Inside Penneys: Behind The Scenes With Mary Lucas

Tell us a bit about your role and how long you’ve worked for Primark

I have been working for Primark for just over 12 years now. I joined the business as Head of Merchandising for Womenswear and then progressed to Director of Buying. I am currently the Trading Director for Women’s Accessories and Footwear. I have enjoyed all of the roles and appreciate how Primark has opened up so many diverse opportunities for me. My role sees me lead the buying, merchandising and design teams for accessories and footwear, working to deliver our mission of offering our customers the latest trends at unbeatable prices.

Did you always have an interest in fashion?

Yes, one of my earliest memories is my obsession with dressing my Cindy Doll. She had to have the right look for every occasion! Then when I was old enough to shop for myself, I had a very clear view of what I wanted to wear. If something in a shop wasn’t quite right, I would wonder why and contemplate how good it would look if only the colour was different, or the length or trims. I always thought I knew what would make it better but saying that, now looking back at old photos, maybe I wasn’t always right!

What’s been your proudest career moment so far?

I’ve had so many proud moments in my career so far. Of course, working on our global collaboration with Rita Ora is up there, but it’s also been fantastic to see many of my team progress in their careers. I feel a real sense of pride that I can play a small part in directing and supporting some of our future leaders.

What was it like working on our global collaboration with Rita Ora?

It’s been an honour to have the opportunity to work with the talent within our own business combined with Rita Ora and her team. Having a global superstar’s name on a label is a big responsibility and at the same time, it’s important to make sure it’s commercially viable for Primark and our customers. Rita is a very savvy businesswoman, with great style and a clear vision, and so the process of creating the collections has been made much easier. It’s been hard work of course, but we also had plenty of fun and laughs along the way. I consider myself to be lucky to be part of it all.