Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/297393
Marigay McKee, the new president of Saks Fifth Avenue: "We need to give the customer the three E's: excitement, entertainment, and experience." PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC RYAN ANDERSON M arigay McKee walks into her newly remodeled meeting space and makes herself comfortable on a sofa, wear- ing one of t he su r rea list sh if t d resses f rom Stella McCartney's Spring 2014 collection. It's pink and covered in lips, hearts, and match- stick appliqués. "Stella would like that I wore this," she says, speaking of McCartney as the friend she undoubtedly is. You see, McKee is E nglish, f resh of f a 2 0 -yea r, no -way-but -up career at Harrods, and the new president of Saks Fifth Avenue, where she officially started in January. The storied department store was bought in a $2.9 billion cash deal last July by Ca nada's Hudson's Bay Compa ny, whose CEO, Richard Baker, thought McKee was just the person to take the luxury retailer into the f ut u re. "It 's been f ull- on, like a g ra nd pr i x f rom day one," says McKee, who wh izzed through 22 American states in three weeks to t a ke t he pulse of top ret a il ma rket s pr ior to her first day on the job. For a fashion powerhouse now running one of the country's most celebrated retail brands, McKee has had an unorthodox career path. Her f irst job out of London's M iddlesex Universit y wa s teach ing seconda r y school. "That experience taught me how to relate to What's in Store MARIGAY MCKEE TAKES ONE OF CHICAGO'S BIGGEST RETAILERS INTO THE FUTURE. BY LAUREN SHERMAN VIEW FROM THE TOP continued on page 64 Superlatives MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 63 PEOPLE, CULTURE, TASTE, TREASURES 063-064_MA_SP_VFT_May-June_14_v2.indd 63 4/16/14 10:51 AM