Thomas StewartLiberty London is all about sleek, understated style so it stands to reason that their Head Menswear Buyer would be Stephen Ayres, a man whose own style is exactly that. But what is most interesting about Ayres is how he got to work at Liberty London – the ups and downs of his career, the hard-work, the commitment and all the things in-between.
Ayres always had an interest in fashion so when the opportunity to work at Selfridges came along; he quickly moved to London and started. It was there that Ayres realised he had an interest in the Buying and Merchandising aspect of clothing stores. He felt – and feels to this day – that it’s a job that is both demanding but incredibly creative.
After obtaining a job as Buyer Administrator in Selfridges, Ayres worked there for a few years before being head-hunted by House of Fraser. He decided it was a good move for his career to leave Selfridges but you could say that he left on extremely good terms as it was a year later that he was offered to go back and look after the design and super brand business. Of course, he accepted – he was doing what was best for his career – and this way of thinking brought him to Liberty London. Liberty also head-hunted Ayres to become the Head of their Buying department.
Ayres, himself, has said it sounds like everything fell into place, that it was all so easy. In fact, he worked three nights a week at a pub to pay his rent and works long hours, sometimes twenty days in a row. But, as Ayres puts it, he is doing what he loves.
Stephen Ayres is a prime example of doing what is best for you career. When opportunities come in your way you have to snatch them up – Ayres did just that. Working at different companies and working hard is what Ayres did. Now, he’s the Head of the Menswear Buying Department for Liberty London, doing a great job and looking stylish as he does it.
Note from Editor Paul McGregor: I recently got invited to an event by Gillette, where Stephen presented about men’s fashion and style alongside Dan Rockwood of Mens Health and John Mooney of ASOS. Stephen had some great insights in regards to the current state of the industry, alongside the way style is perceived by men. He’s defiantly someone to follow on Twitter, and what he’s doing over at Liberty is a breath of fresh air.
You can follow Stephen on twitter: @liberty_stephen