Learning Conversation
An Evening with Mary Portas
Join the legendary retail expert, broadcaster and author Mary Portas in Conversation with Josephine Chanter, Deputy Director of the Design Museum.
Retail guru Mary Portas has been a champion of design and the high street for decades. The so-called 'Queen of Shops' is credited with turning Harvey Nichols into a leading modern fashion brand through groundbreaking window displays that became part of guided tours in London, among many other achievements. She was also commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skill to deliver a plan to help reverse the fortunes of the UK's high streets in 2011, in the face of the recession and the growth in online shopping.
Having authored 5 books, worked on 5 TV productions including Barbie: The Most Famous Doll in the World, and received an OBE for her services to business and broadcasting and her ongoing charity work, Portas is a much-cherished figure in the UK.
Portas will meet Josephine Chanter to discuss her thoughts on the present relationship between design and retail, the high streets as hubs for community life, the future of fashion, the ‘kindness economy’, the tension between retail and the climate emergency, and everything in between.
This conversation is part of an ongoing series with leading contemporary designers, makers, thinkers and creatives.
Speakers
Businesswoman, broadcaster, author and activist, Portas OBE made her name creating change. Since founding her creative consultancy and agency, she has worked with businesses ranging from Mercedes and Louis Vuitton to Sainsbury’s and IKEA. She is also a prolific broadcaster, podcaster and author. In 2011, she wrote The High Street Report for the government. Today, she is co-chair of the Better Business Act. Mary’s Living & Giving shops have now raised over £30 million for Save the Children.
Chanter has been inspiring audiences to access life enriching ideas for over two decades. Beginning her career in public affairs, she has worked in a number of cultural institutions and successfully launched the Design Museum in Kensington in 2016. She is endlessly fascinated by the intersection of creativity, technology, design and people and was appointed Deputy Director of the Design Museum in 2024.
Book online
Adult: £20
Concession: £16
Members*: £15
*Please note that this benefit only applies to one individual cardholding Member’s ticket and not those of additional guests.
– Pre-booking required.
– Suitable age: 12+. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a ticket holding adult.
– This event will have British Sign Language interpretation.
– There will be a hearing loop at this event.
Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Visit our terms & conditions page for further information.
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