Drapers
5 May 2012
View all stories from this issue.
-
‘An indie’s customers want exclusivity and difference’
To be successful, independents have to do more than give top-class service and offer exciting collections. -
‘The creative industries are as vital as financial services’
I read with interest Drapers’ exclusive with Vince Cable (Drapers, April 14) although I found his understanding of our industry a little disappointing. -
Adidas raises profit forecast despite Indian subidiary 'irregularities'
Adidas posted strong first quarter turnover and raised its profit forecasts for 2012 despite issues with costs at an Indian subsidiary. -
April showers put dampener on fashion sales
Footwear sales showed the largest decline since January 2008 and clothing sales dropped substantially as wet weather deterred shoppers from adding to their spring wardrobes. -
Aquascutum attracts 10 expressions of interest in first round of bids
Collapsed luxury fashion retailer Aquascutum has attracted 10 expressions of interest in the first round of bids, Drapers has learned. -
Aquascutum set to be rescued by YGM
Aquascutum is set to be bought by its Asian brand owner, YGM Trading, weeks after the brand went into administration. -
Aquascutum’s tangled web
It’s not hard to see where the troubled brand’s digital efforts went wrong when comparing it with Burberry. -
Averyl Oates joins new luxury website Luxup
Averyl Oates, former buying director at Harvey Nichols, has joined new online luxury service Luxup as commercial director. -
Battle for brands leaves buyers playing spot the difference
River Island’s decision to explore brands within its womenswear offer this week raises an interesting issue and highlights the way the sector has evolved in recent years according to both consumer behaviour and the financial pressures of the recession. -
BFC Colleges Council winners named
The Royal College of Art, University of Westminster and London College of Fashion were among the winners of the British Fashion Council Colleges Council Graduate Preview Day Awards, announced last Friday. -
Blacks boss Julia Reynolds set to stand down
Blacks chief executive Julia Reynolds is set to stand down from the outdoors retailer that was acquired by JD Sports Fashion in January. -
Boux Avenue, Westfield London
It’s about a year since Theo Paphitis, Dragons’ Den star and lingerie entrepreneur, was glad-handing the media an hour or so ahead of the opening of his first Boux Avenue store in Lakeside. -
Caggie Dunlop
The Made in Chelsea star tells Graeme Moran why anyone can get involved with designing her womenswear label ISWAI. -
Collective Brands acquired by Wolverine World Wide
Collective Brands, the parent company behind footwear brands Keds and Sperry Topsider, has been acquired by Wolverine World Wide and private equity backers Blum Capital and Golden Gate Capital in a $2bn (£1.2bn) deal. -
Curvy Kate expands to New Look online and the UAE
Plus-sized lingerie brand Curvy Kate has expanded its stockist base, announcing the addition of New Look online and its first Dubai-based retailer to its list of wholesale customers. -
Debenhams’ Karen Peacock flies to M&S
Debenhams’ long-serving womenswear design director Karen Peacock is to join Marks & Spencer in July. -
eBay launches colour matching app tool
Online marketplace etailer eBay’s has introduced a function to its shopping app that lets consumers search for items that match colour and pattern in photographs. -
Fashion Index
View our fashion data pages to get a barometer of trade in the UK and worldwide. -
Figleaves expected to post first ever profit
Lingerie etailer Figleaves is expected to post its first profit when it reports its full-year results tomorrow. -
Footwear’s finest
Last Thursday saw the Drapers Footwear and Accessories awards take place at London’s Grosvenor House hotel and what an event it was. -
Forever 21 Oxford Street extension to open by the winter
Forever 21 has confirmed it is to extend its flagship store on Oxford Street, with the new space expected to open by autumn/ winter 2012. -
Formal line signals White Stuff ‘evolution’
Lifestyle retailer White Stuff will replace its long-term buying and merchandising director later this month ahead of the introduction of more formal pieces into its autumn 12 collection. -
Fortune telling
From the family of young fashion brands that brought us Opulence England and Rare London comes Coco’s Fortune. -
Forward march
Since starting as a Saturday boy, Harvey Jacobson has built a formidable footwear empire – and all while remaining an ‘absolute gentleman’. -
French Connection puts stores up for sale
French Connection has put 14 of its 71 stores up for sale including shops in Bluewater, Brent Cross and Lakeside after launching a review of its retail division in March. -
George at Asda to shorten lead times
Value retailer George at Asda is planning to get its production lead times down to four weeks, following the completion of its acquisition of Turkish supplier GAAT’s sourcing arm earlier this year. -
Government rules out permanently relaxing Sunday trading hours
Minister for business and enterprise Mark Prisk said there are “absolutely no plans” to permanently relax Sunday trading hours after legislation was passed yesterday to relax trading laws during the Olympic Games. -
Guest Post: Plastic or Paper?
