Drapers
3 March 2007
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Abercrombie & Fitch on the expansion trail
Abercrombie & Fitch is on the look-out for stores in Europe and Japan for its eponymous chain and its Hollister young fashion business. Chief executive Mike Jeffries said last week that the retailer was 'aggressively pursuing' real estate for the expansion. Its London store, which opens later this month, is expected to have similar sales densities to the US flagship on New York's Fifth Avenue. -
Accessories licensing deal at Aquascutum
Aquascutum has signed a licensing deal with accessories manufacturer Novaseta to produce ties and scarves for its menswear and womenswear collections. Novaseta owner Antichi Pellettieri will make footwear and bags for Aquascutum. -
Bank on Basler
For years, the name Basler has meant money in the till for upmarket classic womenswear retailers. But a 'safe' image presents its own problems, so how can the management team move the brand forward without alienating its core customers? -
Bestseller begins UK retail push
Fashion house Bestseller is planning a UK push with a new multi-branded format, signalling the retail roll-out of the Danish business's Vero Moda brand. -
BRC calls for rental rethink as quarterly rent day looms
Retailers are being urged to write new terms into their leases for monthly rather than quarterly rent payments, as independents approach the most difficult rent day of the year. -
Bridal retailers need lessons in love
A shopping expedition for a wedding gown leaves bride-to-be Sarah Davidson blushing with anger -
Budgets up at Harrogate lingerie show
Independent lingerie buyers were in high spirits at Harrogate Lingerie and Swimwear Exhibition in North Yorkshire this week, investing higher autumn 07 budgets in larger-size bras and a new style of briefs. -
Buying roles rejigged at House of Fraser
House of Fraser menswear buying manager Julie Woodhead is understood to be moving to a role in the womenswear buying team as part of a reshuffle at the department store chain. The two remaining menswear buying managers will become heads of buying, with Jackie Hay overseeing formalwear and accessories and Pablo Sueiras taking responsibility for casual brands and kidswear. -
Calling all new independent retailers
Drapers is putting together a feature on new independent retailers. If your store has opened its doors over the past 12 months, Drapers would like to hear from you. Call 020 7812 3777 or email charlotte.marrion@emap.com. -
CARE International asks retailers to take a hike
Overseas development agency CARE International is calling on the industry to take part in its annual team-building event in Snowdonia in Wales to help raise money to fight poverty across the world. -
Conference to discuss working conditions
Gap, Next, Topman and Zara will be among the attendees at an ethical conference next week to discuss ways of improving working conditions in the world's clothing factories. Fashion students will also take part in the event, called Creating an Ethical Future for the Fashion Industry. The conference takes place on March 7 at the Fashion & Textile Museum in London SE1. -
Daisy Lowe fronts Whistles' spring campaign
Whistles has signed model Daisy Lowe as its new face for spring 07. The retailer's spring collection includes tunic dresses and cotton blouses with soft, unstructured silhouettes in floral prints. Tailoring features shrunken cotton blazers, wide-leg trousers and tailored shorts. -
Dorothy Perkins embroiled in sock row
Dorothy Perkins has been accused of copying slipper sock designs from hosiery maker Drew Brady. The Arcadia-owned chain has been forced to withdraw the product and Drew Brady has issued a writ against the group. Dorothy Perkins confirmed that it was involved in litigation. -
Drapers Share monitor - Sports Direct shows early promise
Founder Mike Ashley netted £929 million as his Sports Direct empire launched on the stock market with an initial public offering at 300p per share. -
Dundee to host its second New Look store
New Look is to open a second shop in Dundee at the Overgate shopping centre in the next few weeks. The young fashion retailer is moving into a unit previously occupied by value retailer Primark. The 30,000 sq ft store will have adjacencies with retailers such as Bank and Office at the centre. New Look will also open 40 stores over the next five years in the Middle East, as part of a franchise deal with Landmark International. -
Eden Park expands into kidswear
French lifestyle brand Eden Park, known for its rugby heritage, has expanded its offer to include kidswear for autumn 07. The range, which will include babywear, girlswear and boyswear, will wholesale to UK independents, priced from £15 to £60. -
Former D2 and Qube director joins Dolcis as finance boss
Dolcis owner John Kinnaird has brought in former D2 and Qube finance director Richard Clark to take up the same position at the footwear chain this week. Kinnaird told Drapers that Dolcis was experiencing modest like-for-like growth, but that he expected to see double-digit growth over the next six months. He is still recruiting for a buying director for the business. -
Four Marketing to distribute True Religion
