 12 years ago, the founder witnessed a lack of these young designers in the London retail landscape. It is therefore no wonder that Karelis is now a regular guest at Berlin Fashion Week, where such designers...

Featured

Fashion |Interview

ENG: How the Chinese concept store attracts customers in times of crisis

Young fashion retailers, such as the Chinese concept store ENG, are managing to attract customers worldwide despite the difficult economic situation. They offer a product range and shopping experience that is not only attractive to local customers, but also has its finger on the pulse internationally. In the bricks-and-mortar retail sector of...

Featured

Fashion |Interview

Buyer Victoria Sagmeister on the balancing act between consistency and change in luxury fashion

From a woodturning workshop to an antique shop to one of the most important destinations for luxury fashion in Austria. Sagmeister is a family-run establishment with a long tradition that moves with the times. The best example? Sagmeister is currently in the midst of another transition phase, says Victoria Sagmeister. Her mother who tapped into...

Fashion

Fashion careers: What does a fashion buyer do?

Being a fashion buyer is one of the most sought after careers in fashion. Behind the glamorous image of a buyer who is travelling the world to select the latest pieces off fashion week runways is a job that requires a combination of skill sets to be successful. Solely responsible for selecting and ordering what is sold in stores to ensure...