Drapers
4 August 2007
View all stories from this issue.
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A little conversation is Pure heaven
Clare Morgan heads to pure determined to win over the buyers with her smile and some chit-chat -
Bench to take a seat in Northern Ireland
Lifestyle brand Bench is opening its first standalone store in Northern Ireland. The 2,700sq ft unit will open at the Bridgewater Park centre in August, joining retailers including Puma, Jaeger, and Replay. -
Caprice eyes new accounts and dives into swimwear
Model Caprice has launched a swimwear range for spring 08, as she aims to more than double the distribution of her By Caprice lingerie line. By Caprice currently has 15 stockists, including Debenhams, Figleaves.com and Asos.com, and hopes to pick up 25 new accounts at Harrogate Lingerie and Swimwear Exhibition next month. By Caprice swimwear comprises eight lines from sizes 8 to 18, priced at £28. -
City warns Monsoon to update its image
Womenswear retailer Monsoon must update its product offer and resolve distribution issues if it is to halt sliding sales, City analysts have said. -
Drapers ready to hike for CARE International
A team from Drapers has signed up for the CARE International and Prima Solutions Adventure Challenge in Snowdonia on September 16. David Brooklyn, Rosie Nottage, Elise Pepper, Victoria Hart and Guy McCulloch will hike, cycle and canoe across Snowdonia National Park to raise money for CARE International. The team's kit was supplied by Gore-Tex brands Sprayway and Brasher. Drapers is the media partner for the event. Visit www.carechallenge.org.uk for details. -
Finding the right fit
Staff recruitment and retention can be a recurring headache for many retailers. Lucia Cockcroft looks at how some fashion businesses tackle the problem -
Freespirit suitors are set to pounce
Retailers and private equity groups are eyeing boardsports chain Freespirit as owner Blacks Leisure weighs up its future. -
Gap recruits new chairman and chief exec
Gap has appointed Glenn Murphy as chairman and chief executive, succeeding Robert Fisher, who will remain on Gap's board of directors. Murphy was previously chairman and chief executive of Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada's equivalent of Boots. -
Grenson to launch airport campaign
UK footwear brand Grenson is launching an international airport poster campaign next month. The brand sells in Selfridges and Kurt Geiger, as well as selected independents. Prices range from £50 to £90. -
Hackett picks Goode looks for autumn ads
Hackett London has signed British actor Matthew Goode as the face of the brand this autumn. Goode, who starred in Woody Allen film Match Point alongside Scarlett Johansson, will also appear in a new production of Brideshead Revisited. He will feature in the autumn ad campaign in GQ, Arena and various Sunday supplements from September until Christmas for the brand's Mayfair collection, which is influenced by a 1950s and 1960s look. Hackett will also continue to sponsor England and Newcastle ru -
Jesire sets its sights on new concessions
Boutique label Jesire is to open concessions in department stores Elys of Wimbledon in south-west London and House of Fraser at Lakeside in Essex. The openings, in August and September respectively, will bring Jesire's concessions count to 28, plus three standalone stores. Its like-for-like sales rose by 19% last year. -
Joystick Junkies plays the game in Europe
UK streetwear label Joystick Junkies has signed a string of international distribution deals. Interga will distribute the brand in Italy; Disaster Distribution in France and Spain; and Port Company in Germany. The brand is planning a US launch next year. -
Laurel unveils hi-tech new look for spring
German premium womens-wear brand Laurel unveiled a new contemporary look in London last week. -
Loewe appoints Mulberry design director
Former Mulberry design director Stuart Vevers has joined luxury leather goods label Loewe as creative director. Vevers, who has been at Mulberry since 2005, will take up the role in January and will be based in Madrid, where Loewe has its studio. -
London fashion week - New faces join LFW line-up
London Fashion Week will attract a raft of new designer names to its catwalks in September, including Luella, Adidas by Stella McCartney, Rodnik and Armand Basi. -
Long-term Ashley confounds the City
You have to wonder whether Mike Ashley's low profile thus far was not so much down to his brooding inwardness and publicity shyness, but the result of necessity. Perhaps the Sports Direct founder knew that if you wound him up sufficiently and put him in front of a camera, he was capable of antics that even the most hardened of City PRs couldn't patch up. -
