A Q&A With Top Women in Retail Honoree Anu Narayanan, President, Women’s and Home, Anthropologie

Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) recently released its 15th annual Top Women in Retail report. The valuable resource highlights female executives who impressed our Editorial team as well as colleagues from the industry. Anu Narayanan, president of women’s and home at Anthropologie, is one such example. Here’s a sampling of Anu’s interview featured in the report.

Women in Retail Leadership Circle: Who were some of the key mentors in your career, and what lessons did they impart that have stuck with you?
Anu Narayanan: I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to work with many mentors who have shaped my approach to leadership and life. The most impactful lessons came from a few key figures, each of whom taught me something fundamental.

My formative years were spent at Gap Inc. in San Francisco. During my time there, one of the most significant mentors was Don Fisher, the founder of Gap Inc. His philosophy was simple, but it stuck with me: “Change or fail.” He instilled in me the understanding that the only constant in this industry is change, and my role as a leader is to stay ahead of the curve. It’s about anticipating what’s next; understanding what the customer needs even before they do; and taking bold, calculated risks to deliver on that. This mindset of embracing change has become a cornerstone of my leadership approach.

Another mentor who had a profound impact on me was Nancy, a leader I had the privilege of working with during my time at Gap. Nancy was a remarkable woman who led with empathy, but she also set high expectations and wasn’t afraid to challenge her team. What stood out most was her ability to balance an incredibly successful career with a fulfilling family life. She taught me that the idea of work-life balance is a myth — it’s more about finding a way to integrate both parts of your life in a way that feels fulfilling. There are times when work demands more from you, and other times when you can take a step back and enjoy personal moments. I learned from Nancy that while balance might not exist in a perfect form, you can have it all, just not in a perfectly balanced way.

Lastly, my father’s influence has stayed with me in a more personal way. Growing up, he had a paperweight on his desk of a bobsled team with the quote, “If you aren’t the lead dog, the view never changes.” This has always resonated with me as a reminder that leadership means embracing the unknown and leading the charge, even when the path ahead is unclear. It’s about forging ahead and creating new tracks, knowing that to lead you may have to make decisions without a clear road map. The alternative is staying in the back of the pack and seeing the same view every day. I’ve always aspired to be the lead dog — not because I have all the answers, but because I thrive on the challenge of shaping the way forward. 

These lessons from Don, Nancy, and my father have all been foundational in shaping how I lead, and they continue to guide me today. 

WIRLC: How do you foster collaboration and innovation within your team?
AN: I think the shadow we cast as leaders is extremely important. I try to exemplify taking risks and then owning them when they succeed or fail. I think for teams to innovate they need to know that they have support with the downside risk if the innovation doesn’t work. I also encourage teams to actively listen and remain curious. Listen and watch for patterns, whether that’s in conversation, your social feed, what you’re seeing in street style and/or shopping, etc. Keeping your eyes and ears open leads to innovation. 

When it comes to collaboration, for me it’s the same. I work to foster strong cross-functional teamwork. I know that I’m more successful when I have the different viewpoints of the team I work with. I focus on setting very clear priorities — no less than three, no more than five — and ensure all team members are extremely clear on the goals at hand. Once everyone has an aligned vision on where we want to go, the collaboration becomes so easy! 

Again, since this is important to me I try to lead by example and work as closely with my partners as possible to set an example for my team. 

WIRLC: What are some of the biggest trends you see shaping the future of women’s fashion and retail?

AN: Here are a couple:

• Increased Personalization: Time is one of our most important currencies. So many live a fast-paced lifestyle where time is limited. Therefore, having a seamless shopping experience becomes even more important. I think there will continue to be enhanced digital experiences to improve customized experiences based on individual customer needs — e.g., serving up products and inspiration in more targeted ways to aid in customers finding what they’re looking for quickly. I see this impacting on-site experiences, digital ad targeting and social feeds as well as the impact on brick-and-mortar with localized assortments. 
• Artificial Intelligence: While still at the beginning of the journey, I think AI will enhance how people work and provide a new tool kit for individuals to take their work to the next level. Whether that be aiding designers in product creation or supporting logistics teams on packing efficiencies, AI will aid in speed and innovation for those that leverage it in the best ways possible.