Pure London announces former Liberty MD Ed Burstell as keynote speaker

As part of its new ‘Empowering Change’ theme, fashion trade show Pure London, which is taking place at Olympia London on 17-19 July 2022, has announced former Liberty Managing Director, Ed Burstell, and Alan O’Neill, Managing Director of Kara, as keynote speakers.

On Monday 18 July, the “flamboyant and seasoned” retail executive Burstell will discuss fashion expansion, growth and bounce back. His adept leadership of Liberty saw double-digit year-on-year growth with a renewed focus on young British designers.

Burstell, who left Liberty after eight years in 2016 to join Canadian department store group Hudson’s Bay Company as Head of Partnerships, spearheaded a host of collaborations with brands like Nike, Barbour and Levi’s to highlight Liberty’s renowned floral prints.

In 2015, Burstell released his autobiography ‘At Liberty: From Rehab To The Front Row’. The tell-all book recounted his personal experiences with loss, tragedy and hedonism alongside his longstanding career in America's retail landscape.

Alan O’Neill, who helped Selfridges, Fenwick, Primark, Ann Summers, and Harrods thrive, will take to the stage on Sunday 17 July to share his experiences of supporting those brands to grow their physical store sales.

O’Neill commented: “This is an exciting time for the live fashion events industry. There is an upbeat mood around returning to the live events and I look forward to speaking to UK fashion retail at Pure London about changes in the retail sector and customer behaviour.”

The ‘Empowering Change’ theme and editorially led content delivered both onsite at Pure London and via its digital channels, aims to be full of insight, newness and trends - all designed to help retailers see change in its most positive form.

Content will include ‘Sustainability and Circular Economy’, offering “insights into where wins are being made”, with a deep delve into the circular economy, its principles and why they are so important.

‘Technology and Process’ will look at how technology can make a difference, and opportunities that lie in innovations in product design, and a third content focus, ‘Mindset’, will ask why is change taking so long and what is stopping people?