Following the success of Europa Star’s ‘80th Anniversary Portraits’ column that we ran in 2007, we have decided to feature an exceptional portrait section in this issue as part of our special glamour section. The particularity about these portraits is that there isn’t a man among them. From Germany to Japan, Italy to Australia, France to the United States and the United Kingdom to Switzerland, there are some incredible women moving and shaking the watch business. Europa Star’s network of international correspondents decided to talk with some of the industry’s most talented women to find out how they have succeeded in the male dominated world of horology.

Pamela Harper has a gift of a job in luxury gifts. It is hard to imagine anybody more suited to the post she took up in December 2007 as CEO of Theo Fennell, one of London's best known 'society jewellers'. Actually, the South Kensington flagship store in central London is only one outlet for Theo's dreamy jewellery (diamond-set crosses, tomato ketchup bottle tops, etc.), and, increasingly, its collection of top-of-the-range wristwatches.
Theo Fennell opens in the famous Brown & Thomas department store in Dublin this autumn. Pamela has also been busy organising Theo Fennell's new Haute Horlogerie department (opened this September) in Harrods, which will be rotating displays of brands such as Audemars Piguet, Franck Muller, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin. But there will be no exclusive Franck Muller limited edition this year.
Pamela Harper has valued experience in top UK management posts in luxury accessories companies. After five years at Jaeger-LeCoultre, she moved to Alfred Dunhill, on to Hermès for five years, then Escada, and most recently to Burberry for nine conspicuously successful years. She comments: “I look forward to the challenge of developing Theo Fennell into one of the world’s major luxury brands”. And watches? “Absolutely. Look out for our new own brand range next year at BaselWorld”.
And the watch she wears? A Hermès Cape Cod... and I love its articulated yellow gold bracelet. (MB)


Source: Europa Star October-November 2008 Magazine Issue