This week’s insider feature features My-wardrobe’s buying director, Luisa De Paula. Luisa talks to Myfashdiary on how her career begun, what makes a good buyer, and the brands to keep an eye on!

My-wardrobe.com

-How did your career as a buyer begin?
I actually started in men’s wear in Selfridges as an assistant buyer in the men’s Designer room then went on to be buyer manager for men’s contemporary and designer which was amazing as it was the first area to be refurbished and the first to have designer brands such as Dolce and Gabbana in the store. Men’s wear was great because it’s all about detail, heritage and understanding male cultural references and icons. I then moved to women’s to look after contemporary, casual collections and the “spirit” area. Women’s wear is a totally different ball game and very fast with trends changing very fast and some emerging within the season.
-What makes a good buyer?
Good taste and an instinctive eye for what is right – no one can teach you that you either have it or you don’t.
The ability to adapt and to buy with different customer in mind. If you just buy for yourself it will not work. The ability to look into the future and predict what the customer is going to want next as we buy at least 8 months ahead
Business acumen and the ability to be creative with budgets and numbers. It’s a balancing act between commerciality and creativity and knowing how to put product together which is going to excite and inspire.
-As a buyer for one of the hottest e-commerce sites, what are the brands to keep an eye on for next season?
It’s too early to be letting “the cat out of the bag” as a buyer you need to hold back and keep the element of surprise and discovery alive. Will keep you posted….