John Lewis has appointed Jacqui Markham as its new Fashion Creative Director. She will lead the creative direction of John Lewis own-brand fashion across womenswear, menswear, and childrenswear.
Markham joins from Whistles, where she served as Creative Director. She was previously global design director at Topshop and design director at ASOS. She succeeds Queralt Ferrer who steps down after four years with the Partnership.
The appointment marks the next phase in John Lewis developing its own brand fashion, with clear creative direction and continued investment behind it.
Markham brings a strong track record of building distinctive, successful collections with a focus on design, quality and relevance for customers.
Her appointment comes alongside John Lewis’s continued investment in fashion, including upgrades to shops and digital, and the recent refurbishment of womenswear and menswear at the Oxford Street flagship store.
This month also sees the launch of the second John Lewis x Rejina Pyo collaboration, and a new 15-piece exclusive capsule collection from Amanda Wakeley. These will complement the expanded line-up of new brands including Samsoe Samsoe, MOTHER, St Agni, Patagonia, Belstaff, Missoma and Completedworks.
Rachel Morgans, John Lewis director of fashion, said: “I look forward to welcoming Jacqui to John Lewis at a defining moment for our fashion business. She brings a wealth of expertise and a proven ability to create exceptional design and will support our future creative vision.”
Markham commented: “I am very excited to join the Partnership and to work together with all the teams toward a shared vision for the future of John Lewis. It feels like a seminal moment in the long history of the Partnership, and I cannot wait to get started to help shape that vision and bring our collective ideas to light.”