Louis Vuitton signs Westfield London store
Louis Vuitton is to open a 3,000 sq ft store in the Westfield London shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush, west London, which is due to open in 2008. It will be the luxury brand's first site in a UK mall. Louis Vuitton already has standalone stores in New Bond Street, Sloane Street and Royal Exchange Buildings in London, plus concessions in Harrods and Selfridges. -
LVMH credits Louis Vuitton as profits soar
Profits at luxury brand house LVMH rose by 10% to EUR814 million (£549m) across fashion and leather goods for the first half of the year. Sales jumped by 12% to EUR2.6 billion (£1.75bn). Louis Vuitton was cited as a star performer after posting double-digit sales growth. Group profits rose 11% to EUR1.44bn (£970m). Sales were up 12% to EUR7.4bn (£5bn). -
Making it in Manchester
The Drapers Colleges Portfolio Award recognises the design efforts of the UK's fashion colleges. Laura Jackson swots up on the first-ever winner -
Manchester crackdown nets £3m worth of fake clothing
Manchester authorities are moving to clamp down on retailers selling fake branded clothing as they seek to shed the city's status as one of the UK's three 'counterfeit capitals'. -
Material wealth
This year's Texprint awards celebrated the best of the UK's graduate textile talent, with illustrious names among the judges. Laura Jackson was there to meet them -
Mosaic goes east
After overcoming SARS and EU import quotas, Mosaic Fashions' Asian sourcing office, led by Richard Thomas, faces another tough task. Marino Donati finds out how it plans to keep pace with the group's expansion strategy -
Moss Bros and Simon Carter team up for standalone franchise deal
Menswear business Moss Bros is collaborating with tailoring and accessories brand Simon Carter to roll out standalone stores for the brand. -
Moss Bros surprises City as sales rise
Even retailers bucking the high street sales slump couldn't beat this week's general drop in retail stock. -
New visual merchandising boss for Jigsaw
Womenswear retailer Jigsaw has appointed Fay McLeod as visual merchandising director, reporting to creative director Louise Trotter. McLeod was previously a visual merchandiser at Liberty. -
Power cut fails to dampen mood of visitors at AIS menswear show
A cautiously upbeat mood prevailed at this season's Associated Independent Stores' menswear trade show in Solihull, despite a power cut that interrupted the first day of the three-day event. -
Power to the people
Today's shoppers are more techno-savvy and hands-on than ever. Penelope Ody looks at how advances in technology are changing their in-store experience -
Pure and CPD clash could cause travel turmoil
Exhibitors and buyers may be forced to choose between womenswear shows Pure and CPD next February, with both events now scheduled to take place on the same dates. -
Rockit science as Susanna Zeta debuts in UK
Italian label Susanna Zeta is launching in the UK for spring 08 via London agency Rockit. The 40-piece womenswear range includes jewel-embellished dresses in silk and cotton, in red, violet and royal blue tones. Liverpool indie The Lounge has already picked up the label, which sits beside Gharani Strok and Antik Batik. Prices range from £90 to £150. -
Sales drive Wolford's retail growth
Luxury legwear brand Wolford is planning more UK stores on the back of soaring retail sales. -
Scottish Retail Excellence Awards up for grabs
Retailers are being invited to nominate contenders for the second Scottish Retail Excellence Awards. Categories include Retail Innovation, Store Manager, Independent Retailer, Responsible Retailer, Tourism Retailer, Shopping Destination, National Chain, Newcomer and Retailer. Nominations must be received by August 13. Visit the BRC website at www.brc.org.uk for more information. -
Secret weapons fire the confidence
As body-conscious fashions hit the rails, Sarah Murray's customers put their faith in slimming pants -
Sniff scents a new location for footwear store
Footwear retailer Sniff will open its third London boutique, in St Christopher's Place, in September. The 500sq ft unit, next door to Whistles, will sell branded and own-label men's and women's footwear, as well as cult styles from Nike. Sniff's other two stores are also in London. -
Steady as he goes
A cautious buying mood was reflected by a carousel of play-safe commercial collections at the AIS menswear show, which took place in Solihull last week -
