Wholesale Lead

Location: London based, with international travel

About Us

DUKE + DEXTER is one of London’s fastest-growing footwear, apparel and accessories brands, with a distinctive aesthetic and in-house, hand-drawn artwork. Our wholesale partnerships have included Selfridges, Kith, END, Ounass and Harvey Nichols.

Role Overview

The Wholesale Lead will play a key role in developing and delivering D+D’s wholesale strategy across footwear, apparel and accessories, with responsibility for UK and European accounts. Reporting to the CEO, you will work closely with our New York-based Wholesale Director and Creative Director.

You will manage accounts from seasonal showroom appointments and order planning through to delivery, sell-through and replenishment, building deeper retail partnerships through activations, our 1OF1 customisation program, exclusive product, pop-ups and targeted marketing investment.

Travel Requirements

This is a London-based role with international travel. You will attend Paris Fashion Week each season to help set up and manage our showroom, alongside store visits, buyer meetings and retail partner activations in the UK and overseas as required.

Key Responsibilities

Wholesale Strategy and Key Accounts

• Work with the CEO, Creative Director and Wholesale Director to help shape the wholesale strategy, agreeing UK and European account priorities, seasonal sales targets and budgets.
• Lead the day-to-day management and development of UK and European key accounts, building growth plans with buyers and identifying new retail partners that fit D+D’s positioning and long-term ambitions.

Retail Partnerships and Activations

• Build partnerships with key retail accounts through activations, 1OF1 customisation, exclusive collections, pop-ups and joint marketing investment.
• Coordinate delivery with our creative, marketing and retail teams, agreeing objectives, budgets and timelines with each partner and reviewing the results.

Showroom Planning and Sales

• Work closely with our Wholesale Director to plan and run each seasonal Paris showroom, including setup, buyer outreach, appointment scheduling, sales targets and budgets.
• Present collections to buyers, develop product selections for UK and European accounts, capture orders accurately and manage follow-up to secure orders within seasonal deadlines.

Product and Creative Preparation

• Work closely with the product and design teams to develop the wholesale range across footwear, apparel and accessories, sharing buyer feedback and identifying opportunities for suitable account exclusives.
• Work with the creative team ahead of each season to prepare lookbooks, collection information and buyer presentations that clearly communicate D+D’s aesthetic. Ensure line sheets, pricing, samples and delivery information are accurate and ready for appointments.

Trading and Account Performance

• Maintain regular UK and European sales, order book and sell-through reporting, tracking performance against targets and identifying opportunities or risks by account and product.
• Stay close to buyers throughout the season to support sell-through, manage replenishment opportunities and feed trading insights into future range and account plans.
• Carry out regular store visits to review product presentation, gather customer and store team feedback, and strengthen relationships with retail partners.

Operations and Delivery

• Work closely with Operations to deliver UK and European wholesale orders on time and to each retailer’s requirements, keeping buyers informed of order status and resolving issues quickly.
• Manage retailer onboarding and coordinate product data, labelling, packaging, booking and delivery requirements. Keep account records and order information accurate so internal teams have clear instructions and deadlines.

Required Qualifications

• At least 8+ years’ experience in premium fashion wholesale, including substantial responsibility for leading major retail accounts and developing wholesale strategy.
• A proven record of growing account relationships and delivering seasonal sales targets.
• Excellent management and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to negotiate and work closely with senior buyers and internal teams.
• Experience planning seasonal showrooms, presenting collections and managing the wholesale sales cycle from appointments through to delivery and in-season trading.
• Strong commercial and analytical skills, including sales forecasting, sell-through reporting and confidence using Excel or equivalent tools.
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple accounts, deadlines and retailer requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the women’s market is particularly desirable.
• Experience across footwear, apparel and accessories, with a strong understanding of the premium retail market.
• Strong connections and experience working with premium UK, EU and ROW retail accounts.
• Experience developing account exclusives, retail activations or joint marketing plans, and familiarity with retailer onboarding systems.
• Commercial judgement and accountability. Builds realistic account plans, tracks performance and acts on opportunities to grow profitable wholesale sales.
• Strong relationship management and communication. Builds trust with buyers, keeps teams aligned and follows through on commitments.
• Care for the brand and its product. Understands D+D’s aesthetic and represents it consistently in account selection, buyer presentations and retail partnerships.

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