Drapers
7 October 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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14oz Shoes, Berlin Mitte
Denim destination 14oz has converted its discount store in Berlin’s Mitte district into a footwear, bags and accessories store, to impressive effect. -
ALL SAINTS
A truly differentiated and impressive offer let down by old-season stock and blaring music. -
Asda posts full-year profit rise
Asda’s operating profit rose almost five per cent to £998.6m last year, excluding charges such as royalties to parent Walmart. -
Aurora launches first multi-brand site
Fashion group Aurora Fashions, the company behind womenswear chains Oasis, Warehouse and Coast, has rolled out its first website selling all three of its brands with the launch of its first dedicated international website in Germany today. -
Best of the rest
Spring 12 -
BFC calls Milan date move ‘ridiculous’
London Fashion Week organisers have called the move by their counterparts in Milan to change the dateline of its September 2012 shows to clash with New York and London “ridiculous”, and said it breaches a long-standing agreement. -
Birthday revamp for Harvey Nics
Harvey Nichols’ Birmingham store has had a facelift to mark its 10th birthday. -
Bottega Veneta
Spring 12 -
Burberry sales soar 30% in first half
Luxury fashion brand Burberry saw total revenue surge 30% to £830m in the six months to September 30. -
Cameron does U-turn on credit card debt
Prime Minister David Cameron has rewritten his speech to the Conservative conference removing a key passage which was interpreted as a call for households to pay off their credit card debts. -
Cameron urges households to pay off credit and store card debt
Prime Minister David Cameron will today warn millions of cash-strapped households that they should pay off their credit card and store card debt as Britain aims to rebuild itself. -
Catwalks fight as retailers feel pain
Everyone likes a good scrap, especially when it distracts from some pretty stark realities closer to home. -
COS
Well-interpreted trends to suit its pared-down aesthetic. Great store with matching service. -
D&G
Spring 12 -
Debenhams to create 6,500 festive jobs
Department store group Debenhams is to create 6,500 additional roles over the festive period. -
Designers play with proportion in Paris
Shows from the undisputed fashion capital are always eagerly anticipated, and Paris Fashion Week did not disappoint by challenging traditional femininity with a play on proportions. -
Dolce & Gabbana
Spring 12 -
DOROTHY PERKINS
If colour is what you’re after, Dorothy Perkins is the store to head to, with well-priced product. -
East eyes global expansion after Fabindia moves closer to overall control of business
East is set to explore new markets and suppliers after Indian retailer Fabindia upped its stake in the mainstream womenswear chain from 25% to 62.5%. -
Ebay director moves to senior adviser role
Ebay senior vice president and general manager of eBay Marketplaces Europe Doug McCallum is to move to a new role as senior adviser to eBay Inc’s president and chief executive John Donahoe. -
EBay launches ad campaign to promote its Fashion Outlet
EBay has unveiled a new advertising campaign to promote its Fashion Outlet. -
Essex girls go to Newcastle with second Minnies store
Womenswear indie Minnies of The Only Way Is Essex fame is to open a second shop next year in northeast England – with possibly another two sites to follow. -
EU legislation prevents UK retailers opening stores in Europe, says BRC
Unnecessary legislative barriers are preventing UK retailers opening stores in other EU countries, according to the British Retail Consortium. -
Fashion sales melt in Indian summer
Fashion retailers felt the full impact of the Indian summer last week as sales plummeted to their lowest level for more than two and a half years. -
Fashion sales stabilise as weather cools
Fashion and footwear sales stabilised last week with sales dropping only marginally on last year as retailers breathed a sigh of relief that the unseasonal sun had passed. -
Fendi
Spring 12 -
Fenwick pre-tax profits rise
Fenwick, the department store chain, has bucked the sluggish high street trend to post record annual sales of £433m. -
Flexing your workers
