Stephanie Burford, MGC, 2002 Leaver

Malvern Girls’ College gave me a fantastic foundation for my career.  My love of Art meant that I was always in the Art block at School. I spent hours researching and being inspired by all aspects of the subject, including painting, drawing, textiles and fashion.  I left school with 3 As for A Level in Economics, Art History and Art.

During my Gap Year, I worked for a magazine in Shanghai, China.  I knew I wanted a career within fashion but wanted to combine it with Business, so I completed a Joint Honours degree at Nottingham University in Economics and Philosophy, before taking a postgraduate degree in Buying and Merchandising at London College of Fashion.

My first job was as an Allocator with Cath Kidston in Notting Hill, London. It was a tiny company at that time with only a handful of shops in the UK. As the company grew, I was promoted to Merchandiser and moved into the International Merchandising team supporting Cath Kidston across Japan, Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong.  I travelled widely across Asia as the company expanded.  When I left, there were over 200 international stores stretching across the globe.

I have since gained further experience in retail with other well-known brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein and my current position is with the luxury brand Jimmy Choo, in the Global Merchandising team.

My job at Jimmy Choo really is my dream job. It involves planning and working closely with the design and production teams in Italy and driving the business globally with international teams from USA, Canada and across Asia and - of course - being able to wear the world’s most beautiful shoes while I do it!

What is your best piece of advice?

Work hard, play hard, be kind and make sure you surround yourself with people that inspire you and make you the best version of you.

What does success look like?

Success is something that evolves constantly and it really is just achieving whatever you set your heart on!