PHILIP: Fathers and daughters are something else. They’re our Achilles
heel — they know they can wrap us around their little fingers. I left
it late to become a father. At 39 I was quite set in my ways when Chloe was
born, and then, a year later, our son, Brandon. My one regret is that I
didn’t have them five or 10 years earlier. When Chloe was six we moved
to Monaco and the kids went to the International School there. But I left
anything to do with school to my wife, Tina. I don’t think I spoke more than
once to any of Chloe’s teachers. Having children is a lottery, and there are
no guarantees as to how they’ll turn out. But I had an easy, positive
engagement with Chloe, and we’re even closer now she’s older.
Chloe’s interest in clothes goes back to when she was eight, coming with me to
the shops in school holidays. I’ve always engaged with staff, and Chloe
picked up on everything, watching customers and what they were buying. Aged
10, I’d take her to the office and she’d hang out in the fashion room with
all the samples. I’d say, “Right, show me the winners and losers,” and she’d
tell me, “Buy this, don’t buy that,” ending up with a pretty good hit rate.
A couple of years later she worked on the till at our BHS store in Oxford
Street, but the job that fascinated her was working in the security room,
where staff catch shoplifters on camera. She hated seeing people stealing.
Growing up in Monaco, Chloe has been part of a small circle where everyone
knows everyone else. Chloe went out clubbing at a young age, but there’s
only one club, and her friends went there too — it was safe. My kids are
bilingual, they don’t do drugs or go to the wrong places. Now she’s back in
London, we’ll see how life goes. But it’s fun living with her during the
week.
A bit of me recognises in Chloe the person I was at 16. We’ve had our rows
about not finishing A-levels and going to university. But I can’t argue when
she says: “Well, Dad, you didn’t do that either.” Am I going to be tougher
on Brandon than I am on Chloe? We’re in the middle of that conversation. I’m
finding it quite interesting! I’ve never had a set vision of what Chloe
would do for a career but I have confidence in her: she’s smart, polite and
good with people. It’s tough for children to come out of a successful
background. People say it’s easy when you have so much. It isn’t. We’ve been
having pretty grown-up conversations along these lines since she was 12. The
bar’s a lot higher in a successful family. Good won’t do. Very good is
marginal. And it’s tougher for Chloe because she’s naturally quite shy. She
understands what’s involved, that pressures will invariably fall on her
because of who her father is. Unless she applies incognito, any interviews
she goes for will be that much harder. But I’m not worried. She’ll find a
niche. She and Brandon have to discover their own paths — something that
excites them, that they think will make a difference. But it’s got to
evolve. Things don’t happen just because you think it might be a nice idea.
There’s a process. The starting point is that you have to really, really
want something and then make it happen.
I’m very proud of our Fashion Retail Academy, where 425 students are enrolled.
I speak to them at the beginning of term, asking: “Are you prepared to make
sacrifices to succeed?” Last year I gave a job to a girl who hadn’t been
able to get work anywhere. Chloe was with me and she cried — not just
because she’s concerned about other people, which comes naturally to her,
but because she gets it. She knows how tough it is out there.
I’m a big party-giver — I suppose it comes with the territory. But we’re
allowed to have fun. My kids know the privileged life they’ve had, but they
see how hard I work. They’re very grounded, and they understand the things I
don’t approve of. What would make me angry is if Chloe or Brandon thought
they didn’t have to work. This is a pretty unique family business, and it
could become a very long-term family business. But many things have to
happen for that to be a possibility and for my kids to take it over. They’re
going to have to earn it, not be given it.
Chloe is acutely aware of being rooted in a family which is core to all of us.
I can remember trying to buy Marks & Spencer in 2004 like it was yesterday.
She must have seen me on the news, and she phoned up, screaming: “Dad, you
promised you wouldn’t buy anything else. You said you were busy enough. Why
do you want another business?” She really sobbed. Then my son came on,
shouting “Go on, Dad!” When everything calmed down I realised Chloe was
frightened that she was never going to see me. That was a heart-stopping
moment.