The question sounds simple enough, but it can confuse even the most environmentally conscious shopper on today’s high streets. -
H&M to collaborate with Anna Dello Russo
H&M has today announced its forthcoming accessories collaboration with renowned fashion director Anna Dello Russo. -
Hobbs appoints advisor for international expansion or sale
Hobbs has appointed corporate advisor PricewaterhouseCoopers, sparking speculation that the womenswear retailer is preparing for a sale. -
Home shopping group N Brown to introduce click-and-collect
Home shopping group N Brown is introducing a click-and-collect service using convenience stores as it seeks to widen its customer base by strengthening its multichannel offer. -
House of Deréon to open in Taiwan
House of Deréon, the womenswear brand designed by Beyoncé Knowles and her mother Tina, will open its first store in Taiwan in June after signing a deal with Chinese franchise partner KLYS & Co. -
How I got here - Nichola Toner
M&Co’s website and customer services controller stepped straight from uni into the ecommerce arena. -
IMAGE GALLERY: Christian Louboutin exhibition
The Design Museum’s long-awaited exhibition of iconic French footwear designer Christian Louboutin opens this week in London. -
IMAGE GALLERY: Selfridges Britannica 1951-1953 exhibition
Selfridges will launch its Britannica 1951-1953 exhibition on Friday as part of its schedule of events surrounding the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. -
Indies follow own-label route with One Brand
A new design and sourcing company, One Brand, is helping indies create their own ranges from autumn 12, as an increasing number look to own-label as a way of securing exclusive product. -
Is Escada mooting menswear?
Luxury womenswear label Escada is considering launching a menswear collection, according to reports. -
Isabella Oliver 365 to be reborn as Baukjen
Maternity and womenswear etailer Isabella Oliver will rebrand its women’s ready-to-wear collection from autumn 12, separating it from the maternitywear offer. -
Jaeger will be rejuvenated by change says Better Capital
Premium fashion retailer Jaeger’s new owner Better Capital is focusing on tackling logistics issues to put more stock into stores as it seeks to conclude a business review of the retailer by the end of the summer. -
Joseph and Orlebar Brown to expand into London's Duke of York Square
Luxury brand Joseph and designer swimwear Orlebar Brown have bolstered the brand mix at Duke of York Square in Chelsea as owner Cadogan Estates plans to develop the area as a “leading fashion destination” in London. -
M&S hopes recycling scheme will reduce raw material costs
Marks & Spencer will use its in-store clothing recycling scheme to recover fibre in the face of volatile raw material costs, the UK’s biggest clothing retailer told Drapers this week. -
Mamas & Papas expands across Russia and Lebanon
Maternity and nursery retailer Mamas & Papas is set for international expansion with a cluster of stores across Russia and Lebanon. -
More than a few good men line up for London
When the British Fashion Council (BFC) announced the shake-up of its menswear event from a single day to a full-on men’s fashion week (well, three days, but let’s just call it a fashion week), the Drapers fashion team was rather excited. -
Must see - Leather Forever
Hermès is 175 years old this year, so what better time to look back at the label’s illustrious and glamorous past, and examine its luxury leather goods? -
My-Wardrobe to launch men's footwear library
Premium etailer My-Wardrobe is to launch its biggest ever collection of men’s footwear from tomorrow. -
N Brown posts "solid" performance as Figleaves makes first profit
Home shopping group N Brown has posted a 2.5% rise in pre-tax profits for the full-year to March 3, 2012. -
Next maintains profit forecast, despite dip in retail sales and difficult trading
Next, the UK’s second biggest clothing retailer, is maintaining its full year profit forecast, despite a dip in retail sales against tough comparisons and continued difficult trading caused by wet weather. -
Nicole Farhi appoints interim chief executive
Designer label Nicole Farhi has appointed management consultant Francois Steiner as interim chief executive officer following the departure of Niki Scordi last week. -
Nicole Farhi chief exec stands down
Nicole Farhi chief executive officer Niki Scordi has resigned from her position at the brand after four years. -
Number Eight in upmarket revamp
Scottish lifestyle indie Number Eight is increasing the number of premium womenswear brands it stocks and undergoing a major refurbishment in a bid to reposition as a more upmarket destination. -
Occasionwear Indicator, May 5 2012
Access Drapers’ unique source of sales information from occasionwear retailers, revealing the best-selling brands, the hottest products and the latest issues to affect occasionwear by clicking on the PDF. -
Off the record, May 5 2012
Disneyrollergirl answered the big questions, Wolsey opened its doors and eBay mixed it up. -
Outerwear boosts John Lewis fashion sales
Fashion sales at John Lewis grew last week, boosted by men’s outerwear. -
Peter Pilotto to be guest designer at Pitti W
Designer label Peter Pilotto is set to be the guest womenswear designer at the next edition of womenswear tradeshow Pitti W. -
Pretty Green set to showcase virtual record stores
Liam Gallagher-owned fashion retailer Pretty Green is joining forces with record label Universal Music UK to open pop-up virtual record stores in its shop windows. -
PwC appointment mooted as Hobbs readies for global push
Hobbs will embark on a major international push following the expected appointment of corporate adviser PricewaterhouseCoopers this week. -
Rain rain go away….
