Not everything in the 1990s was Absolutely Fabulous

Generation Z look back on the era of Alexander McQueen and Britpop with envy. But, writes retail guru Mary Portas, male power structures still held sway - and bullying was rife

- By Mary Portas

From Linda Evangelista being shot for Vogue in the windows of Harvey Nichols to the shop becoming known worldwide courtesy of a cameo role in Absolutely Fabulous, the Nineties were an unforgettable decade for me. And as a new spirit of optimism, experimentation and creativity surged, I was at the heart of it.

I was 28 when I arrived at Harvey Nichols in 1989, leaving my job at Top Shop - the home of high street fashion and accessible price points - to head up display at a luxury department store. Trouble was, while boutiques and the high street were booming, department stores were struggling to find their identity. One newspaper had even declared they were “dead”. But over the next eight years, I was part of a team that transformed Harvey Nichols into a destination. And amid the freedom of the Nineties, we used imagination, risk and innovation to do it.

Harvey Nichols’ huge Knightsbridge windows were filled with everything from a Thomas Heatherwick sculpture to Admiral Lord Nelson wearing Westwood. We championed up-and-coming British fashion talent with the first New Gen fashion show, collaborated with the Royal Court theatre, launched Harvey Nichols in Leeds and sent Naomi Campbell down the catwalk in a T-shirt with “Fash Mag Slag” emblazoned across it. Plus, of course, I agreed to let Edina and Patsy shop with us. By the time I left in 1997, the store was packed with twentysomethings on the hunt for everything from Mac lipsticks to Moschino.

Three decades on, I can look back on that time and cherish all the many positives. It was an optimistic, daring and energising period. In fashion, the old guard gave way to a new breed of designers including Versace, Westwood and Tom Ford at Gucci. Young British talent, including Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan, were on the rise, rave culture was at its peak, Britpop was ruling the charts, and of course New Labour swept to power on a wave of optimism.