Drapers
16 January 2010

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Adam Jagger, 28

Premium menswear buyer, Asos
Adili Christmas sales rise 36%

Ethical etailer Adili, which now trades as Ascension, said sales for November and December rose 36% year-on-year.
Agents Mary Skinner and Janet Thurston join forces

Womenswear agencies Mary Skinner and Janet Thurston have merged and will show all their labels from a new London showroom for autumn 10.
Alexander McQueen

Autumn 10
Alexon warns on full-year trading

Alexon Group said that full-year profits would come in below market expectations after like-for-like sales worsened to fall 14.3% over the 23 weeks to January 9.
Alice Palmer, 30

Knitwear designer
Androulla Ashikka, 28

Assistant manager, Lanvin, London
Andy Marsh, 30

Head of retail, north, Select
Arcadia

Partner
Asos

Partner
Asos appoints marketing director

Asos has appointed Clare Dobbie marketing director to help grow the etailer’s international arm.
Asos sales rise 30% at Christmas

Asos said sales surged 30% year-on-year in the five weeks to January 3.
Aurora Fashions

Partner
Bag designer gives new talent a chance to shine

Handbag designer Zoe Knight is to open a store in London’s Notting Hill in which she will sub-let space to 70 emerging and established designers.
Be the talk of the internet

When a website launches or unveils new features, a dynamic PR strategy is vital to getting it noticed
Bench ramps up footwear range

Young fashion brand Bench will unveil an expanded range of footwear for autumn 10 at Berlin trade show Bread & Butter next week.
BFC announces designer fund shortlist

The British Fashion Council has revealed the names of the designers shortlisted for the inaugural British Fashion Council and Vogue Designer Fashion Fund.
BHF-BSSA plans cross-sector indie buying group

Independent retail trade body the BHF-BSSA Group is poised to launch a cross-sector buying group for fashion indies that will aim to negotiate heavy discounts from brands for its members.
Borletti Group to bid for Ittierre

Borletti Group is reportedly eyeing beleaguered Italian manufacturing and licensing company Ittierre.
Bosse Myhr, 27

Head merchandiser, Dover Street Market, London
Bottega Veneta

Autumn 10
Brandwatch: Heritage Research

Inspired by vintage detailing, the new venture from the Trainerspotter team is distinct and desirable
Bread & Butter kicks off with upbeat mood

Young fashion trade show Bread & Butter got off to a steady start this morning with plenty of buyers braving the elements to get to Berlin.
Bread & Butter preview

Preppy looks, rips and stains on jeans, bicycle polo uniforms and futuristic, glamorous styles are among the trends visitors to the Berlin trade show can look forward to seeing next week.
Burberry Prorsum

Autumn 10
Burberry sees wholesale recovery

Burberry saw total sales rise 12% on an underlying basis to £380m for the three months to December 31, and wholesale sales began to recover.
Charlotte McHardy

Managing director, United Clothing
Charlotte Wilkie co-owner of kidswear indie Charlie Barley in Brighton

Brands include Boboli, D&G Junior, Kidorable, Molo, No Added Sugar
Chris Foster-Orr

Managing director, FOS Fashion Marketing
Christina Acklam, 30

Marketing manager, figleaves.com
Christmas sales flat at Debenhams

Like-for-like sales at department store chain Debenhams were up 0.1% over the 18 weeks to January 2, 2010, and the retailer said the trading outlook remains uncertain.
Christopher Kane, 28

Designer
Clarks appoints Melissa Potter chief executive

Clarks has appointed Melissa Potter chief executive of the footwear giant.
Consumer Price Index jumps to 2.9%

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 2.9% in the year to December, up from 1.9% in November, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Cro’Jack eyes premium indies with debut range

British menswear brand Cro’Jack has launched for autumn 10, with its sights set on securing 20 to 30 premium UK indie stockists and plotting an assault on the export market.
D&G

Autumn 10
Damian Scarlett

Cloggs’ managing director explains how a change in strategy towards both bricks and clicks is driving significant growth for the footwear retailer
David Koma, 25

Designer
Drapers Career Tracker

Keeping you up to date with the latest fashion people moves
DSquared

Autumn 10
Edun names Sharon Wauchob creative director

Edun, the ethical fashion brand founded by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson and backed by LVMH, has appointed Sharon Wauchob to the role of creative director.
Emporio Armani

