Drapers
6 May 2011
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"Made in" labelling proposals hit the buffers
“Made in” labelling will not be made compulsory after the European Parliament and European Council failed to agree on the controversial proposals. -
A look we love
Seen at the recent Dazed Live festival in London, vintage florals were an important look among the young fashion-forward crowd. -
Adidas first quarter profits up 14% in western Europe
German sportswear giant Adidas said profits rose 14% in western Europe to €1.09bn (£0.9bn) for the first quarter of 2011. -
Aertex joins forces with John Simons
British heritage brand Aertex is collaborating with premium menswear indie John Simons on an archive-inspired menswear collection for spring 12. -
Alexander McQueen reigns supreme after royal duty
The Alexander McQueen label is primed for a surge in sales after Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, chose creative director Sarah Burton to design her wedding dress, catapulting the label to stratospheric levels of exposure around the world. -
All Saints sold to consortium led by Lion Capital
All Saints has finally been sold to a consortium led by Lion Capital, it has been reported. -
Analysts warn Primark margins could take £20m hit
Primark will take a blow to margins this year by absorbing rising input costs, and the retailer is not planning for a drop in cotton prices. -
Austin Reed, The Centre MK
Shopping here is about promotions and more promotions, not all of which are crystal clear. -
Bank, The Centre MK
Avoiding the ubiquitous deluge of discount offers and clear merchandising is Bank’s winning ticket. -
BCBG looking to refinance debt
BCBG Max Azria, the contemporary womenswear label owned by the US fashion group of the same name, is reported to be looking to secure a $230m (£140m) loan to refinance a portion of its debt. -
BFC Colleges awards announced
The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced the winners of the BFC Colleges Council Graduate Preview Day Awards with the University of Salford, London College of Fashion and De Montford University all scooping up prizes. -
Bhs, The Centre MK
A good offer for older male customers but the knitwear collection needs a serious rethink. -
Blue Inc, The Centre MK
Interpretations of best-selling branded looks but these pieces don’t offer value for money. -
BSSA-BHF renames as British Independent Retailers Association
The BSSA-BHF, the association representing independent retailers around the country, has been renamed the British Independent Retailers Association, or BIRA, in a bid to “reflect the modern retail environment”. -
Burton, The Centre MK
Burton has the trends covered and the prices are competitive. Shame the store is so tucked away. -
Buying brave proves more lucrative than playing safe
Garment Quarter owner John Reid charts the ups and downs of his autumn 11 buy at the Bristol indie. -
Carnaby Street to host its largest ever shopping party
London’s Carnaby Street is to host its biggest ever shopping party, offering consumers a 20% discount in over 100 shops. -
Catherine shows signs she has the potential to fit into Diana’s glass-slipper fashion icon status
Anyone under the age of 30 would undoubtedly cite Kate Moss as the UK’s biggest-ever style icon but the real owner of that mantle is undoubtedly the late Princess Diana. -
Chloe hires Clare Waight Keller as Hannah MacGibbon leaves
Hannah MacGibbon, creative director at luxury womenswear brand Chloe, is to leave her role and will be replaced by former Pringle creative director Clare Waight Keller. -
Clarks Originals given Scottish flavour
Footwear brand Clarks Originals has collaborated with Scottish manufacturer Thistle & Broom on a limited-edition women’s desert boot for autumn 11. -
Clarks’ record profits driven by US demand
Pre-tax profits at footwear company Clarks broke the £100m barrier for the first time in its 185-year history, driven by an “unprecedented surge” in demand in North America. -
Creativity is vital in visual merchandising
A lack of great visual merchandising skills is a common lament of major retailers. -
Darren Blackhurst confirmed as new chief of Matalan
Darren Blackhurst has been confirmed as chief executive of Matalan, according to headhunters Flint Hyde. -
Debenhams, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre
Lots of choice from a variety of sub-brands but this store’s offer would benefit from a heavy edit. -
Donna Ida to revamp site with focus on style tips
Four-store denim indie Donna Ida will relaunch its website in August in a bid to replicate its in-store experience online. -
Drapers Footwear Awards winners revealed
Former Clarks chief executive Peter Bolliger picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Drapers Footwear Awards 2011 last night at London’s Grosvenor House. -
Easter and sunny spells help April sales
Shoppers were spurred on by the sunny weather and bank holidays to spend on fashion in April with menswear and kidswear seeing strong growth, however comparisons were skewed by the later fall of Easter this year. -
Events that are shaping the occasionwear sector
As the bunting comes down and the hangovers clear following the wedding of the decade, retailers and brands are left wondering what the rest of this year holds for the occasionwear market. -
Fashion Fringe reveals 2011 shortlist
