It's no secret that the fashion industry is run by a few very influential people. Those people decide everything that you're going to be rocking come upcoming seasons, from the colour of your nails to the hairstyle on your head. It takes a lot of balls and quite some skill to be able to define yourself as an influential player in the fashion industry.
In Egypt, one of the very few people who actually have the power to influence the fashion industry is Ines Gohar. You've probably heard her name in passing at one point or the other, since because of the role she plays in the fashion industry propelled her to become a house hold name. Gohar, simply put, decides what the Egyptian people will be wearing in the upcoming seasons. She travels the world going from showroom to showroom looking for the perfect pieces to bring back to Egypt with her. In other words, what she picks out today, will be worn all over Egypt tomorrow. Her job requires her to travel to places like Paris, Tokyo, London, Milan, all on the hunt for the pieces we will be wearing any upcoming season.
Since Ines started working as a fashion buyer at Beymen Cairo, her life has taken many ups and downs, and that is no surprise. Working as a fashion buyer, while fun, can be very hectic and demanding. Nevertheless, Ines braves the harsh weather, puts on her big girl shoes, and gets her job done in time, every time, and manages to do it perfectly. It's no wonder many covet her line of work, yet she has found a way to secure her job, and her future as a fashion buyer, and an influential one at that, in Egypt.
I was fortunate enough to score an interview with Ines Gohar herself, and I was able to ask her about her line of work, the hardships that come with it, and what words of wisdom she has to offer.
Have a look, below:
The Interview:
Peaches & Azaleas: Can you tell us in detail what exactly it is you do?
Ines Gohar: I am the womenswear buyer for Beymen Cairo. Which means I am in charge of deciding on all the clothes, shoes, bags and accessories that will be displayed at Beymen. I travel around the world and pick the brands and items that we will order.
P&A: How influential is your role in the Egyptian fashion industry?
IG: That’s a tricky question. I buy what my customers like, which means my role is to know, when I am in a showroom, what is appropriate for my market and what isn’t. But you are right that I have a role as people will be able to buy only from what I have selected and not from the entire showroom collection. I decide, for example, if Egypt is ready for a new trend or not. I decide the colors and styles that we will emphasize or the general mood of the store.
P&A: It's my understanding that you travel the world looking for pieces that Egyptians are going to be donning the upcoming seasons, can you elaborate on how exactly it works? What does your job entail?
IG: Lets take an example. Next week I am travelling to Paris and Italy. I will go to showrooms such as DVF, Dolce Gabbaba, Fendi, Herve Leger and so on and I will be buying next winter’s collection. We always buy a year in advance as the brands need time to produce the orders we place. So now we are looking at samples from winter 2014-15.
A showroom is a space in which each brand display the samples of all the pieces their designers created for the entire season. I get to the showroom, select the pieces that match my market, they take my preselection and have models wear it for me. I then look at how it fits, or doesn’t fit, and based on that decide to order or not. I then decide the color/sizes/and quantities for each style I selected. I sign my order and leave. I guess that also answers your question on how influential buyers are on the market. Imagine I go to the showroom and place an order, then the buyers of Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdales, Saks, etc. all go. If there is a sample style that none of us ordered, or that too little of us ordered it will be discontinued and the brand will not put it into production.
P&A: How hard is it to do what you do?
IG: It is superhard and super addictive. It has to be a passion. You are always travelling, always on the road and always have to be fully updated with everything remotely associated with fashion. Even when I attend a wedding I am looking at what people are wearing! It’s a 24/7 job. When I am in a showroom my brain is so focused because there is so much to think of. What people wear, what they could wear, what you should get them to wear, what colors, what sizes, how many, how much, delivery dates, seasons and then you need to keep in mind all the previous orders you placed so that there is a logic in the store.
P&A: Is there some sort of pressure that comes with a job such as yours?
IG: Yes if the sales are low it’s the buyer’s poor selection. But if the sales are high it’s the sales people who did a great job! Haha the Fashion buyer’s job is not understood and not known especially in Egypt, so it is challenging. But yes in all cases you have millions in hand and you are in charge of spending them right. This is why a buyer is the highest position in the retail business. You decide and you cannot make mistakes.
P&A: From your Instagram account, it's obvious that you are as stylish as the pieces you bring back with you. Is it a part of the job that you look your absolute best 24/7? Or were you always the type of girl to gravitate to ostentatiously beautiful clothes?
IG: I always loved fashion and funky. Like I said before, in order to be able to do this job it has to be a passion because it sucks the life out of you haha. I dress differently and I always have. Buyers generally have a different sense of fashion, which is why we love what we do. A good buyer is one who knows how to buy what will sell, not necessarily what he/she likes.
P&A: I believe your job title is coveted by many girls, in and out of Egypt. What words of encouragement would you offer to young girls looking to work in your field?
IG: Work hard. Work towards it. Start from scratch. I see many girls showup at beymen with no experience in the field what so ever and tell me: “I wanna be a buyer”. It makes me smile. You can't just be a buyer from a day to the next. I studied it, and I worked all the jobs that exist in the industry. A buyer needs a full understanding of the business. So my advice, to aspiring Fashion buyers, is to do as many internships as possible (in the industry, not necessarily as a buyer) and to work in the field as well. From sales person as a summer job, to interning at a fashion marketing department, visual merchandising, logistics, etc. Fashion should be pretty to the customer, but it is a super tough business, you shouldn’t be afraid to work hard but most importantly you should drop the attitude “I’m too good for that” that I see too often in the Middle East. You need to carry, hang, display, touch, know, see! There is no little job, there is nothing bellow you. I interned and work all through university, it is how I acquired all my experience. By the time I was done with my masters I already had a full resume with huge fashion houses and a lot of work experience. You can not be a good buyer if you don’t know the ins and outs of the business. You have to eat and breath it.
P&A: If you weren't working your current job, what would job you be working?
IG: I would have my own store which would be the same job haha. There is no way I wouldn’t be a buyer. I wouldn’t know what to do with my life. I’d be miserable. Oh, but I’d have a fashion blog! I don’t currently have one because too often I can not talk about what next year is about as I am sworn to secrecy by the brands! I got in trouble in the past for revealing trends too early, LOL, but you can follow me on instagram at InesGohar. I am quite entertaining and have a new found passion for selfies and OOTD's LOL.