Autumn 10
Etro

Autumn 10
Fashion Enter fights with council over rates relief

Not-for-profit organisation Fashion Enter is again battling with a local council over business rates relief.
Freya

UK lingerie brand Freya has unveiled a loungewear range for autumn 10.
G Star unveils new sub brand at Bread & Butter

Dutch denim brand G Star has unveiled a new premium collection at Bread & Butter in Berlin today.
Gemma Ford, 28

Ecommerce merchandiser, Clarks
Georgina Goodman on expansion trail after £4m investment

High end footwear business Georgina Goodman will expand its wholesale and retail offer and bolster its management team after securing a £4m investment.
Geraldine Bennett

Managing director, Oui Group UK
Gerry Weber reports record year but UK still challenging

Gerry Weber said it expects to announce a record year in both revenue and profit when it releases its full-year report for the 2008/9 financial year on February 25.
Giles Henderson, 29

Owner, Six Whiting Street, Bury St Edmonds
Giorgio Armani

Autumn 10
Giorgio Armani collaborates with Reebok International

Giorgio Armani and Reebok International have partnered to produce a cobranded collection.
Gucci

Autumn 10
Halston signs Sarah Jessica Parker as chief creative officer

Halston has appointed Sex and the City actress Sarah Jessica Parker as president and chief creative officer.
Hannah Coffin, 29

Womenswear design director, All Saints
Hannah Marshall, 27

Designer
High street notches up best sales growth in five years at Xmas

The UK’s biggest retailers reported robust Christmas trading this week as December clothing sales showed the strongest year-on-year growth in more than five years, according to the British Retail Consortium.
House of Fraser

Partner
Industry's conveyor belt of talent must be maintained

Success Appointments are delighted to be associated with Drapers’ Next Generation Academy for the fostering and development of young talent.
James New, 29

Menswear designer, Vivienne Westwood
Jane O’Shea, 24

Shipping manager, All Saints
Jil Sander

Autumn 10
Jo Tyers, 30

Group head of merchandising, Alexon Group
Johannah Whatley, 27

Senior merchandise planner, Juicy Couture Europe
John Chapman bags up heritage fabrics

Bag brand John Chapman is introducing a range of men’s and women’s bags and accessories that use heritage fabrics.
John Lewis

Partner
John Lewis website booms on the back of snow

Snowy weather resulted in a 56% surge in internet sales for John Lewis over the week to January 9, offsetting a decline in sales at the 29-store chain.
John Richmond

Autumn 10
John Varvatos

Autumn 10
Kate Walton, 28

Owner, Havetolove, Newcastle
Kathryn Pow, 24

Womenswear designer
Kim Vine in Marlborough, Wiltshire

Chosen by Lissa Cook, founder of kidswear brand Peak Princess
Lauren Berg, 29

Senior product developer, Karen Millen
Liberty sales up 20% in 2009

Sales at department store Liberty climbed 20% in 2009 after a revamp of the iconic department store boosted footfall.
London retail sales soar 12% in December

Like-for-like sales in December in London were at their highest for seven years, up 12% against a year ago when sales dropped 0.7% in the wake of the banking collapse.
Louise Goldin wins BFC's Fashion Forward

Designer Louise Goldin was awarded the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Forward funding last night.
Luke Roper

Creative director and co-founder, Luke
Lulu Guinness

Designer
M and M Direct celebrates strong Christmas performance

Sales at discount fashion etailer M and M Direct grew 21% in the ten weeks to January 3.
M&Co like-for-like Christmas sales climb 11.1%

M&Co, the value retailer, reported like-for-like sales rose 11.1% for the nine weeks to January 2, driven by a strong consumer reaction to its revamped womenswear range.
Marks & Spencer

Partner
Matalan records bumper Christmas sales

Value fashion retailer Matalan has reported an “impressive” Christmas performance and expects continued growth.
McArthurGlen scores Christmas sales rise

Sales at outlet chain McArthurGlen rose 4% over the five weeks to January 3 boosted by shoppers seeking out discounted designer clothing for Christmas parties and Christmas gifts.
Menswear Mainstream indicator, January 16, 2009

Access Drapers’ unique source of sales information from mainstream retailers, revealing the best-selling brands, the hottest products and the latest issues to affect menswear by clicking on the PDF.
Michelle Bark, 30

Senior merchandiser, A-Wear
Milan Fashion Week: Burberry Prorsum, Dolce & Gabbana, Emporio Armani

