Today, he is Senior Fashion Buyer at Cold Culture, but his career began much earlier. Since completing the FBA—then MEDEM—at ISEM in 2017, he has built a solid career path, working at Loewe, Massimo Dutti, El Corte Inglés, Venca, and Desigual, where he has worked in collection development, trend analysis, and international markets. Álvaro Álvarez's experience covers all categories—men's, women's, shoes, and accessories—and different business models, which has allowed him to develop a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the product.

THE LEAP TO SHOPPING AT BIG BRANDS

• You studied advertising and began your career at Loewe in a field quite different from purchasing. When did you realize that your path was to build collections?

First, I had to get my foot in the door, no matter what department it was. And I managed to get into Loewe. There, I began to understand how the industry really works. I realized that communication seduces, but it is the collection that converts and sustains the brand over time. That's when I knew I wanted to be where the decisions that define the product are made. Where the objective side—budgets, margins, planning—coexists with the more intuitive and cultural side: trends, fabrics, patterns. That balance between analysis and sensitivity is what drew me to becoming a buyer.

• What did the FBA bring to someone like you, who came from advertising and was looking to move into more strategic areas of the business?

I came from Advertising and Communications, with a vision that was very focused on the creative and aspirational side of fashion. But when I entered the industry, I understood two things: that this sector is not The Devil Wears Prada or Mad Men. And that behind the clothes there is a complex business structure that supports everything.

I was interested in the business, but I didn't yet have the strategic tools to navigate that environment with confidence. ISEM was the turning point: it gave me a solid foundation in finance, operations, strategy, and management specifically applied to fashion companies. But above all, it taught me how to think. The case method changed the way I analyze and make decisions. Reading a real situation, understanding the context, debating alternatives, and defending a position... that forces you to structure your criteria.

• You started out managing huge budgets—€65 million at Massimo Dutti, €12 million at El Corte Inglés. What was the hardest learning curve when you moved from a luxury environment to a large-scale distribution environment with higher volume and operational speed?

Luxury allows you to fall in love with the product. Mass distribution forces you to marry the data. I don't know where I read this, but it stuck with me and it's true.

At Loewe, there was time for narrative, for detail, for the almost unique piece. At Inditex, El Corte Inglés, Desigual, or Cold Culture, there isn't. There is volume, speed, and consequences. Every decision moves millions in stock, margin, and turnover. And the market doesn't wait for you to have the perfect information. The hardest curve was accepting that perfection is a luxury you can't always afford.

I learned to make quick decisions, take risks, and understand that not deciding also costs money. You go from thinking "how pretty this garment is" to asking yourself "how many will I sell, at what margin, and how long will it take to sell out?" That's where the real business is done.

• After so many years of experience, what keeps you enjoying the process of buying collections? Where do you find your criteria and your "eye" today?

The beauty of fashion is that it never stands still. It may be cyclical, but what works today may not work next month. And that forces you to stay alert. I continue to enjoy it because the buyer is involved in the entire product process. From traveling and seeing the market, to negotiating, coordinating teams, and accepting the final result, whether it's success or learning.

Over the years, you come to understand that you're not buying clothes. You're buying decisions. You're buying risk. Every season is a new game, even if you have historical data to refer to.

My "eye" no longer comes solely from taste. It comes from experience, from having gotten things right and having made costly mistakes. I don't think about what I would buy as a customer. I think about whether my target audience would buy this garment, at that price, at the time it is going to be offered, and whether it adds value to the brand.

READY FOR CHANGE

• You've worked in women's wear, men's wear, accessories, shoes... What attracts you to changing categories, and what transferable skills do you take with you from one to the next?

Opportunities arose and I took advantage of them. Looking back, everything fits together. I have built an unusual profile, with experience in different categories and processes. From each stage, I have learned from colleagues and suppliers, and today I share that knowledge with my team. Each category is a world unto itself: qualities, timelines, techniques, customers. Change forces you to step outside your comfort zone and adapt quickly. Women's wear is not the same as accessories or footwear; the cycles and margin structures are different. Ultimately, the product changes, but the responsibility remains the same. You are always managing risk, margin, and positioning. The technical aspects evolve. The strategic criteria remain.

• Barcelona vs. Madrid, luxury vs. mass market... You've worked in four completely different ecosystems: Loewe, Inditex, El Corte Inglés, and Desigual. What has each business model taught you about how to build a collection?

Loewe taught me that cost doesn't matter; design and brand narrative are more important. Inditex taught me the time and tools you need to be able to move at that speed. El Corte Inglés taught me the most artisanal analysis; you don't have all the tools you have at Inditex, so you have to work on them yourself, create your best Excel spreadsheets. Desigual taught me about the product; to break away from the conventional and work with many different techniques and washes. And Cold Culture taught me to do everything. In a startup, your position is in all departments and vice versa.

• You have worked with suppliers in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. What variables do you consider key to choosing, developing, and maintaining a good supplier today?

Asia continues to be and will remain the strongest market in terms of capacity, specialization, and cost competitiveness, especially in terms of volume. However, minimum order quantities (MOQs) are falling every day, and this is affecting Europe. Europe and North Africa offer agility, less logistical risk, and better responsiveness. It is no longer just about the FOB (Free on Board) price, but about the total cost: tariffs, times, customs, cash flow, and risk.

And something key: all suppliers say they can do everything. Over time, you understand that each one has their own real specialty. Part of the job is to identify where each one's strengths lie and not push them outside that area. A good supplier is not just the most competitive one, but the one that delivers and builds long-term relationships.

THE ROLE OF THE BUYER

• From the outside, it sounds glamorous, but on the inside, Purchasing is all about analysis, numbers, risk, and negotiation. What do people not know about this role that they should know?

My first boss told me this on my first day: the buyer is always to blame. If the model doesn't sell, you've bought too much. If it sells very well, you haven't bought enough. And if you can't get a repeat order in less than four weeks, you've chosen the wrong supplier.

You work with several drops at once, managing budgets, margins, and timings. You have to be extremely organized. Excel is not a tool, it is your constant companion.

The pressure is daily: meeting deadlines, ensuring samples arrive as expected, making sure production doesn't fail, avoiding delays... From the outside, it may seem glamorous. On the inside, it's a constant responsibility. And learning to live with that is part of the job.

• What has it been like for you to make your way in a sector where men are less present, especially in product areas?

No problem. What really paves the way for you is analytical skills, product sensitivity, and consistency in decision-making. Then, depending on their personality, each person tries to create the best environment for working every day, enjoying themselves if the environment allows it.

• How do you envision the role of the buyer in the next five years? Will it be more data-driven, more creative, more hybrid?

I believe that buyers will play a more discerning role. Artificial intelligence and predictive tools will help us analyze data, anticipate demand, and optimize assortment almost in real time. But that does not eliminate human judgment. On the contrary: the more automation there is, the more important it will be to be able to interpret context, understand culture, and make strategic decisions. AI will be able to tell you what is selling. The buyer will continue to decide what should be sold and what builds the brand in the long term. Less operational and more vision-oriented.