Mary Portas

'Britain’s “Queen of Shops” takes us back three decades to her time stalking the floor at Harvey Nichols, at the height of its Ab Fab-inspired cachet’ – Guardian

Join acclaimed author, retail pioneer and innovative businesswoman Mary Portas as she shares the inspiration behind her bold new memoir, I Shop, Therefore I Am: The ‘90s, Harvey Nicks and Me. With her signature wit and no-holds-barred honesty, Mary charts her transformation of Harvey Nichols from a tired department store into a global brand destination.

Mary will discuss how, armed only with the blank canvas of a shop window and her own creativity, she reimagined what luxury and style could be. Hear about the vivid world of ‘90s Britpop and retail, fashion-world revelations, and the highs and lows of a career that shaped the high street. Hosted by Ellah P. Wakatama.

Mary Portas is of the UK’s most prolific businesswomen and creative leaders. A regular on our TV screens, her proudest achievement to date is the creation of twenty-six Mary’s Living & Giving shops for Save the Children. She is the author of Shop Girl, Work Like a Woman and Rebuild: How to thrive in the Kindness Economy.