The autumn 10 catwalk season got under way in Milan this weekend with the men’s collections from heavy hitters including Burberry Prorsum and Dolce & Gabbana exhibiting a relaxed and casual handwriting.
Milan Fashion Week: Giorgio Armani, Z Zegna, D&G

Tuesday’s Milan shows had less of a casualwear focus than the previous days, with tailoring revived through injections of velvet and leather.
Milan Fashion Week: Prada, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta

Monday’s Milan catwalks saw more diverse influences drive brands’ collections but just as was seen from the weekend shows, there was a move towards a more casual feel.
Millets teams up with Zandra Rhodes

Outdoor specialist Blacks Leisure has teamed up with designer Zandra Rhodes to launch a collection of women’s outdoorwear for itsMillets chain.
Missioni

Autumn 10
Moss Bros finance director steps down

Michael Hitchcock, finance director of Moss Bros, has stepped down from his role at the high street menswear chain.
N Brown like-for-like sales up 3.6%

Home shopping group N Brown has continued to grow sales with like-for-likes ahead 3.6% in the 19 weeks to January 9.
Neil Barrett

Autumn 10
Neil Clifford

Chief executive, Kurt Geiger
Nick Lambert, 26

Assistant buyer, shirts and ties, Topman
Nick Samuel joins knitwear brand N.Peal

N.Peal cashmere, the knitwear brand, has appointed former Hobbs chief executive Nick Samuel as non-executive director.
Nicola Strathearn, 25

Textile designer
Nicola Varney, 28

Buyer for apparel, Timberland
Nigel Hughes

Director, APT Collections
Off the record, January 16, 2009

The inside track on the parties and gossip for the week.
Office celebrates record Xmas

Young fashion footwear chain Office saw like-for-like sales rise 19% for the six weeks ended January 4.
Oliver Sweeney lifted by product overhaul

Men’s footwear company Oliver Sweeney saw like-for-like sales rise 23.3% over the five weeks to December 28, eight months after it was rescued by Amery Capital founder Maurice Helfgott and footwear supplier Tim Cooper.
Olivia Rubin, 28

Designer
Omar Kashoura, 27

Designer
Oscar Udeshi

Director, Udeshi, chairman, British Menswear Guild
Oxford Retail Masters Forum extends deadline

The deadline for applications to win scholarships to the Oxford Retail Masters Forum has been extended to Thursday January 28.
Paris Couture: Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani Prive

The spring 10 Paris Couture shows opened yesterday with John Galliano at the helm for Christian Dior.
Paul Drew, 30

Menswear branded buyer for denim, sport & street, Asos
Pepe Jeans signs Alexa Chung as new face

Celebrity TV presenter Alexa Chung has been signed as the face of Pepe Jeans London for spring 2010.
Peter Ruis

Buying director for fashion, John Lewis
Petra Ecclestone, 21

Owner, Form Clothing
Pick a winner by growing your own boss

From Marks & Spencer to Primark, many fashion retailers are looking outside their businesses to recruit chief executives. Drapers explores what companies can do to nurture their own future leaders
Pitti sets the tone for the season to come

The menswear collections have moved on enough from last season to offer something new
Pitti starts well but snow hits flights

Despite an uncertain trading outlook, exhibitors and visitors at premium menswear show Pitti Uomo were in positive mood going into the autumn 10 buying season.
Prada

Autumn 10
Primark pledges further ethical initiatives

Primark has committed to ramp up its ethical trade activities following an in-depth investigation by the Ethical Trading Initiative.
Primark sales strong after international expansion

Primark’s total sales were ahead of expectaions for the first quarter, up 19% on last year for the 16 weeks to January 2.
Principles to relaunch in Debenhams

Department store chain Debenhams will relaunch womenswear brand Principles next month and chief executive Rob Templeman has hailed it as the “biggest launch of the year”.
Pringle of Scotland

Autumn 10
Pure London adds to Label line-up

Tradeshow Pure London will host the launch of Paul Frank footwear at its debut menswear event, Label.
Retailers kick off for a game of two halves

For the next few months we will be likely to see an uneasy calm, where little changes
Richemont sales pick up but fashion remains flat

Richemont, the luxury goods group, said sales rose 2%, or 7% at constant exchange rates, for the three months to December 3, but sales of its fashion brands remained flat for the period.
Rising business costs to hit indies

Indies are being warned to buy cautiously as commodity costs and supplier prices look set to rise.
Roberto Cavalli

Autumn 10
Ryan Morris, 30

Operations director, M&M Direct
Salvatore Ferragamo

Autumn 10
Sam Lobban, 22

Assistant buyer, contemporary LAB menswear, Selfridges
Sarah Shotton

Agent Provocateur’s head creative tells Lucie Goulet why lingerie is the most important element in a woman’s outfit
Shhhhhhhh!