Four Marketing has signed a deal to become the UK distributor for US denim brand True Religion. It will distribute the label's ranges from autumn 07. True Religion has expanded its collection for the season by granting licenses for outerwear, accessories and footwear ranges, although they are not yet available in the UK. The brand had been sold in the UK by Area 142 since 2004. -
Galliano injects some autumn colour with 1940s-style Dior
Designer John Galliano celebrated his 10th year at Dior with a burst of colour at the fashion house's autumn 07 catwalk show in Paris next week. Bursts of acid and apple green, chartreuse, fuchsia and tangerine sat alongside mink, violet, dove grey, charcoal and white. Hips and shoulders were highlighted by bustles, origami folds, ruching and structured tiers as part of a 1940s theme. -
Gap calls time on its Forth & Towne fascia
Gap Inc is ditching its US womenswear concept Forth & Towne 18 months after its debut. The 19-strong chain was aimed at a more upmarket customer than the Gap fascia, but a spokesman said the concept lacked long-term investment potential. The Forth & Towne shops are expected to close this summer. -
George throws down the gauntlet
As Asda unveils an aggressive George ad campaign, what do industry insiders think of the tactic? -
Hampson pledges to share green report
John Lewis Partnership chairman Sir Stuart Hampson has said the retailer is willing to share the Sustainable Construction Framework it published last week with the rest of the industry. -
IC Companys chooses interim UK manager
Danish brand house IC Companys has drafted in its international sales director Henrik La Cour as UK interim country manager, after Frances Card's departure (Drapers, February 17). It was thought that group wholesale manager Sune Bjerregaard would fill the UK management role, but he will now become brand director for IC Companys' Jackpot label. -
Jaeger London hits foreign shores with spring range
Jaeger is launching its first Jaeger London spring menswear collection, which will also be the first range from the sub-brand to be sold outside the UK. A shop-in-shop will open this spring in the Illum department store in Copenhagen in Denmark, featuring the 1950s- and 1960s-inspired range. Key pieces will include seersucker blazers, striped shirts and stone-washed jackets, alongside cotton chinos, slim-fit jeans and a baseball-style jacket. Jaeger London menswear is sold in 12 UK stores. -
Jimmy Choo chief to buy luxury goods brands
Jimmy Choo chief executive Robert Bensoussan is to create a £500 million mini-conglomerate in the luxury goods sector. Bensoussan is expected to link up with private equity firm Towerbrook to buy luxury retailers. They will be placed in an umbrella company alongside Jimmy Choo, which Towerbrook is in the process of buying for £185 million. Bensoussan will target poorly performing firms in the UK, Europe and the US. -
Kookai gears up for UK growth
Kookai is on the expansion trail with plans to take the business more upmarket, a year after its UK operation was bought out of administration. -
Legal notices
WINDING-UP ORDERS -
Littlewoods edges back towards the black
Littlewoods Shop Direct Group cut its pre-tax losses to £17.3 million for the year to April 2006, compared with a loss of £55.5m the year before, due to lower interest payments and the disposal of its unprofitable high street business. Its delivery and home shopping arms posted losses of £49.6m, against a profit of £87m the year before. -
Lounging around with Gant for autumn 07
Lifestyle brand Gant is launching a men's loungewear range for the coming season. Pieces include 100% cotton robes and co-ordinating trousers or shorts in classic checks or blue. The collection will be available to all current Gant menswear stockists, with prices from £13 to £30. -
Matalan's senior team set for rejig
Matalan is on the hunt for a merchandise director as the value chain looks to strengthen its senior team as part of a business review under its new ownership. -
Milan
Designers in Italy shunned flippant femininity in favour of stronger future-forward shapes for autumn 07 -
New Graduate Fashion Week show added
Graduate Fashion Week is to add a second show to its schedule in order to showcase all students' entries. -
New Look unlikely to float as City confidence crumbles
Young fashion chain New Look is unlikely to float, according to leading City analysts, following a loss of confidence in fashion retail IPOs after Debenhams returned to market last year. -
Next's new store format and ads herald retail revival
Next has kicked off its plan to reinvigorate its business, with new store formats, its first TV ad campaign in 12 years and a new womenswear product director. -
Nicole's dress wins in Oscars replica stakes
UK eveningwear specialist Bernshaw has highlighted five of the most striking dresses from last Sunday's Oscars ceremony as key fashion pieces for its mid-season offer. In response to emerging trends on show at the Oscars, Bernshaw's new designs are influenced by one-shouldered styles worn by Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet, as well as a lipstick-red dress worn by Nicole Kidman (pictured), a platinum liquid-satin design worn by Rachel Weisz and Madonna's slinky black satin dress. 'As well as b -
Not partial to the Dane attraction
Mark Hale returns from Copenhagen with an empty wallet and little in the way of inspiration -
Nudie drops Ralf after legal feud
Swedish denim brand Nudie Jeans has been forced by Polo Ralph Lauren to rebrand one of its core styles. -
