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Anita Balchandani

Senior PartnerLondon

Anita Balchandani

Senior PartnerLondon

Leads our apparel, fashion, and luxury work in EMEA, with deep expertise in multichannel and digital transformation

Anita leads McKinsey & Company’s Consumer sector in the UK and Apparel, Fashion & Luxury practice in EMEA.

Anita works extensively in the fashion, beauty, luxury, health and wellness sectors. She supports CEOs and leadership teams in shaping ambitious growth transformation agendas including international expansion, digital acceleration, advantaged consumer insights and commercial excellence. In addition, she has substantial buy-side and sell-side diligence experience with private equity players, where she brings the lens of what it takes to scale the next generation of billion-dollar plus brands.

Anita speaks regularly at industry events on the outlook for Consumer and creating future-proof business models for an AI and Tech-driven world. She is a co-author of the annual The State of Fashion report series, which McKinsey publishes in collaboration with the Business of Fashion. She has also co-authored additional reports such as The State of Beauty and the State of Fashion Tech.

Anita is on the Advisory Boards of Manzanita Capital, a PE fund with a long-term investment horizon focused on the luxury and premium niche beauty sector and BusinessLDN.

Published work

The State of Luxury: How to navigate a slowdown,” McKinsey & Company, January 2025

The State of Fashion 2025: Challenges at every turn, McKinsey & Company, November 2024

Luxury retail is about ‘emotions, not transactions’,” McKinsey & Company, February 2024

The State of Fashion 2024: Finding pockets of growth as uncertainty reigns,” McKinsey & Company, November 2023

“‘Let’s not just rely on data’: Holt Renfrew’s Anne Pitcher on the future of retail,” McKinsey & Company, March 2023

The State of Fashion 2023: Holding onto growth as global clouds gather,” McKinsey & Company, November 2022

In search of fashion’s sustainability seekers,” McKinsey & Company, June 2022

State of Fashion Technology Report 2022,” McKinsey & Company, May 2022

How the fashion industry can get into a metaverse mindset,” McKinsey & Company, April 2022

Mastering off-price fashion in an omnichannel world,” McKinsey & Company, April 2022

Six vectors of success in online fashion,” McKinsey & Company, May 2021

The postpandemic state of fashion,” McKinsey & Company, March 2021

The State of Fashion 2021: In search of promise in perilous times,” McKinsey & Company, December 2020

Rebooting retail: How technology will shape the future of retail,” McKinsey & Company, June 2020

It’s time to rewire the fashion system: State of Fashion coronavirus update,” McKinsey & Company, April 2020

The fashion industry in 2020: Ten top themes from The State of Fashion,” McKinsey & Company, February 2020

The State of Fashion 2020: Navigating uncertainty,” McKinsey & Company, November 2019

Fashion on demand,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

The ‘digital land grab’ in fashion,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

Self-disruption in the fashion industry,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

What radical transparency could mean for the fashion industry,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

Now or never: Immediacy and customer experience in fashion retail,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

The influence of ‘woke’ consumers on fashion,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

The end of ownership for fashion products?,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

The fashion market and ‘Trade 2.0’,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

How India’s ascent could change the fashion industry,” McKinsey & Company, February 2019

Ten trends for the fashion industry to watch in 2019,” McKinsey & Company, January 2019

Caution ahead: Global growth and the fashion industry,” McKinsey & Company, January 2019

The State of Fashion 2019: A year of awakening,” McKinsey & Company, November 2018

Past experience

OC&C Strategy Consultants
Partner, global head of retail

Majestic Wine Group
Nonexecutive board member

Space NK Apothecary
Nonexecutive board member

Education

London School of Economics
MSc, management

Indian Institute of Management
MBA