A must-read for anyone wanting to become a fashion buyer or start a career in the fashion buying industry! Head buyer of online shopping phenomenon, brandsExclusive answers all our burning questions and the secrets to his success…
Rescu: As the head buyer of brandsExclusive and livingExclusive what does a typical day of your job entail?
Garth Allen: As the head buyer for brandsExclusive and livingExclusive, my job involves overseeing relationships with the 800 brands we partner with. I spend my day managing an experienced team of buyers, specific to each of the product categories. Each and every day we work together as a team to build lasting relationships with leading brands for our members.
Rescu: What do you love most about your job?
Garth Allen: I love sourcing new trends as well as upcoming and international fashion brands for the site. I’m always striving to satisfy our wide-ranging customer base, bringing them a diverse selection of trends and eclectic designs every day.
Rescu: How did you embark on a career as a creative fashion buyer?
Garth Allen: I’ve always had an interest in fashion and the way e-commerce has made shopping a much more convenient and accessible process. Coming on board at brandsExclusive was an easy transition for me after working as a buyer for Topshop in London and locally at David Jones, where I oversaw a large portfolio of brands.
Rescu: What advice would you offer those wanting to become a fashion buyer?
Garth Allen: I believe it’s very important to have a genuine passion and love for fashion and forecasting new trends. You also need to enjoy working independently as well as in a dynamic team. I often draw inspiration from my team of buyers who are all very in- the-know when it comes to trends for fashion, homewares and accessories.
Rescu: What are the key personality traits that you need for your job?
Garth Allen: I think it’s important to be creative and confident. The best part of this job is definitely the room for self-expression and the ability to push the boundaries of fashion.
Rescu: You’ve worked in the UK overlooking the buying for big chains such as Topshop, you’ve introduced Dolce & Gabbana into Australia and now you’ve been a crucial player in brandsExclusive’s snowballing success. What has been your greatest achievement so far?
Garth Allen: I would have to say my biggest achievement would be my work with brandsExclusive. Having been part of the process from the very start I have watched it go from a simple idea to a multimillion-dollar business. brandsExclusive is now Australia’s fastest growing shopping website with over 80,000 new members joining each month, and 2 million Australian members overall, it’s been incredible to watch and to be a part of it!
Rescu: brandsExclusive reaches a staggering 2 million Australians on a daily basis, how has the rise of online shopping impacted your career and the fashion buying industry?
Garth Allen: Buying for an online market is fast, dynamic and growing rapidly. The online retail sector never stands still and with the nature of our website, providing our customers new options every day I am consistently busy ensuring our customers are always satisfied.
Rescu: How often do you travel overseas for your job? Is it crucial to keep directly involved in the fashion industry overseas to predict trends here for Australia?
Garth Allen: I do get to travel a couple times a year but in the meantime I am constantly looking at blogs, international magazines and smaller publications, which present something a little different. Of course the fashion world is a dynamic and global one, and international trends will always reflect in the local market. It’s about knowing how to translate these trends to an Aussie audience.
