Drapers
21 April 2012
View all stories from this issue.
-
‘For an indie to maintain longevity, we must evolve’
Ebay’s Fashion Outlet has enjoyed international success for the past two years. -
‘Retailers are battling to solve the cross-channel mystery’
Omni-channel retailing is delivering a more savvy customer and causing sleepless nights among retailers who are battling to solve the mystery of how to consistently serve customers at any place, any time and in any way. -
A day in the life - Desiree Köster
The senior pattern cutter and studio manager gives an insight into her day running The Fashion Studio. -
A Suit That Fits measures up for John Lewis tailoring service
Tailoring etailer A Suit That Fits is moving onto the high street with the launch of a made-to-measure tailoring service in John Lewis. -
Aldo
Key women’s trends are served up but the men’s offer feels like something of an afterthought. -
Aquascutum goes into administration
Aquascutum has gone into administration, appointing FRP Advisory. -
'Aquascutum pins hopes on a buyer to dig it out of its trench'
The main topic of conversation within the fashion trade this week was the news that Aquascutum had been placed into administration and the majority stake in its sister brand Jaeger sold off to venture capitalist Jon Moulton’s firm Better Capital. -
Avoid a cookie bellyache
Website operators should now begin a series of measures so they comply with new legislation on cookies. -
Barratts
A lack of trend direction and an untidy entrance make for a sorry Barratts store. -
Benetton chair to hand reigns to his son
The chairman of Italian fashion group Benetton will step down from the business tomorrow, handing the role to his son. -
Best of Britannia event to celebrate UK manufacturing
Hiut Denim, Mark Powell Bespoke Tailoring and Harris Tweed are among the UK businesses taking part in a showcase of UK-produced brands later this year. -
Burberry plots retail expansion after sales growth slows
British heritage brand Burberry will continue to strengthen its retail arm this year despite experiencing a slowdown in revenue growth. -
Changing history
It may be 257 years old, but for Wolsey chief executive Fergus Patterson, the brand’s story starts right now. -
Clarks
Just enough on-trend updates alongside the basics keep the Clarks customer happy. -
Coach Q3 profits rise
US bag and accessories brand Coach has reported a 21% increase in its third quarter profit for the three months to March 31. -
Digital Edition: April 21 2012
Wolsey reborn: Boss Fergus Patterson on why this is “season zero” for the heritage brand. -
Dune
Although the window displays draw in customers, it is undermined by inattentive staff. -
Ede & Ravenscroft awarded fourth royal warrant
Tailor Ede & Ravenscroft has been granted a fourth royal warrant, with the latest warrant awarded for its services to tailoring. -
Even a wet Easter could do little to dampen spirits
The nation’s retailers approached Easter with great trepidation this year, as forecasters were predicting wintry weather after the unseasonably warm spell which preceded the break. -
Exclusive: Topman’s David Shepherd promoted to Arcadia board
Topman managing director David Shepherd has been promoted to chief operating officer for trading at Arcadia, in a bid to grow the group’s e-commerce and international businesses. -
Fashion challenging in a positive week for John Lewis
Fashion had a “challenging” week at John Lewis up just 0.9% because of the cooler weather but overall sales at the retailer were favourable. -
Fashion Fringe last call for entries
Fashion Fringe, the event which gives up and coming designers the chance of showing at London Fashion Week, will close for entries in seven days’ time. -
Fashion Index
View our new fashion data pages to get a barometer of trade in the UK and worldwide. -
Fenn Wright Manson design director joins Nougat to launch Project 40
Fenn Wright Manson’s former design director Claire Lawrence has been hired by womenswear brand Nougat to create a new brand aimed at the 40-plus market. -
Forever 21 reveal new face of spring 12 campaign
Forever 21, the fast-fashion retailer, has revealed pink-haired model Charlotte Free as the new face of its spring 12 campaign entitled Love is Free. -
Gelert places distribution centre staff into consultation
Outdoor brand Gelert has put 18 staff at one of its two distribution centres into consultation, as it considers its future. -
Gina Tricot - Södermalm, Stockholm
