Marks & Spencer brings in new head of menswear design

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Sep 5, 2019

Marks & Spencer continues to overhaul its troubled Clothing business with the appointment of Karen Hall as the new head of menswear design.

She is joining the British department store, which has seen its shares fall 40% over the past year, from Arcadia's high-street menswear brand Burton. This is the second key hire from Burton following the arrival of Wes Taylor in the role of menswear director in March last year.

Marks & Spencer’s Clothing business has been led by the retailer’s CEO Steve Rowe since Jill McDonald was sacked as Clothing and Home managing director in a shock development in July. 

An M&S spokesperson confirmed Hall’s appointment on Thursday, saying that she will replace James Doidge as the new boss of menswear design.
“As part of our Clothing and Home business transformation, we’re committed to recruiting new talent to help us to re-establish authority in year-round wardrobe essentials by improving fit and style,” the spokesperson said.

”Our designers are critical to this and Karen will bring years of design expertise, as well as a new energy, to our menswear team. We’d like to thank James for his service, and we wish him all the best with his next role.”

On Sunday, M&S chairman Archie Norman shrugged off concerns about the future of the M&S brand despite news that the business would drop out of the FTSE 100 index.

The decision, due to be implemented on 23 September, signals the end of an era for the company as it will be the first time Marks & Spencer has not been a FTSE 100 member since the index was launched in 1984.