British-born Queen Of Brands Marigay Mckee

Opens the Doors to Her Spectacular Manhattan Townhouse  
 

- Victoria De Alcahud

Marigay McKee is sitting in one of the living rooms in her seven-storey townhouse on New York’s exclusive Upper East Side, dressed head to toe in Alaïa and with her blonde hair falling over her shoulders. “I was ready for a 360-degree change, but I ended up with a 720,” she declares, smiling.

It’s obvious that for this natural optimist change means new opportunities. “I always think everything will work out for the best,” she says.

In her case, it certainly has. Her career is the stuff of business textbooks. Until three-and-a-half years ago, she was the most influential person at Harrods, making the London temple of commerce the most important department store in the world. “I was fortunate to be part of an extraordinary team,” she says modestly. “What’s more, Mr [Mohamed] Al Fayed, the former owner, is a great person. I learnt a lot from him. I will never forget his words when, from his heart, he said to me, ‘We have to be the best part of everyone’s day. Marigay, we have to work magic.’

“For me, working there was a dream and in the morning, before going to work, I’d say to myself, ‘You have the best job in the world.’”

MERCHANT OF CHANGE

Deciding which brands to sell – some 2,500 – and knowing that every company wanted to be one of them – was a fantastic challenge for the woman who was made chief merchant when the Qatari royal family bought the business. But with that came endless work hours, 500 emails a day and the pressure of having to make tough decisions.