Drapers
5 April 2008
View all stories from this issue.
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Ashley linked to future of USA Pro label
Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley is rumoured to be close to securing the rights to women’s sportswear brand USA Pro after it went into administration. -
Asos to hit the fairways with golfing range
Young fashion etailer Asos is set to launch a premium golfwear collection this month. The range will feature six labels, including Puma, Tommy Hilfiger, William Hunt, Golfsexy and JL by J Lindeberg. -
Bandolera eyes retail growth
Dutch womenswear business Bandolera is gearing up for international retail expansion, after soaring sales across the eponymous brand and its younger casual brand Not The Same. -
Baugur links up with London College of Fashion
Investment group Baugur has pledged to sponsor the London College of Fashion’s graduate fashion shows and will offer the students work placements at its companies and a mentoring service. -
Berry tones ripen footwear sales
Berry tones, textured patents and chunkier heels are stepping into the spotlight on women’s footwear for autumn 08, according to agents and buyers. -
BFA appoints new chief executive
Richard Kottler has been appointed chief executive of the British Footwear Association. -
BFC launches search for New Gen designers
The British Fashion Council has kicked off its search for the next round of New Generation sponsored designers at London Fashion Week. -
Boss quits after a year with QS
QS chief executive David Pidgeon left the value chain last week just 12 months after joining the business. -
BSSA opens March quarterly sales survey
The British Shops and Stores Association is calling on independent retailers to take part in its quarterly sales monitor for the period ended March 2008. -
Bunty Stokes
The UK sales and merchandising boss of online designer discount boutique BrandAlley tells Melinda Oliver about her role in the site’s UK launch. -
Casely-Hayford leaves Gieves
Gieves & Hawkes creative director Joe Casely-Hayford has left the business to relaunch his own label. -
Chasing the silver pound
Older women are becoming increasingly fickle shoppers. With like-for-like sales at Alexon’s branded arm slipping 5% in the past year, how will the multi-brand group fight back? -
Drapers and BFC at Colleges Council Open Day
Drapers is once again teaming up with the British Fashion Council to offer the best Portfolio Award at the BFC’s Colleges Council Open Day on April 8. -
Drapers Footwear Award finalists announced
The companies in the running to pick up a coveted trophy at the Drapers Footwear Awards 2008 are unveiled today. -
Drapers joins new women in retail awards
Drapers is teaming up with business resource group Everywoman for the first Everywoman Retail Awards 2008, which are now open for entries. -
Easter footfall worse than feared
Retail footfall dropped 9.2% over the Easter fortnight, against Easter fornight last year, far worse than the 5.2% predicted by analysts SPSL. -
Ermanno Scervino comes to London
Womenswear brand Ermanno Scervino has opened a UK flagship store on London’s Sloane Street, selling the brand’s men’s, women’s and kids’ ranges. -
Ex-Selfridges buyer joins BrandAlley
Ex-Selfridges buyer Ian Foley has joined BrandAlley.co.uk as accessories buyer to expand the etailer's range of luxury products. -
Footwear brands step up the pace with TV ads
Skechers, Geox and Buckle My Shoe have launched TV advertising campaigns to help support their stockists through a difficult trading period. -
Green appoints retail director for Bhs
Bhs has appointed a Marks & Spencer area manager as its new retail director. -
Green appoints retail director for Bhs
Bhs has appointed a Marks & Spencer area manager as its new retail director. -
Greenwoods rules itself out of Moss Bros bid
Greenwoods, the menswear multiple, has pulled out of the running to buy Moss Bros after failing to reach an agreement with family shareholders in the business. -
H&M in tie up with Comme Des Garcons
Comme des Garçons' founder and head designer Rei Kawakubo is the latest guest collection to join forces with H&M. -
H&M in tie up with Comme Des Garcons
Comme des Garçons' founder and head designer Rei Kawakubo is the latest guest collection to join forces with H&M. -
H&M teams up with Comme des Garcons designer
Swedish fashion giant H&M is teaming up with Comme des Garcons founder Rei Kawakubo for its designer collaboration this autumn. -
Hardy Amies secures £500k for expansion
Hardy Amies has secured a £500,000 loan from major shareholder Arev Brands, to help fund its store expansion programme. -
Hudson confirmed as new MD of Monsoon
Matt Hudson, former Marks & Spencer director, has been appointed managing director of Monsoon, as predicted by Drapers (March 1). -
Hush Puppies
As Hush Puppies marks its 50th birthday this year, the footwear brand is already planning its next half a century. -
Indies snap up 20 Select shops
Fashion independents have bought 20 Select stores, after the value chain went into administration earlier this year. -
Indies snap up 20 Select shops
Fashion independents have bought 20 Select stores, after the value chain went into administration earlier this year. -
Inditex to launch footwear chain as profits soar
Spanish fashion group Inditex, which operates the Zara chain, will launch a standalone footwear and accessories concept called Uterque this year, as profits soar 25%. -
Intimas rejigs strategy to lift plunging profits
Intimas Group will reassess its stockist base as part of a company-wide strategic review after the lingerie group fell into the red. -
Jo Bohling
Branded young fashion chain USC is rolling out a radical strategy in a bid to return to profitability, and marketing boss Jo Bohling is its man on the ground. -