I know I’m not the only one who is desperate for this rain to stop. It feels as though it has been raining since the beginning of time. -
Retailers sign up for Westfield tourist reward card
Retailers including Tommy Hilfiger and Jaeger are set to offer customers up to 30% off as part of Westfield’s Discover London VIP reward card. -
Rivieras
The enduring, lightweight summer shoe brand radiates Mediterranean chic, says Ian Wright. -
Sandqvist x Denim Demon: a match made in backpack heaven
The Drapers fashion team are big fans of a well-considered collaboration and the latest to catch our eye comes from Swedish bag stars Sandqvist and fellow Swedes Denim Demon, who we first discovered at Jacket Required earlier this year. -
Schuh and Attic Boutique land top gongs at Awards
Schuh claimed the coveted title of High Street Footwear Retailer of the Year at this year’s Drapers Footwear & Accessories Awards, held this week. -
Shop Direct to outsource customer services
Shop Direct, which operates brands including Littlewoods and Very, has outsourced its customer service operation in a move which could see two of its four contact centres close. -
Shop price inflation falls as continued promotions drive sales
Shop price inflation fell to 1.3% in April from 1.5% in March but the British Retail Consortium (BRC)- Nielsen Shop Price Index flagged potential future increases following the UK’s fall back into recession. -
Stewart Binnie steps down from Aurora board
Stewart Binnie, non-executive president of womenswear group Aurora Fashions, has stepped down from the board with immediate effect. -
SuperGroup reports "disappointing" end to the year
SuperGroup has reported a “disappointing” end to the year as sales growth slowed with retail like-for-likes flat. -
Temperley launches first high street collection at John Lewis
Alice Temperley has teamed up with John Lewis to launch an exclusive range in what is the designer’s first foray into the high street. -
Third-party brands to spice up River Island womenswear
River Island is to follow in the footsteps of its high street rivals by introducing third-party womenswear brands. -
This week's hero - London Collections: Men
Pointing the way to the most important products, people, stories and shows in fashion right now. -
Three of the best - Shirt dresses
Button up for spring 12 with the shirt dress. -
Trendwatch - Navajo Print
Print is the watchword for the season, but among the floral and geometric designs, don’t forget about Navajo. Ideal for store updates, try Lazy Oaf to get in on the action now. -
UKFT launches manifesto
Industry body the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) has launched its manifesto calling the Government to action in supporting the fashion and textile industry. -
Value fashion chain Internaçionale to launch transactional site
Value fashion chain Internaçionale will launch its first transactional website this month, triggering a raft of multichannel services. -
VIDEO: Oxford Street kicks off Jubilee celebrations
London kicked off the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations this week, with 147 Union Jack flags lining Oxford Street marking the street’s world-famous shopping reputation and contribution to the UK economy. -
Weekend Offender reveals high summer collection
Weekend Offender, the men’s young fashion label, has revealed new images for its high summer collection, Home for the Weekend. -
Wet weather halts fashion sales
Wet April weather hit fashion retailers as few shoppers braved the rain to buy new spring garments with sales falling 4.6% year on year. -
What new brands are you stocking for autumn 12?
Industry insider’s share their thoughts. -
Wolsey
Established in 1755, Wolsey is the original British knitwear brand, one with an impressive aesthetic to match its otherwise unrivalled credentials. -
Women are seeking that special something
Last year’s royal wedding proved to be a match made in heaven for occasionwear sales, and shoppers’ love affair with these investment pieces keeps getting stronger.