Which lingerie retailer attracted a sharp glance from a worried guest at a recent charity bash when he persuaded the guest’s wife to undo her dress at the dinner table so he could offer some bra fitting advice?
Shoe Zone Group reports record Christmas

Shoe Zone saw like-for-like UK sales rocket 27% in the five weeks to January 2, while sister chain Stead & Simpson saw comparable sales rise 7.6% over the same period.
Shopwatch: Firetrap, Meadowhall, Sheffield

The brand’s new look uses industrial props and the macabre to put it at the leading edge of Meadowhall’s fashion offer
Simon Berwin

Managing director, Berwin & Berwin
Snow continues to put a freeze on trade

The heavy snow which has been falling across the country since the start of the year continued to disrupt trade for both independents and multiples this week, as staff struggled to get to work and customers avoided venturing out to take advantage of the January Sales.
Step up and support UK fashion's next generation

It’s unquestionable. The British fashion sector has got real talent and while the UK scrabbles to climb out of the recession it is imperative we do not neglect the incredible young people this industry attracts.
Store sales down as online sales soar

High street fashion sales took a hit last week but online sales soared as heavy and unpredictable snowfall kept shoppers at home.
Strong Xmas sales for Mothercare

Mothercare said UK like-for-like sales grew by 4.2% over the 13 weeks to January 8.
Success Appointments

Headline Sponsor
Suzanne Harlow

Group trading director, Debenhams
Ten commandments for my retail year

My staff are capable and motivated and they don’t always need me
Tesco trials school uniform embroidery service

Tesco is trialling a school uniform embroidery service going head-to-head with independent suppliers and retailers.
The Laden Showroom kicks off retail push

Brand agency The Laden Showroom is to expand its retail operation with the launch of a transactional website and the opening of a raft of department store concessions and retail stores in a bid to grow sales fivefold over the next five years.
The only way is up for prices

After a decade of deflation, the clothing sector looks set to come under pressure to raise prices in 2010. Will retailers be able to avoid passing the increase on to customers?
The Original Retro Brand lands in UK

Agency Neat Distribution is launching The Original Retro Brand (ORB) in the UK and Republic of Ireland, making a library of US licences available to indie retailers.
The weekend newspaper round up January 16 to 17, 2010

A round up of the best fashion business stories from the weekend’s newspapers
The White Company reports strong Christmas

Clothing and homewares retailer The White Company said trading was strong at Christmas and reported full year profits soared 31% to £7.9m.
Tips from the top

The UK is a hot bed for young fashion talent, but how can emerging buyers, designers, merchandisers and technologists turn themselves into commercial assets? Drapers asks four leading industry figures what skills they look for in candidates entering their field of expertise.
TJ Hughes posts 4% Christmas sales hike

TJ Hughes said like-for-like sales grew 4% over the Christmas period, driven by strong sales of kidswear and accessories.
Tom Duncan

UK sales manager, G-Star
Trade body provides strength in numbers

The spirit of the plan is one of collaboration and working together
Ugg and Jimmy Choo to collaborate on footwear collection

Ugg Australia and luxury footwear label Jimmy Choo have teamed up to launch an ‘Ugg & Jimmy Choo’ women’s sheepskin footwear capsule collection.
Versace

Autumn 10
Vivienne Westwood

Autumn 10
Where are they now?

Back in February 2003, Drapers profiled 30 of fashion’s rising stars who at the time were aged 30 or under. Seven years on, we catch up with those talents to discover how their careers have panned out.
Will Kernan

Managing director, New Look
William Tempest, 23

Designer
Womenswear Mainstream indicator, January 16, 2009

Access Drapers’ unique source of sales information from mainstream retailers, revealing the best-selling brands, the hottest products and the latest issues to affect womenswear by clicking on the PDF.
www.clarks.com

Ryan Kliszat , Managing director, Docdata Commerce
Z Zegna

Autumn 10

Drapers16 January 2010

Drapers
16 January 2010