New Harvey Nichols CEO Julia Goddard is shaking things up. Today, the UK-based retailer announced that Kate Phelan has joined as creative director — part of Goddard’s plans to establish Harvey Nichols as “the go-to brand for well-curated luxury fashion”.
Phelan is well known in the UK industry, having worked for years in fashion editor and director roles at British Vogue and Marie Claire, and as creative director of Topshop from 2011 to 2017. As creative director of Harvey Nichols, she will develop the vision for the retailer’s campaigns, brand identity and other creative propositions, reporting directly to Goddard.
“Kate’s esteemed career in the fashion industry has been captivating, and her expertise will strengthen the leadership team at Harvey Nichols,” Goddard said in a statement. “Her renowned experience will be instrumental in driving Harvey Nichols forward […] delivering quality growth and successfully celebrating our brand’s unique DNA.”
Goddard was appointed in April, joining Harvey Nichols from Alexander McQueen where she was most recently president of EMEA, leading the brand’s wholesale and retail expansion in the region. Goddard replaced Manju Malhotra, who departed Harvey Nichols in August 2023 after more than 25 years at the business (there were reports about a dispute between Malhotra and owner Dickson Poon, but the company denied them at the time).
Harvey Nichols stocks a wide range of luxury brands, including Saint Laurent, Chloé, Khaite, Loewe, The Row, Moncler, Canada Goose, Toteme, Jacquemus and Gucci. It has stores in London, Leeds, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, Hong Kong, Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait and Doha, plus a dedicated beauty store in Liverpool. The company struggled with profitability following the pandemic, and was hit hard by the UK government’s decision to scrap the tax-free shopping scheme for tourists. However, its most recently filed accounts show that pre-tax losses have narrowed. Goddard and her new team are tasked with turning it around amid a challenging market.
“I am thrilled to be joining Harvey Nichols as creative director,” said Phelan in a statement. “This is an exciting time in retail with many new opportunities to use the channels we have available to tell stories. Harvey Nichols has a wonderful history, and I very much look forward to working alongside Julia and the Harvey Nichols team in delivering a new energy and vision for the brand.”
Correction: Kate Phelan is not the first-ever creative director of Harvey Nichols as previously stated. (4/11)
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