Mary Portas

Retail is more than just a business – it is a stage where personalities, ambitions and human connections play out in a way that is both exhilarating and unpredictable. 

Ten years ago, businesswoman, branding guru and sustainability activist Mary Portas published an enjoyable and thoughtful account of her upbringing and early career in a compelling memoir entitled “Shop Girl”.  

“I Shop, Therefore I Am”, her highly entertaining new memoir, takes up the story in 1989 when twentysomething Portas was hired to revitalise London department store, Harvey Nichols, then more associated with fusty dowagers than fashion design. What follows is Absolutely Fabulous fun, quite literally. But it’s also about the serious business of following one’s instincts, taking creative risks, and negotiating inflexible and unimaginative (mostly male) management. 

Join Mary as she shares stories from her heady Harvey Nicks days and more. 

Sponsored by Bailey Paints, A Rabart Decorating Centre