Fashion & lifestyle.
your recruiting partners in the fashion & lifestyle industry.
PartnerWise is a specialist fashion and lifestyle executive search firm with over two decades of experience placing senior leaders across the global fashion industry. From heritage luxury houses and premium high street brands to PE-backed disruptors and DTC challengers, we recruit the leadership talent that drives commercial growth, creative direction and operational excellence.
Our fashion and lifestyle practice is led by Kirsty Schofield, Global Managing Partner, whose deep relationships across the sector and genuine understanding of what makes fashion businesses tick have made PartnerWise a trusted recruitment partner for some of the world's most recognised brands.
Who We Work With.
We partner with fashion and lifestyle businesses at every stage of growth and across every market position. Our clients range from global brand groups and publicly listed retailers to investor-backed scale-ups and founder-led independents.
The organisations we work with include premium and luxury fashion brands, high street and value retailers, direct-to-consumer fashion businesses, fashion and lifestyle e-commerce platforms, private equity and venture capital-backed portfolio companies in fashion, outdoor and activewear brands, footwear and accessories companies, and lifestyle and homeware businesses.
Whether a brand is navigating international expansion, repositioning for a new consumer, or building out a leadership team following investment, we understand the strategic context behind every hire.
Kirsty Schofield
Global Managing Partner | Fashion & Lifestyle
+44 (0) 7964 425 445
kirsty@partnerwise.co.uk
Trusted by.
What Sets Our Fashion Recruitment Apart.
The fashion industry moves quickly and the margin for error in leadership hiring is significant. A misaligned senior hire doesn't just cost money; it costs momentum, culture and competitive position. Three things differentiate our approach:
Genuine sector expertise, not generalist recruitment. Our team doesn't cover fashion as one of twenty sectors. We live in this market. We attend the same industry events, read the same trade press, and maintain ongoing relationships with the leadership communities across fashion, lifestyle and luxury. That means we understand the nuances between hiring for a heritage brand versus a challenger, for wholesale-led versus DTC, for UK versus international markets.
AI-powered sourcing combined with human judgement. Our proprietary sourcing technology runs 24/7, identifying potential candidates across global markets that traditional search methods would miss. But technology identifies people; it doesn't assess them. Every shortlist we present has been personally evaluated by our team for strategic fit, cultural alignment and leadership capability, supported by Hogan psychometric assessment where appropriate.
Speed without compromise. Fashion businesses often hire under time pressure, whether driven by seasonal cycles, investment timelines or competitive dynamics. Our average time to shortlist is significantly faster than traditional executive search, without ever cutting corners on quality. Across our business, 92% of our clients return to us for subsequent searches, and 82% of our placements remain in role or have been promoted within two years.
OUR WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.
24/7 AI-Sourcing.
Our fusing of traditional network’s with AI global sourcing tech rapidly opens the gateway to previously unreachable, exclusive and more diverse candidates, insights and intelligence that enriches the performance of our customers.
Customer Led Approach.
We invest time to understand and from which craft personalised solutions and product and service offerings and fee structures that directly address your specific challenges or aspirations.
our global reach.
Our reach is highly specialist, genuinely global, data driven and fully supported by multiple years of industry and talent hiring expertise.
LEAD IN STYLE.
Revolutionize your brand with the finest leaders.