I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Sabah and her twin sister Shama since Cambridge. Both are exceptionally talented and fiercely proud of their Kashimiri heritage. On meeting Sabah, you can’t fail to be impressed by her enthusiasm and passion for everything that she does, I leave all our interactions together feeling inspired.
“She joined the business as a two-year-old start-up and contributed to transforming MR PORTER into an award-winning global online men’s fashion retail leader.”
Sabah has had a glamorous career spanning fashion, music and consumer goods. Currently she oversees all elements of MR PORTER’s global marketing offering and advocates the brand and customer experience. She joined the business as a two-year-old start-up and contributed to transforming MR PORTER into an award-winning global online men’s fashion retail leader. Key highlights over the years include founding MR PORTER ‘Health In Mind’, a content and charity initiative dedicated to helping men lead happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives, building the brand’s own label Mr P. to become a top 5 brand, alongside creating the award-winning and world’s first shoppable film collection, Kingsman.
Before joining MR PORTER, Sabah worked in the music industry at EMI within the CEO’s strategy team, and was responsible for the global roll out of a new model for launching music artists. Prior to that, Sabah worked across a range of different roles at Procter Gamble Prestige, from developing new celebrity fragrance brands from scratch in Geneva, to managing the integration of recently acquired beauty and grooming brands in London.
“Sabah is passionate about people and her local community”
Outside her day job, Sabah is passionate about people and her local community; previously a school governor for a special needs school, an independent visitor for a vulnerable child in care, a founder of a charitable foundation advancing education for children in need, and her proudest achievement - the mother of two girls.
We met over lunch to discuss some of her learnings so far.
You have had such an interesting track record, what are some of your top work-related achievements so far?
Thanks! Well I guess that depends on how you define achievement. Whilst I love growing businesses and building brands, my proudest achievements will always be where I’ve had the biggest impact on people – whether it is team members I have been able to support and develop, or more broadly where I have been able to drive some positive change agenda.
“Whilst I love growing businesses and building brands, my proudest achievements will always be where I’ve had the biggest impact on people”
For example at MR PORTER I am really passionate about the brand’s purpose-led work from normalising discussion around men’s mental well-being with MR PORTER Health in Mind to championing creativity and more inclusion in luxury fashion with MR PORTER Futures to promoting more responsible and sustainable style with Our Pledge and Craftsmanship Code.
Your work with MR PORTER helped take the business from a start-up to an established menswear brand. Please can you tell us some of the challenges you faced in your role at MR PORTER?
There are lots of different challenges, but there is one which most businesses face when they experience rapid growth, typically there is never a scarcity when it comes to big dreams, passion and ambition, but resource – whether that’s people, time, or money – is on the other hand finite.
“The hardest times have often been related to making very difficult decisions around where to focus energy and efforts, and then being absolutely ruthless with sticking to those priorities.”
The hardest times have often been related to making very difficult decisions around where to focus energy and efforts, and then being absolutely ruthless with sticking to those priorities.
In a post pandemic world what consumer trends do you predict in the years to come?
We’ve clearly seen an acceleration of digitization and e-commerce adoption resulting from the pandemic as well as the casualization of luxury driven by more hybrid working. However, there has also been a change in mindset with a much bigger interest in sustainability and more responsible shopping, as well as a growing scrutiny around diversity and inclusion in the industry.
“...there has also been a change in mindset with a much bigger interest in sustainability and more responsible shopping”
What has been interesting is that these shifts in consumer mindsets are also being reflected in the desires of the workforce, and I think that is a really positive sign to drive much-needed change.
How did you make the transition from consumer products to music to fashion?
I started my career at Procter and Gamble because it was known at the time for being the ultimate training ground for marketers, equipping you with all the business and people management fundamentals. When I left the company I felt I was armed with a toolkit of transferable skills and solid experience of change having worked on a range of very different roles within P&G.
“What has been interesting is that these shifts in consumer mindsets are also being reflected in the desires of the workforce, and I think that is a really positive sign to drive much-needed change.”
Add to that the general confidence people acquire when early on in their careers they are lucky enough to experience and see first-hand inspiring brand building and exceptional leadership. After that, I think transitioning from one industry to the next is a lot easier.
Have you had to adjust your skill set along these various points in your career?
Yes - I have had to master the ability to not only be open to change, but actively learn how to love and thrive in it. These days disruption and business transformation are the norm, and so the greatest skill any marketer can have is the ability to learn fast, embrace ambiguity head on, and continue to cultivate a keen sense of curiosity.
Your work with the community is so impressive, what are your goals with the charitable organisations that you work with?
Thank you. I don’t think I’m particularly exceptional in this regard. Looking back over the years, I was just fortunate to grow up experiencing very different worlds and meeting people from all walks of life. I think it helps make you more grounded and generally more open to different perspectives.
“... the greatest skill any marketer can have is the ability to learn fast, embrace ambiguity head on, and continue to cultivate a keen sense of curiosity.”
And most importantly, it made me acutely aware of personal responsibility, especially of those lucky to be in positions of power or privilege have to play a more active part in ensuring a fairer and more just world.
How are you able to stay so passionate about all the projects you are involved in?
It’s simple - I get my energy from people and doing good. In life you only control what you give and not what you get. But when you give more, there’s magic as you always feel the benefit, so it’s easy to stay motivated!
“I have had to master the ability to not only be open to change, but actively learn how to love and thrive in it.”
What has being a mother taught you?
I describe motherhood as taking the red pill in the Matrix. Everything changes and nothing can quite prepare you for it. On the one hand you enter a strange new world of beautiful experiences - from the feeling of being intensely present and connected to creation, to the experience of the purest unconditional love.
Being a mum also makes you learn a lot of hard truths. I only realised the extent of my naïveté about the ongoing challenges women still face after having children. As one friend put it bluntly - the day they put baby changing stations in the men’s toilets will be the day there is true equality. Beyond that the never-ending mum guilt, the stress of mental load and the heightened pressure to be perfect in all aspects of your life can at times feel overwhelming.
“...if being a mum has taught me anything, it’s an appreciation of women and their awe-inspiring strength and resilience”
However, if being a mum has taught me anything, it’s an appreciation of women and their awe-inspiring strength and resilience, a recognition of the importance of self-care, and finally a better understanding of who I am and what truly makes me happy. My girls and my husband inspire me every day to be the best version of myself and for that I am incredibly grateful.
You can find out more about MR PORTER at https://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/
Photographs courtesy of Sabah Naqushbandi