Set against the UK’s hefty population, Sweden’s 9,415,000 (2011 census) doesn’t sound very much. -
H&M
Key trends are covered here but the cheap materials and bad merchandising take their toll. -
Hackett, Boxfresh and Henry Poole & Co scoop 2012 Queen’s Award
Classic men’s lifestyle brand Hackett London, young fashion brand Boxfresh and Savile Row tailor Henry Poole & Co have been awarded the 2012 Queen’s Award for Enterprise. -
Harrods Direct boss joins My-Wardrobe as chief executive
Premium etailer My-Wardrobe.com has poached Harrods ecommerce boss David Worby as its chief executive. -
Hervia to open 10 Y-3 shops across UK
Vivienne Westwood’s former franchise partner Hervia is to roll out standalone stores for its Adidas-licensed Y-3 label. -
Hit or Miss - Liverpool
The £1bn Liverpool One retail development changed the face of shopping in Liverpool. -
Ice cream shades heat up a cooling denim market
Impressive online and offline sales of women’s denim over the past year are helping the market return to a position of strength after a few years of plateauing sales. -
Indies get on board with etail portal Miinto.com
Indies including The Dressing Room, Pamela Shiffer and Psyche have signed up to ecommerce portal Miinto.com, which launched in the UK last week. -
Indies offered academy scholarships
Indies are being given the chance to win eight scholarships worth more than £2,000 each that are up for grabs at the Oxford Summer School Academy. -
International rescue could be only lifeline for Aquascutum
Aquascutum is likely to be rescued by an international group according to industry sources, following the British heritage brand’s collapse into administration this week. -
Jones Bootmaker
A wide offer of quality brands and styles with enough trends to interest a variety of shoppers. -
Kane, Saunders and Fulton vying for Scottish Designer of the Year
Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders and Holly Fulton are among the six designers vying for the honour of Scottish designer of the year, one of the top accolades of the annual Scottish Fashion Awards whcih will take place in June. -
Kurt Geiger
A great-looking store with some of the best product, but the staff let it down. -
Liberty chases Olympic shoppers in Stratford
Liberty is to open a pop-up store at shopping centre Westfield Stratford in May. -
Livia Firth
The Eco Age co-founder (and wife of actor Colin) has a mission to make fashion sustainable, she tells Graeme Moran. -
LK Bennett
Premium footwear staples are given a trend-led twist, topped off with excellent service. -
M&S launches instore clothing recycling programme with Oxfam
The UK’s biggest clothing retailer Marks and Spencer has launched its first instore clothing recycling programme with Oxfam, fronted by Joanna Lumley. -
M&S stock issues a ‘red herring’
The stock shortages cited by Marks & Spencer in its fourth quarter results as a reason for a dip in general merchandise sales are a “red herring”, according to industry sources. -
Marks & Spencer
A broad selection of brands and styles means this store feels a little too full. -
McArthurGlen appoints chief operating officer
Designer outlet operator McArthurGlen has appointed former Guess European vice-president Stephan Labelle to the newly-created position of chief operating officer. -
Mixed messages from M&S
It seems to have taken a few days for the implications of M&S’s fourth quarter performance to sink in, as City bears have come out in force this morning to take note of what some of the national press described as a “disappointing” set of results for the retailer. -
Mothercare finance director resigns
Mothercare finance director Neil Harrington has resigned from the struggling maternity retailer. -
Nelly.com is in party mood for UK debut
Swedish etailer Nelly.com is plotting a marketing campaign to support its arrival in the UK last week. -
New Look
Trends are present and correct but a distinct compromise in quality lets the offer down. -
Next
Impressive footwear areas provide good spaces to browse but prices are not so on the money. -
Not so Hush Hush
Footwear brand Hush Puppies has revealed images from its new campaign to promote the launch of its first premium men’s footwear range, the Hemingway Design for Hush Puppies autumn 12 collection. -
Oasis concession for Frock and Frill
Womenswear etailer Frock and Frill will open its first concessions this month with a collection for Oasis. -
Off the record, April 21 2012
Club Monaco had a Ton of fun, Towie hit the catwalk and Mark Heyes is getting ready to run. -
