John Lewis appoints former Brown Thomas buying chief as Director of Fashion

John Lewis has appointed Rachel Morgans as its new Director of Fashion, effective from June 2024.

Morgans brings almost 30 years of experience in the fashion industry, most recently as a creative consultant to brands in the UK and US, including Bath & Body Works and fashion start-up Yaw Studio.

She served as Buying Director at Brown Thomas in Dublin for four years from February 2019 to January 2023, and prior to this, she spent just over two years as Buying Director at Topman. She has also held Head of Buying positions at Finery and ASOS.

Under the guidance of Kathleen Mitchell, John Lewis' Commercial Director, Morgans will focus on further developing its curated range of own brand and branded fashion, "which has seen significant growth".

"Rachel's passion and expertise will be invaluable to John Lewis. She has extensive experience in design, innovation, and leadership within the fashion industry," said Mitchell.

"We are thrilled to have her join us during this exciting time as we continue to enhance our fashion offerings and help our customers look and feel their best."

"I’m delighted to become a part of a renowned brand like John Lewis. The chance to collaborate with a talented team and make a positive impact on the lives of millions of customers is an incredible opportunity," Morgans added.

In March, the John Lewis Partnership revealed a return to annual profit, after making a series of productivity improvements and achieving rising sales in fashion and beauty.

Today’s announcement aligns with John Lewis’ investment in bringing customers new and refreshed fashion ranges, as well as "revitalised in-store and digital experiences".

On Friday it was announced that John Lewis has cut 3,800 jobs over the past year to slice costs by £26 million. Overall, the retailer is on a mission to cut costs by a total of £900 million.