Helen David, the former chief merchant of Harrods, has a major new role — as Kurt Geiger‘s chief merchant of luxury.
The appointment reunites David with the Kurt Geiger team, which has operated the luxury shoe business at Harrods for many years and which worked closely with the executive during her 11-year stint at the storied department store. At Harrods, David rose through the ranks, from buyer to GMM of womenswear and fine jewelry to fashion director and finally to chief merchant.
“Helen brings energy, deep brand trust, creativity and a real growth focus,” said Kurt Geiger CEO Neil Clifford, noting that he has been courting her for “several” years.
David, who left Harrods in 2018 and was most recently chief growth officer at Ralph & Russo, takes full control of the luxury business at Kurt Geiger.
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Clifford has charged the executive with managing all functions in the channel, including buying, merchandising and marketing. In addition to Harrods, the company’s retail partners include Selfridges, Brown Thomas and Liberty.
David has already hit the ground running, immersing herself in this month’s European men’s collections. And she has some big predictions heading into spring ’22.
“The dominant trend will be low-top basketball silhouettes, no doubt stemming from the resurgence of the Nike Dunk over the last year,” David told FN. “Dior, Fendi, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Amiri are all key players here. I am particularly excited about Amiri as it is fast gaining momentum, and with tighter distribution, keeps the hype.”
In terms of emerging trends, David said the ’90s skater influence is “coming through.”
In other Kurt Geiger news, Alberto Oliveros, former GMM at the retailer, has left the company. He had been responsible for buying across Harrods’ women’s, men’s and children’s shoes.