Office
Liverpool’s busiest store pulls in the crowds with good trend-led product and smiley service. -
On the radar - Liberty London for Dr Martens
Dr Martens has revealed its spring 12 collaboration with Liberty London, utilising the department store’s archive of art fabrics to update its classic footwear styles. -
On your Marks for a lucrative summer
Before Easter, Marks & Spencer launched its latest summer campaign, at the centre of which is a 90-second Britfest so sickly sweet it’s like Hannah Montana tucking into a year’s supply of candy floss and so dripping in nostalgia that Wayne Hemingway’s Vintage Festival would look positively futuristic next to it. -
ONS reports retail sales rise in March
Retail sales surged year-on-year and month-on-month in March, official data showed. -
Opening Ceremony to launch in London
New York cult indie Opening Ceremony is to open a pop-up shop in London this summer with plans for a more permanent site later this year. -
PPR luxury brands fuel revenue rise though Puma disappoints
French luxury group PPR, the company behind Gucci, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, saw revenues rise in its first quarter driven by strong sales from its luxury division. -
Primark ponders legal action against fake Dubai store
Rip-off merchants have opened a fake Primark store in Dubai, pirating the retailer’s image and selling lookalike goods. -
Pringle design director set to leave
Pringle of Scotland’s design director Alistair Carr is leaving the luxury knitwear brand after just over a year at the company. -
Protestors take to Savile Row
Protestors have turned out in force this morning at the home of British tailoring, Savile Row, to show their anger at the proposed plans for an Abercrombie & Fitch kid’s store on the street. -
Republic adds American Apparel to the mix
Young fashion chain Republic has added US lifestyle brand American Apparel to its brand mix. -
River Island
Great trend direction means product is strong but bad labelling and untidiness let it down. -
Schuh
Good interpretations of women’s trends but the lack of staff and an untidy men’s area disappoint. -
Sports Direct posts 13.2% sales rise
Sports Direct has recorded a 13.2% uplift in total sales to £267.6m. -
SuperGroup faces probe after maths blunder
SuperGroup faces a regulatory investigation following its “arithmetic error” which led to its shares crashing by nearly 40%. -
SuperGroup's value drops following profit warning
Fashion retailer SuperGroup has issued a shock profit warning after uncovering maths errors in its forecasting. -
Tesco to prioritise clothing performance as general merchandise sales dip
Tesco is to prioritise the performance of its clothing division, as sales across its general merchandise, clothing and electricals department dipped 3.9% in the year to February 25. -
This week’s hero - Topshop
Pointing the way to the most important products, people, stories and shows in fashion right now. -
Three of the best - Polka-dot pieces
A perennial spring favourite, the polka dot is a safe bet again this season: keep it classic with a traditional polka or, for a younger woman, a bold maxi print hits the spot. -
Topman to launch premium suiting range
Topman will launch a premium suiting line for autumn 12 to capitalise on growing consumer demand for tailoring. -
Topshop/Topman
Top of the shops. Every trend and a little more, as well as some of the best VM, store design and staff. -
Trendwatch - Blazing Ladies
Whether bold print, colour or down- played plains, a chic way customers are dealing with the spring chill is with tailored jackets. -
UK economy falls into double dip recession
The UK economy has returned to recession after the economy shrank by 0.2% in the first three months of 2012. -
UK Fashion Hub in Olympic running
A proposal from the UK fashion industry is one of three final bids being considered this week for the redevelopment of the London Olympics Media Centre in east London. -
Uniqlo post losses but will still expand in the UK
The parent company of Japanese fast fashion retailer Uniqlo, Fast Retailing has posted a UK loss of £9.74m for the year to August 31, 2011 but will still look to expand in the UK. -
What will be your most popular spring 12 footwear trends?
Industry insider’s share their thoughts. -
What’s the (pay) deal?
Calling all fashion retail head office, store and fashion brand staff! We want to know where you think your career is headed in the next 12 months as part of Drapers’ Salary Survey.
