Behind every fashion product, collection or storefront, there’s an ambitious designer, buyer, merchandise planner, wholesale or e-commerce manager who has spent years arming themselves with a unique set of skills. And for every one of these fashion industry experts, there’s an inspiring career journey.
In Style Arcade’s Fashion Career Series, we leverage our passionate network to go beneath the glamour of fashion’s most sought-after roles—and take a seat with the people whose hard work and dedication are shaping the future of retail.
Meet Lisa Bean, the Senior Designer Buyer at Australian e-commerce juggernaut, The Iconic. Here, we get a day-in-the-life look at her expansive career and get her advice, lessons learned, and how to keep the door open to opportunity.
Style Arcade: Where did you grow up and how did your experience shape the career that you are in today?
Lisa Bean: Growing up, I split my time between the west and east coasts of Australia. I went to primary school in Perth, and completed high school in Sydney, with many trips back and forth for the duration of both. Having exposure to two different lifestyles, immediately piqued my interest in personal behavior. My schools, friends and situations were very different in each city.
Knowing I wanted a career in fashion retail, this would become highly beneficial in shaping my career as I became completely and utterly customer-obsessed.
SA: Did you go to college or university? Which courses did you do and what led you to choose them?
LB: I’m a strong believer in experience, exposure and on-the-job learning. I completed high school and dove headfirst into an entry-level role in fashion wholesale that would set up some great foundations for my career.
I jump at the opportunity to learn, grow and develop by never saying ‘no’ to an opportunity. There's always something to learn and absorb by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and believe this has helped support a successful career.
"I never stop asking questions and never stop learning."
SA: Tell us about your career journey so far and where you have worked to lead you to where you are today.
LB: My fashion journey started right after high school, when I started my first role as a receptionist at Quiksilver, back when surf retail dominated the Australian retail landscape.
Here, I learned the ins and outs of a wholesale business and how to build strong relationships with retailers and buyers.
I was able to work with a range of different teams and progressed internally, ending up as office manager, with a couple of interstate moves back and forth between Perth and Sydney to develop and grow my experience.
From there, I scaled my experience when I moved to Billabong, to manage national sales for the country's leading retailers, with another interstate move. This time, to Queensland.
It was an easy (and long overdue) decision to move to buying, making the move to Australia’s first leading e-commerce retailer, Surfstitch. Back then, e-comm was uncharted territory (2012). It was really exciting to be a part of a new movement in retail.
Since then, I have worked for some of the country's leading retailers, General Pants and Showpo to name a few, where I have jumped at any opportunity to learn and grow. I have bought and managed almost every single category you can imagine: Kids, Gifting, and Menswear, before making my way to Womens fashion where I have built solid foundations across vertical buying, product development, and branded buying, for both bricks and mortar stores, omnichannel and pure-play online retailers.
It was so important for me to expose myself to a multitude of different segments and departments to expose myself to expanding strategies and customer behaviours. This brings us to now, where I lead our Women's Designer Department here at THE ICONIC.
SA: What is the best part of your current role?
LB: I love the collaboration with brands, to create really exciting collections and experiences for our customers is something that wouldn't be possible without sharing insights and learnings to create magic for our customers. There are many stakeholders that I work with to be able to bring products to life. Building a dream assortment for our customers is extremely rewarding. We are always thinking outside of the box to surprise and delight, especially when working with designer brands!
SA: What does a standard week look like for you in your current role?
LB: Is there such a thing as a standard week?! It's not all glamorous. As a Senior Designer Buyer, you will spend more time behind your computer screen than dressing up in your favourite designers.
My week can take me anywhere from back-to-back meetings around trade, strategy, and forward planning. Or can take a turn into countless hours in showrooms, curating upcoming season collections from brands. It could even be filled with marketing, PR, and appearances, depending on where we are in the marketing schedule.
SA: Has there been a pivotal event or experience that you consider as a driving force behind your journey to success in your career? Tell us about the impact it had on you.
LB: I have known from an early age that I wanted a career in fashion. I’ve always had an obsessive interest in all things trends, brands, and the ‘glamourous’ world of fashion. I draw on many things as a driving force behind my journey to a successful career, instead of a singular pivotal moment.
I’m passionate about any portfolio or business that I enter, although I have always had my eyes closely set to working closely with designer and luxury brands. Not only do I want to drive businesses to success, but it's also equally as important to build and drive teams and peers to success and this is something I draw on frequently.
SA: What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received and who was it from?
LB: We all have the same goal, and it’s how we collaborate, workshop, and partner to achieve this, that will be the driving force of success. You are only as successful as your team, your relationships and your partnerships.
The collaboration and a strong partnership with all that you encounter (internal or external stakeholders) will get you SO far!
I’ve leaned on some influential mentors in the retail industry for guidance, support, and knowledge, so making sure you find these mentors throughout your career is extremely important to your growth
SA: What advice would you give to anyone interested in a career in buying/merchandising/retail?
LB: "Never say ‘no’ to an opportunity. There's always something to learn and absorb by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone."
SA: What are you most looking forward to within the next 12 months?
LB: The sky is the limit! Professionally, we have entered a truly exciting time at THE ICONIC. The journey is challenging, but so rewarding seeing this change and shake up the market.
I’m really looking forward to accelerating these plans and building on some already large partnerships.
You can find Lisa on Linkedin and Instagram.
