Conversation with… Dan Ferris, managing director of TM Lewin
In this latest Conversations interview, we chat with Dan Ferris, managing director of TM Lewin, about his journey from teenage shelf stacker to leader of a heritage menswear brand, and how he’s steering TM Lewin’s post-Covid revival and high street return.
Can you tell us about your early career and how you got into retail?
My first job was stacking shelves at Woolworths as a teenager – specifically in confectionery, looking after the pick-and-mix. After university, I went into professional services, which took me to Australia for several years. When I returned to the UK, I knew I didn’t want to stay in professional services. That led me to a finance role at Net-A-Porter, where I spent around four years, and eventually to TM Lewin. I initially joined as finance director, and for the past year or so I’ve been managing director.
What attracted you to TM Lewin?
When I joined, the business had gone into administration during Covid, which was understandable as no one needed shirts and suits while working from home. All the stores had closed, and the brand needed a full reset. Despite that, TM Lewin’s 125-year heritage really drew me in. It felt like a rare opportunity to revive an iconic British brand. Perhaps I was slightly naïve about how hard the turnaround would be, but I’m glad I made the move.
You’ve been responsible for relaunching the brand, including its return to the high street. How is that progressing?
Very well. Before we could grow, we had to address legacy issues and rebuild the foundations. We traded online only in the UK while doing that, then relaunched international trading and moved our warehouse. The big milestone this year was returning to bricks-and-mortar retail.
In April, we opened our Bow Lane flagship right in the heart of the City which is exactly where our core demographic is. It’s performed brilliantly. We followed that with Canary Wharf, which opened on 10 November and has also seen strong footfall and great customer feedback.
A huge part of the reset has been our product and brand strategy. Workwear has changed: people might have a board meeting on Monday, work from home on Friday, and want outfits that fit with that. We’ve focused on high quality, versatile staples that work across the entire week – from suits to chinos and T-shirts.
Interestingly, we’re seeing a strong rebound in tailoring. It’s much easier to sell well fitted suits and shirts in store, and customers who drifted elsewhere while we were offline are now coming back and praising the quality.
Will you open more regional stores beyond London?
Yes. Our initial focus has been London because that’s where most of our customer base is. We have Bow Lane, Canary Wharf, and a further City location planned for Q1. After that, we’ll look at regional cities such as Manchester and Edinburgh, as well as locations around Greater London.
What else can you tell us about future plans?
Growth for us centres on retail expansion and product development. We’ll continue opening stores next year and beyond, bringing the brand back to prominent high streets.
On the product side, we’re building on the success of our newer categories. Chinos and polo shirts have performed strongly, so we’re expanding them, including a new lightweight chino for summer. There are several categories we’ve tested this year that we expect to grow significantly next year.
What do you see as the main challenges facing the business?
Retail is always challenging, and this year is no exception. The National Insurance increase has been tough – retail is a people-heavy industry, so changes like that hit hard. Business rates are also creeping back up post-Covid.
Then there’s the consumer backdrop. Middle income shoppers are being squeezed, which affects discretionary spend. Men might extend the life of shirts or suits rather than refresh as often. None of these challenges are insurmountable, but they shape how we plan.
Leadership is crucial in a turnaround. How would you describe your leadership style?
I’m incredibly fortunate to have a great team, many of whom have been with me through the toughest parts of the turnaround. My approach is to set the direction, give people the respect they deserve, make sure they feel appreciated, and trust them to deliver.
I like to spend a lot of time in the stores, talking to teams on the ground. Whether you’re a sales associate or a CEO, I speak to everyone the same way. People want to feel seen, valued and empowered – that’s the culture we’re building.
Have you had mentors or leaders who shaped your approach?
Yes, there have been a quite a few. My mum for instilling me with the work ethic, Angus Goodenough for teaching me about business and accounting while at school, and Chris Pooles for giving me my first job out of university.
When I lived in Brisbane, the partners at the firm I worked for had a big influence on me. Their leadership style was very different from what I’d experienced in the UK – much less rigid, much more personal. That openness and trust rubbed off on me and still informs how I lead today. So, also included in that list is Tim Kendall, Paul Gallagher, Craig Jenkins and Tim Mann.
TM Lewin previously offered womenswear. Are there plans to bring it back?
Not currently. There’s certainly demand – customers ask for it – but we need to stay focused. If we try to do too much at once, we risk doing none of it well. The priority is to get menswear absolutely right, and then we can revisit womenswear in the future.
TM Lewin has such a rich heritage. How do you balance tradition with modernisation?
We see ourselves as custodians of a 125-year-old brand. Our job is to respect that heritage while making it relevant today. If you visit our Bow Lane store, for example, we’ve kept the original aged wooden floors – despite being advised to rip them out – but paired them with minimalist white walls and modern fixtures. We’re all about honouring our history without being constrained by it.
