Meet Rhea Cartwright, Head of Beauty Buying

Since its inception, Black History Month has provided an annual opportunity to honour the contributions of Black people to society and culture, both here in the UK and further afield. This year, we hope to celebrate exactly that, just on somewhat of a more local scale – right here at Liberty. Join us as we shine a spotlight on just some of the Black talent leading a new generation of Liberty’s artistic movement.

I’m Head of Beauty Buying at Liberty so I’m responsible for ensuring we remain a go-to beauty authority globally with our existing partners but also innovating new projects. I’ve worked in beauty almost my entire working life. Starting on the shop floor, then moving into several sales and training roles, before moving into consulting, working with both hugely established and emerging brands.

For me, beauty acts as a catalyst for empowerment. The ritualistic nature of beauty is very personal, sensual and sensorial – it’s powerful. Every decision I make is through the lens of “will my customer enjoy this?”. Having worked on shop floors for years, I understand that ecosystem and how powerful that experience can be but also how detrimental when service is bad or the product you’ve come in for is out of stock.

I love that the DNA is built on this creative discernment and we have the most talented pool of creatives to tap into for any project. It’s a truly bonkers business which is part of the magic and we’re a small but mighty global force. At nearly 150 years old, I’m just a guardian of beauty but I enjoy adding my small part to the legacy.

I’m a night owl so normally past midnight is when my creativity really shines – not always ideal for typical working hours! I can trawl through photography books and films for hours but I also love inspiration from real people. Beauty is a living, breathing concept so I’ll often stop people in the street and ask them who did their hair, or what blush they’re wearing! I’ve even asked someone if I could take their picture before – she said yes, thankfully!

Work hard and say yes to everything. I believe life works in seasons. A career change is an experimental season so saying yes to opportunities, going to events with a very clear view of who you want to talk to is crucial. Even though I don’t have a buying background, I’m able to do my job because of my vast background. Jobs are changing all the time and traditional routes aren’t the only way to get a foot in the door.

My dream has always been to revolutionise the beauty industry so I aim to do exactly that with Liberty. We’ve long been a beauty authority but I want to ensure that remains for future generations. As the first Black Head of Beauty Buying in the UK, I also have a responsibility to ensure that my community is seen and heard. It’s not an easy task but I have conversations on a daily basis with our existing brands on how they can improve their diversity efforts. From shade ranges to product names for textured hair products, there is still a lot of work to do.

Black people know they’re Black all 12 months of the year so for me, the month is a collective celebration and an opportunity for non-Black people to fully comprehend Black people’s contribution to the past, present and future society. Whether down to the lack of information in the national curriculum or sheer ignorance, so many people of all generations don’t know and it’s crucial people do because it leads to greater understanding.

My grandma, Nanny Shirley. She has to be my true pioneer because hers is the story I know. Coming to the UK from Guyana at the age of 22 and not knowing anyone. Like many of her generation, she was a nurse and experienced extreme racism at work and in the street, verbal abuse, being spat on. Her children (my dad and aunties) were the first Black family on her council estate, where she still lives today! The strength and bravery to uproot your life and then have to battle everyday to be treated like a human is remarkable.

*Views expressed are the participant’s own