Stella McCartney set for spring lingerie launch
Stella McCartney has teamed up with manufacturer Bendon to launch a lingerie range for spring. The collection will be available next month, aimed at high-end department stores and boutiques. Bendon holds the licence for Elle Macpherson Intimates, and owns Bendon Lingerie and Fayreform. -
Summer ends early as stores clear Sale stock to call in autumn product
Retailers are scrambling to put autumn stock in store after writing off the summer season, just as the weather is forecast to heat up. -
Supermarkets cash in on clothing sales
Supermarkets' clothing and footwear sales are expected to grow by 45.4% by 2011, according to Verdict. The research firm also found that last year, leading supermarkets including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco claimed more than £1 in every £10 spent on non-food products in the UK. -
Textile Society celebrates its 25th birthday
The Textile Society will hold its 25th Anniversary Symposium next month, celebrating the society's history. The event will feature talks from designers, historians and industry experts, covering topics including textile printing and history. The event will take place at the V&A Museum in London. For information go to www.textilesociety.org.uk. -
The Drapers fashion fix poll
Every week we ask Drapersblog.com readers their opinion on the question of the week. -
The elves and the shoemaker
In the past 10 years, footwear designer Jane Brown's business has grown from a small firm producing handmade product into two international brands, Jane Brown Shoes and Bacarolle. She was inspired as a child while watching her shoes being handmade at a market in Singapore, and her feminine footwear is praised for its comfort and style. Although her Notting Hill store has closed, Brown aims to open more shops in London and grow her stockist base -
Three more stores join Drake Circus line-up
Topshop, Topman and Cult Clothing have signed stores at the Drake Circus shopping centre in Plymouth. They join the likes of Primark, Bershka and Animal at the centre. -
Triumph to make UK debut in September
Triumph will open its first two stores in the UK, in Exeter and Basingstoke's Festival Place mall, in September. Both will sell all of Triumph's brands, including Triumph, Sloggi, Valisere and Hom. -
Tu boss takes control of clothing as fashion sales rocket at Sainsbury's
Tu buying and design director Adrian Mountford has been appointed as business unit director of Sainsbury's soaring clothing division, with fashion set to be given more space in stores next year. -
UK extension plans for Scotland's Attic
Young fashion independent Attic is on course to expand beyond its two shops in Scotland, with another five UK stores planned in the next five years. -
Uniqlo signs two central London stores
Japanese retailer Uniqlo will open its European flagship store on London's Oxford Street this autumn. The 25,000sq ft store, near John Lewis, will be joined by a 17,000sq ft branch at the eastern end of the street in the autumn. They will be the fourth and fifth Uniqlo branches to open in the UK this year, following shops in Knightsbridge, Kensington and Reading, taking its UK total to 13. -
Victoria Square in Belfast bags fashion trio
All Saints, Reiss and boardsports brand Billabong have signed up to the £320 million Victoria Square retail development in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Other retailers at the 800,000sq ft centre will include House of Fraser, Hugo Boss, Coast and H&M. The scheme is set to open in March next year. -
Vietnam ramps up textile and clothing exports
Vietnam will double the value of its textile and clothing exports by 2010, according to research consultant Textiles Intelligence. The country plans to double the number of people working in the industry and boost exports from US$4.8 billion to US$10bn (£2.36bn to £4.93bn) by 2010. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organisation on January 11. -
Weather-beaten women's indies cut buying budgets
Womenswear independents are cutting buying budgets for spring 08 after poor trading and gloomy weather, ahead of trade show Pure in London this week. -
What price a conscience?
A new report that claims ethical trading will push sourcing costs up by 5% is forcing retailers to assess its impact on their business -
Woolworths rebrands Ladybird Value
Woolworths is to rebrand its Ladybird Value kids-wear range as Worth It, to match the value brand that launched across the retailer's other product categories in May.