Fashion Fringe, the competition to support up-and-coming British design talent, has announced the candidate shortlist for 2011. -
Fashion in the Regions
When we think about a career in fashion in the UK, we invariably think about London. -
Fashion players climb the 2011 Rich List
Fashion’s high net-worth individuals have seen their fortunes rise in 2011 according to The Sunday Times Rich List, with Selfridges and Primark owners the Weston family and Sir Philip Green claiming the top fashion spots. -
Ferragamo to list 25% of capital
Italian luxury brand Ferragamo may float up to 25% of the company on the Milan stock exchange by the end of June. -
Gap design president Patrick Robinson departs
Patrick Robinson, the much-lauded vice-president of Gap global design for its adult and body categories, has left the company with immediate effect. -
Gap, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre
The store is nearly totally devoid of product. The only saving grace is good value for money. -
G-Star launches legal action against Bestseller
Denim giant G-Star has started legal proceedings against Danish brands house Bestseller Retail Europe, which operates young fashion chains Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, accusing it of allegedly copying its designs. -
H&M to open first UK concession in Selfridges
H&M is to open its first UK concession in premium department store Selfridges at the end of August. -
Hilary Haresign
Having dressed Kate Middleton’s great aunt, the owner of occasionwear indie Snooty Frox is bearing witness to how her innovative approach can boost sales to royal proportions. -
Hit or Miss Menswear - Spring 11
For this season’s third and final Hit or Miss report, Drapers headed to Milton Keynes to scrutinise the major trends and key pieces on offer at high street menswear stores for spring 11. -
Indie sales slip 4.7% in Q1
Clothing and footwear indies saw a 4.7% drop in sales in the first quarter of 2011, accelerating the decline seen over the last 12 months. -
J Brand menswear debuts at Selfridges before roll-out
LA premium denim label J Brand has launched a menswear collection in the UK, and its Trooper cargo is tipped to be the menswear equivalent of its popular women’s Houlihan style. -
JJB shareholder takes role on its board
The director of one of JJB’s largest shareholders has been appointed to the sportswear retailer’s board. -
John Lewis appoints finance director
John Lewis has appointed a new finance director to its management board. -
John Lewis fashion sales drop 8.8% despite occasionwear surge
A surge in sales of fascinators and occasionwear boosted by the “Kate effect” provided a bright spot for John Lewis in the week to Saturday April 30, when total fashion sales dropped 8.8%. -
John Lewis, The Centre MK
Pub-proof brands for dads who are (mainstream) lads but some of the offer is a bit pricey. -
Karen Millen eyes major international expansion
Premium womenswear chain Karen Millen is gearing up for further overseas expansion which it hopes will double group sales over the next five years. -
Key royal wedding trends destined to boost sales
Huge footfall drop over wedding weekend expected to be offset by rise in trading on occasionwear. -
Kurt Geiger launches discount website
Premium footwear retailer Kurt Geiger has launched its discount website Shoeaholics.com. -
Life’s a beach down south
Beautiful beaches and idyllic countryside abound, but southern England (from Kent into East and West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire) is not renowned as a hotbed of fashion activity. -
LK Bennett to release limited edition version of 'Kate' shoe
Premium women’s fashion and footwear chain LK Bennett is to release a limited edition version of its spring 10 wedges after they were worn by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on the day after her wedding to Prince William. -
M&S deputy chairman Michels to stand down
Marks & Spencer deputy chairman Sir David Michels, who led the search for a successor to Sir Stuart Rose as chief executive, is to stand down in February 2012. -
Magic and Pret a Porter team up to bring brands to the US
US trade show Magic has agreed a deal with French trade show Pret a Porter Paris to bring brands to the US at its next trade show in Las Vegas in August. -
Marks and Spencer, The Centre MK
Category killer M&S is bang on the money for its target market but a lack of staff hampers service. -
Men's Formalwear Indicator, May 6th, 2011
Access Drapers’ unique source of sales information from men’s formalwear retailers, revealing the best-selling brands, the hottest products and the latest issues to affect formalwear by clicking on the PDF. -
Menswear: Key silhouettes, S/S 12
With two months to go before menswear catwalk season begins, WGSN picks the key shapes and details in tailoring for S/S 12. -
Michael Page International
Michael Page International is delighted to have partnered with Drapers to bring you this six-part Regional Series, an in depth exploration of fashion careers across the UK’s regions and beyond. -
Michael Page International
Michael Page International has the fashion market covered. -
Monsoon, Oxford Street
This flagship store’s refurbishment and Summer of Love-style product is set off perfectly by an early burst of hot weather, wooing central London shoppers. -
Moss, The Centre MK
Moss is selling suits for everyone and with plenty of promotions. The store needs livening up though. -