CHLOE: Mum told me that Dad was absolutely devoted to his cat, Cassius,
but as soon as I arrived he poured all his affection into me — Cassius was
out of the picture. Dad was the first person to give me a bottle after I was
born. I don’t remember, of course, but I’ve seen the video of him in his
green scrubs at the Portland Hospital. He’s always made me feel very safe.
When I was five Dad was becoming very high-profile, and he and Mum decided to
move to Monaco. I remember my last day at primary school in north London,
telling my friends I was never coming back. Life was very different in
Monaco. For my sixth birthday I had my ears pierced — a very South of France
thing to do. Dressing in Monaco is completely different to what I wear in
London. I enjoy dressing up and having my own ideas about how to put things
together, but never in a vulgar way. In Monaco everyone has perfect hair,
perfect nails and they take a lot of time to put themselves together. People
judge you a lot more on your appearance. In London I can leave home in
tracksuit bottoms and no one cares. Dad never says I can’t go out in
something, but he might say: “That’s a bit short, isn’t it?”
I’m definitely a daddy’s girl. When people who’ve known him for a long time
meet me they usually say I’m the spitting image of him. He’s loving,
generous, fun and he listens to people. He likes giving opinions and seeing
if there’s anything he can do to help friends. And I’ve inherited some of
that.
I’ll eventually get a place of my own, but at the moment during the week I
live with Dad in Mayfair. He likes to sit and chat with a cup of tea, but
when he comes home in the evening I’m often on my way out. Last thing at
night, he always calls me for a cuddle. We joke around but we also have
serious talks. He wants to know my opinions. And now I’m spending time at
head office, going with him to meetings, just to get a proper feel of the
business. Fashion isn’t all glitz and glamour, and I’d never want to be a
model. Kate [Moss]and Naomi [Campbell] are always telling me what a tough
career it is.
My father’s a party person. When he was 50 he flew all his friends to Cyprus
for three days, and guests had to dress up in togas. For his 55th we went to
the Maldives, and earlier this month he organised Simon Cowell’s 50th. He
enjoys thinking about the events but the real brains behind them is my
mother. She puts it all together, he delivers — they’re a great team. I’m
incredibly lucky to have my family. It’s Dad’s number-one priority, and we
all have a very strong bond. Mum’s a rock — I don’t think he could ever be
without her for long, no matter how much they argue. Minutes after an
argument, he’ll call her back for advice on something. They’re a hard act to
follow.
At the weekends Dad relaxes in Monaco with Mum, on his boat, or having a
coffee in Casino Square. If he woke up one morning and decided he was bored
and didn’t want to work any more, he’d figure out how to give it all up. But
he’s never going to sit in a deckchair doing nothing. And I know he wants to
keep on working and teaching my brother and me so that one day we might come
into the business. I’m so glad he didn’t buy Marks & Spencer, though now
he’s started a new venture with Simon Cowell. It’s exciting, but hard work.
I’ve seen him getting stressed — probably because he’s working with someone
else. He’s never done that before.
When I dropped out of A-levels we rowed a lot. He hated seeing me doing
nothing. I kept saying I was still very young, and that studying isn’t for
everyone — it definitely wasn’t for him! My not wanting to study was about
me taking time out to think what I really want to do. He’s fine with it now,
but it’ll be much harder for Brandon!
I wouldn’t want to have a job interview with Dad. I know a few people who’ve
gone through that and been quite scared. It makes me laugh to think of him
being scary, but I guess in their shoes I’d be scared too. Dad’s a nice
person once you get to know him, and people who only know him by reputation
have told me that after meeting him they’re not intimidated. Their usual
comment is: “Your dad’s really nice.” I’m incredibly proud
of all he’s achieved and I want to work hard and learn from him. But it’s
hard in head office because everyone knows I’m the boss’s daughter. They
think it must be so easy. It’s not. If I think about it too much I
start wishing I was someone else.
It was amazing earlier this year when Dad took me with him to launch Topshop
in New York. Maybe one day I’ll work there. But not yet. I wouldn’t
want to be so far away from him. Dad’s often said that I should do something
for Topshop. Hopefully, one day I might design a Chloe Green at Topshop
range. I’ve not really thought it through yet. But I don’t think it’s
asking too much.
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