John Lewis Easter sales rise
Sales at John Lewis department stores were up 1.3% for the week to March 29. -
JT Morgan sues local council for lost trade
Swansea department store JT Morgan has launched legal action against the local council in an attempt bid to reclaim £800,000 in lost trade after roadworks pushed the business into administration. -
JT Morgan sues local council for lost trade
Swansea department store JT Morgan has launched legal action against the local council in an attempt bid to reclaim £800,000 in lost trade after roadworks pushed the business into administration. -
Laura Ashley ups Moss Bros stake again
Fashion and homeware retailer Laura Ashley has increased its stake in menswear chain Moss Bros for the fourth time since the beginning of the year. -
M&S lists concessions to shareholders
Marks & Spencer has drawn up a list of concessions to help appease shareholders who are angry about Sir Stuart Rose's promotion to the dual role of executive chairman and chief executive. -
Marks & Spencer plans letter to appease shareholders
Marks & Spencer is preparing to write a formal letter to its shareholders this week to explain its decision to promote Sir Stuart Rose to the controversial role of joint chairman and chief executive. -
Mixed trading at T5
Retailers at Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 have reported mixed trading amid the chaos of baggage problems and cancelled flights. -
More cash for My-wardrobe
Designer womenswear etailer My-wardrobe.com is close to finalising a £1.5 million investment package after second-year sales broke the £1m barrier. -
Moss Bros records £1.4m loss, like-for-likes flat
Moss Bros has slipped into to the red posting pre-tax losses of £1.4 million for the year ended January 26. -
Mothercare defies consumer slowdown as sales soar
Mothercare saw sales shoot up 31.6% and group like-for-likes rise 3.8% for the 11 weeks to March 29. -
New boss joins IC Companys
Danish brand house IC Companys has appointed Esprit’s Niels Mikkelsen as chief executive, replacing Henrik Theilbjørn, who will leave the group in August. -
New retail director appointed at Bhs
Bhs has appointed a Marks & Spencer area manager as its new retail director. -
New Start shop hosts menswear own label
Designer independent Start has opened its third store and launched a men’s own label called Mr Start. -
News in brief
News in brief for the week ending February 9, 2008. -
Pockets’ bulging business expands into sixth store
Designer menswear independent Pockets will open its sixth store at the end of this month in Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire. -
Prada profits soar 66%
Italian luxury group Prada, which owns Prada, Miu Miu and Church's luxury goods brands, posted a 66% surge in net profit last year, thanks to bumper sales in Asia. -
Profits fuel Inditex’s accessories concept
Spanish fast fashion group Inditex will launch a stand-alone accessories and footwear concept called Uterqüe this year, after its profits soared by 25%. -
Profits rise but like-for-likes tumble at Alexon
Alexon, the multi-brand womenswear group, saw like-for-like sales plunge 5.6% for the year ended January 26, but operating profit (excluding exceptionals) rose to £10.5 million against £9.9m the previous year. -
Rachel Black
Drapers probe leading Independents to get their View From The Shop floor. -
Smiley and Castelbajac face to face
French fashion and accessories brand Smiley Collection has teamed up with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac to create a men’s and women’s clothing range for autumn 08. -
Start date postponed for new Beales boss
Tony Brown's start date as chief executive of department store Beales has been put back to June 1. -
Storm whips up loungewear
Watch brand Storm London is producing its first clothing range for autumn 08. -
Tesco halts sale of clothing online
Tesco has axed the sale of clothing online less than six months after it was the first UK supermarket to launch the service, according to a report in Marketing Week. -
Tesco takes legal action against newspaper over tax allegations
Tesco has begun legal proceedings against the publishers of The Guardian over allegations about the supermarket giant's tax affairs. -
Tesco to sell fashion and food from single website
Tesco has pledged to provide a full online clothing offer and launch a combined food and fashion website, after temporarily closing its fashion site. -
The weekend newspaper round up
The top fashion business stories from the weekend newspapers… -
Top jobs up for grabs at Blacks
Blacks Leisure is scouting to fill new senior roles after shaking up its management structure. -
UK tops online sales chart for Europe
The UK is leading the way in etail sales in Europe according to the latest report from Mintel. -
Vacant unveilslatest licence
The team behind contemporary streetwear label Vacant has created a T-shirt brand to carry its growing stable of licences. -
Viyella makes its etail debut
Classic womenswear retailer Viyella will launch a transactional website next week, to capitalise on the surge in older shoppers buying online. -
Woolies to launch Worthit! kidswear tomorrow
Woolworths is to go head to head with Primark when its launches its first kidswear range under its entry level Worthit! brand tomorrow. -
Woolworths returns to profitability
Woolworths's retail business is back in the black, after posting an adjusted profit of £3.4 million compared to a loss of £12.9m the previous year. -
Xile, Edinburgh
With product centre stage, Drapers’ Young Fashion Retailer of the Year is a mecca for trend-conscious shoppers. -
Zara plunders John Lewis to recruit UK property manager
Inditex UK has appointed Holly Ledson, John Lewis’s acquisitions and development manager, as its first head of property.