N Brown full year profits rise 5.5%
N Brown, the home shopping giant, is to open standalone stores for its plus size Simply Be brand this year and said that full-year pre-tax profits rose by 5.5% to just shy of £100m. -
New Look showcases real women in ad campaign
New Look, the value chain, has launched a summer advertising campaign starring ‘real women’. -
Next, The Centre MK
Back to doing what it knows best - fashion for the over 30s - but service levels cost Next marks. -
Non-food price inflation slows
Non-food price inflation slowed to 1.2% in April driven by promotional activity over Easter. -
Pete Doherty to collaborate with The Kooples
Musician and former boyfriend of Kate Moss, Pete Doherty is to launch a collaboration collection with contemporary French clothing brand The Kooples. -
Production rockets at Hawick Knitwear
Increased demand for high-quality Scottish cashmere has boosted the fortunes of Hawick Knitwear, one of the UK’s largest knitwear companies. -
Rebecca Minkoff
The designer is renowned for her handbags, but she tells Laura Weir why she wishes she’d created a humble straw tote. -
Republic, The Centre MK
A one-dimensional, unsophisticated experience that has been crammed onto the first floor. -
Restructure at WGSN as content director Warkentin departs
WGSN content director Juliet Warkentin is to leave the trends forecasting site which has promoted creative director, trends Catriona Macnab to chief creative officer. -
River Island, The Centre MK
Seldom puts a foot wrong on the product front and the offer this season is no exception. -
Sainsbury's appoints new head of clothing
Sainsbury’s has appointed former Littlewoods executive James Brown as head of its clothing division. -
Sales at Hermes soar 26%
French luxury goods group Hermes saw sales surge by 26% during the first quarter of 2011 fuelled by strong growth across all divisions. -
Strong non-food sales drive profits at Sainsbury's
Sainsbury’s will expand its lingerie and accessories offer after a strong full year performance from its non-food offer. -
Student embroiderers stitch their way into history
Student embroiderers studying at the University of the Creative Arts (UCA) were surprised and delighted to discover they had unknowingly played a key part in creating Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s dress for her wedding to Prince William, representing a shot in the arm for Drapers’ Save Our Skills campaign. -
Superdry, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre
Superdry’s staple products fit the trend bill perfectly for spring 11 and the store looks great. -
SuperGroup Q4 sales jump 61% but retail growth slows
SuperGroup, the young fashion business which owns the brand Superdry and chain Cult, grew total sales by 61%1 to £66m in the three months to May 1 but retail lagged far behind wholesale. -
The Dune Group appoints new international director
The Dune Group, the footwear business which comprises the Dune chain and former Shoe Studio brands including Pied a Terre and Bertie, has appointed a new international director. -
The royal wedding looks to say ‘I do’ to
The royal wedding produced a number of key trends which retailers and brands expect to spark an increase in sales. -
Top retailers lined up for Summer School
A compelling line-up of department store executives are due to speak at the 82nd Oxford Summer School. -
Topman, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre
Topman scores on the trend front but the store is let down by messy Sale rails towards the front. -
Triumph to relaunch website using new web platform
Lingerie brand Triumph has moved its UK, German and French websites to a global platform and relaunched its transactional websites in all three countries. -
UK fashion set for a long honeymoon
Rarely in fashion history has an event caused such wild speculation and commentary as last week’s royal wedding. -
Vente-privee to launch in US
Off-price etailer Vente-privee is to launch in the US under a joint venture agreement, Drapers can reveal. -
VIDEO: David & Victoria Beckham's grand royal entrance
David and Victoria Beckham arrive at Westminster Abbey for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. -
VIDEO: Kate chooses McQueen
Kate Middleton wowed the world in an ivory Alexander McQueen wedding dress designed by the label’s new designer Sarah Burton. -
VIDEO: Lipsy launches online video series to mark new Pixie Lott collection
Young fashion brand Lipsy has launched an online documentary series to mark its third collaboration with pop-star Pixie Lott. -
VIDEO: The Royal Wedding: William and Harry arrive
See video footage of the Princes arrival at Westminster Abbey. -
VM Visionary: Humberto Leon Opening Ceremony
As co-founder of New York cult retailer Opening Ceremony, Humberto Leon has more than 15 years’ experience in visual merchandising.He speaks to WGSN about his vision. -
WGSN Boutique - User guide: Shop the world with WGSN
All good independents know what’s happening on the high street; which trends are being pushed, which colours are scoring big and how the major retailers are targeting and marketing to their customers. -
Women's Occasionwear Indicator, May 6th, 2011
Access Drapers’ unique source of sales information from women’s occasionwear retailers, revealing the best-selling brands, the hottest products and the latest issues to affect occasionwear by clicking on the PDF.
