Annemarie Vaughan thinks about bras and knickers more than the average person. But as Victoria's Secret managing director for both the UK and Ireland, that obsession kind of comes with the job title for the young Ballydehob woman.
Annemarie Vaughan thinks about bras and knickers more than the average person. But as Victoria’s Secret managing director for both the UK and Ireland, that obsession kind of comes with the job title for the young Ballydehob woman.
The lingerie company enjoys a worldwide profile and is known for its annual catwalk extravaganza featuring top names such as Irina Shayk, Bella Hadid, Kendall Kardashian, Adriana Lima and Gigi Hadid.
Casting for the US show is notoriously difficult, and the ‘Angels’ who qualify to walk in it are the world’s most photographed super models.
It’s a big deal in the world of fashion and showbiz, and 38-year-old Annemarie, who regularly travels to the US, saw it for herself earlier this year.
Retail is in her DNA as her father Brian, and grandfather before him, ran Vaughan’s shop on Ballydehob’s Main Street. Her mum Ann has a B&B on the Schull Road.
London-based, she has had a remarkable climb to the top, since she started out working part-time in Zara on Dublin’s Henry Street one Christmas.
She was quickly promoted by Indicto to general manager in Dublin before moving to the UK where she worked as their country director for UK and Ireland, responsible for brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Bershka, Zara Home and Stradivarius.
She was also their commercial director, based for a time in Russia and Kazakhstan.
During this time, the former boarder at Sacred Heart Secondary School Clonakilty and graduate of business studies in CIT also completed an MBA and became a mum to Harry who is now two.
Taking up her position at the helm of Victoria’s Secret last July, she’s bringing her fresh eyes and intuitive sense of what sells and what women want to the global chain and she’s relishing the role.
The only Irish Victoria’s Secret outlet is on Dublin’s Grafton Street in what was formerly BT2. They opened in 2017 and it’s reported they had daily revenues of €64,666 in its first 60 days of opening. In the UK, new VS shops are opening all the time.
Annemarie travels home to Ballydehob often with Harry and husband Paul.
And in a village that’s becoming increasingly cosmopolitan, including being home to a Michelin restaurant, who knows, Victoria’s Secret may have it in their sights. Stranger things have happened!
-----
Maeve McCarthy, director of Charles McCarthy Estate Agents in Skibbereen shares her top tips for selling a property
*****
Click here to sign up to our mailing list and get the best of West Cork delivered straight to your inbox.