Oasis camps it up with outdoor collection
Young fashion multiple Oasis is launching an outdoor range called Oasis Gone Camping for spring 07. The collection includes butterfly-print tents, sleeping bags, macs and umbrellas. It will be available in stores and online from April, to coincide with the summer festival season. Retail prices range from £8 to £75. -
Off the Record
Rumours, gossip, parties -
Officers Club expansion on hold
The Officers Club has called a halt to its expansion plans as it attempts to move away from its cut-price image. -
Paris textile events lure more UK visitors
UK visitor numbers at Paris textile shows Premiere Vision and Texworld rose last week as designers and fabric buyers looked to beef up their fabrications. -
Peacock Group replaces finance director
The Peacock Group financial controller Mike Killick will take over as group finance director as the firm invests £30 million in store openings and refurbishments. -
PENELOPE CRUZ IN VERSACE
PENELOPE CRUZ IN VERSACE -
Plans unveiled for £40m West End facelift
Plans for a £40 million revamp of London's West End have been published for consultation by the New West End Company and Westminster City Council. The council said it would back developers with innovative ideas to improve the east end of Oxford Street. The consultation period will run until May 27. -
Playing the private equity game
Why do private equity investors always enter a room backwards? So they can keep their eye on the exit. So goes the joke that's been circulating the City for many years now. So it should not come as much of a surprise to learn that Permira and Apax are considering the sale of fashion chain New Look just three years after they bought it. -
Playtex lacks support for half-size bras
Lingerie brand Playtex has launched a range of half-size bras into the UK market, amid criticism from brands and buyers. -
Primark shrugs off static like-for-likes
Value fashion chain Primark is pressing on with accelerated opening plans, despite flat like-for-like sales. -
QS merchandising boss goes in restructure
QS buying and merchandising director Jane Hotz left the business last week as part of a senior management reshuffle. An external replacement for Hotz will be announced on Monday. Chief executive Findlay Caldwell said no redundancies would be made at the value chain. -
Queens of the red carpet
Seven UK occasionwear specialists rate the gowns from last Sunday's Oscars -
Quenching a thirst for fashion
Jane Woolf has been at the forefront of young fashion for 30 years but narrowly escaped a career as a cabaret dancer. The buying and product director for Oasis left this month after 16 years at the retailer, and held a similar role at Warehouse for a decade before that. Former Oasis director Maurice Bennett says: 'In my years in the industry, I can honestly say I've never come across her equal.' Woolf, who has two children, has now moved on to consultancy work. -
Rieker opens second franchise store in UK
Comfort footwear brand Rieker unveiled its second UK franchise store this week. The label, which has 600 UK wholesale footwear accounts, opened the 1,200 sq ft store in Glasgow, and aims to expand its franchise and standalone store count in the UK when appropriate locations arise. Rieker runs its UK business from a 323,000 sq ft warehouse in Northampton, but hopes to relocate to premises at least twice the size. -
Rose teases pundits over Sainsbury's
Stuart Rose kept retail pundits guessing this week by refusing to rule out a possible takeover bid for Sainsbury’s. -
Spaniards take offence at Dolce & Gabbana ad
Dolce & Gabbana has axed a risque advertising campaign in Spain after it was condemned as sexist and violent. The ad, which was described by D&G as an artistic photo, shows a scantily-clad woman being held down by a man while other men watch. The move comes after D&G was forced to pull UK ads featuring blood-stained models holding knives. -
Suppliers asked to help with Skillfast diploma
Fashion skills council Skillfast UK is asking suppliers to help it develop a specialised diploma in retail, which will combine vocational and academic training for 14- to 19-year-olds. The group is looking for advice on what retail trainees need to know about garment and footwear manufacturing. For details, visit www.skillfast-uk.org/employers. -
The Drapers Fashion Fix Poll
Every week we ask Drapersblog.com readers their opinion on the question of the week. -
Valentine's Day boosts Ann Summers' sales
Lingerie brands Ann Summers and Knickerbox reported strong post-Valentine's Day trading figures, with like-for-like sales at Ann Summers stores up by 6% in the three weeks to February 14. Online sales rose by 53% during the same period. Chief executive Jacqueline Gold said that more women had shopped for Valentine's products this year compared with last year. Ann Summers has 134 stores, with Knickerbox concessions in each one. -
Vive la difference
A positive mood at Paris fabric show Premiere Vision was fuelled by UK buyers looking to sex up their designs with innovative new materials -
Young fashion entrepreneurs to win funding
Jane Shepherdson and Harold Tillman are to sit on the board of a new initiative by the Centre for Fashion Enterprise called the Fashion Enterprise Forum. Its aim will be to raise several million pounds to fund young fashion entrepreneurs through the early years of their business.
