LONDON – Primark has named Keiron Birch, who has previously worked with brands including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Abercrombie & Fitch, as director of womenswear design, a new position.
Birch, who has two decades of experience leading team strategies and collections from concept to creation, will sit at the helm of Primark’s fashion, footwear and accessories design teams, and be in charge of creative direction for all womenswear collections and products.
The appointment comes in the wake of investments that Primark has been making in womenswear, including the launch of Primark Scene, a collection aimed at younger shoppers.
The fast-fashion company has also expanded its Edit range of elevated contemporary collections, and made a large investment in its main contemporary fashion ranges.
Mary Lucas, trading director of womenswear at Primark, said, “Kieron’s experience and passion for consumer trends and style will make him an invaluable addition to our team as we continue to strengthen our overall womenswear offering across the full design spectrum including fit, material and how it performs when our customers wear and wash it.”
Primark’s flagship on 34th Street in New York City.
Courtesy photos
Birch said he believes in Primark’s “value-led approach, and that people shouldn’t have to pay more to look and feel good. I see great opportunity in combining value with style to deliver everyday basics and trend-led fashion at a price people want.”
It’s been a busy year so far for Primark.
In March, the retailer confirmed Eoin Tonge as chief executive. Tonge had been serving as interim chief executive since March 2025, and he is also a director on the board of Primark’s parent company, Associated British Foods, a position he retains with his new appointment.
In his time as interim CEO, he led customer-centric upgrades around product offerings, value and digital and marketing touch points.
As reported, Primark is set to become a standalone company after Associated British Foods de-merges its food and fashion businesses this year. ABF’s owners, Canada’s Weston family, will retain majority control of both businesses.
Going forward, Primark and the food division will each be listed on the commercial companies category of the London Stock Exchange and, given their scale, ABF said both will be included in the FTSE 100 index of top-performing companies.
Primark has 486 retail stores across 19 markets, with about 9.5 billion pounds in annual revenue and more than 83,000 employees.