With plans to give employees the right to flexible working on the horizon, how prepared are you? -
FOREVER 21
A bright, airy store, with great design detail, but it is trumped by rivals on product and prices. -
Freya’s relaunched website focuses on interactivity
Lingerie brand Freya has relaunched its website to bring together a range of interactive functions, including its social media activity, onto one site. -
GAP
Despite the narrow store, offers a good mix of denim and trend-led product. -
Gentlemen’s club is inspiration for HoF’s formalwear revamp
House of Fraser has invested £1m in a revamp of its men’s formalwear department in its London Oxford Street store to create a destination for shoppers with new brands, a bar and its first-ever bespoke suiting service. -
Giorgio Armani
Spring 12 -
Gucci
Spring 12 -
Heat hits fashion sales
The October heatwave hit fashion sales in September with sales suffering their largest fall since August 2009, according to the latest British Retail Consortium-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. -
Hero of the Highlands
Johnstons of Elgin has been making textiles since 1810, so it’s no wonder it counts luxury labels among its clients. -
Hit or Miss
Womenswear chains’ autumn 11 ranges are impressive, but the major challenge is to deliver on price as well as trends. -
HOBBS
Good spread of trends across all three brands, but suspicious staff over-service. -
IMAGE GALLERY: Johnstons of Elgin triumph at UKFT Export Awards
Boxfresh, Johnstons of Elgin and Asos were among the winners of this year’s UK Fashion & Textile Export Awards, held in London yesterday. -
IMAGE GALLERY: Topman's new General Store, Shoreditch, London
Topman has launched a new format store in Shoreditch, London. -
Indian summer causes sales slump at John Lewis
John Lewis reported a tough week last week with fashion sales dropping 13% as the Indian summer kept customers out of the shops. -
Isabella Oliver appoints new operations director
Maternity and womenswear designer Isabella Oliver has appointed Vicky Lovell as its new operations director to help growth the brand both in the UK and internationally. -
Jack Wills to double US store numbers
Young fashion chain Jack Wills is to double its presence in the US. -
Jil Sander
Spring 12 -
Jones Group looks to sell jeanswear division
US brand house Jones Group, owner of UK footwear retailer Kurt Geiger, is rreportedly in discussions to sell its jeanswear division. -
Karen Millen to open 65 stores in China
Premium womenswear chain Karen Millen is plotting its expansion into China with plans to open 65 stores within the next five years. -
Kensington backs key footwear trends
The Kensington Shoe Event served up plenty of commercial styles last week, as the key spring 12 trends echoed those seen at Micam in Milan and Pure London. -
La Senza appoints non-exec
Lingerie retailer La Senza has hired Land Securities commercial director Ronan Faherty as a non-executive. -
Laura Hoggarth
Co-owner of young fashion indie Kit & Kaboodal, which has three stores in Yorkshire. Brands include Fullcircle, Lipsy, Rebekah Murphy, Traffic People, Vila. -
LFW’s wealth of talent raises the bar again
Never before have we received so many notes, emails, calls and comments of support and congratulations for the designers showing and exhibiting at London Fashion Week. -
Liz Claiborne to sell eponymous brand
Fashion group Liz Claiborne has agreed to sell of its eponymous brand to American department store group J.C. Penney in a move to focus on the business’ Kate Spade, Lucky Brand and Juicy Couture brands. -
London indie Clear puts focus on ethics
New indie Clear is giving shoppers the chance to buy ethically by offering on-trend, sustainable fashion and donating 5% of each sale to a charity for Tanzanian orphans. -
MARKS & SPENCER
A standout autumn collection covering all key trends in one of Stratford’s anchor stores. -
Marks and Spencer kick off search for a presenter
Marks and Spencer has kicked off a nationwide search for a presenter for M&S TV, with competitors auditioning for the role by explaining what they love about the retailer. -
Marni
Spring 12 -
Mauro Simionato
The co-owner of footwear brand Volta tells Marie Davies about creating a hybrid shoe and developing its signature style. -
Menswear Mainstream Indicator, October 7 2011
Access Drapers’ unique source of sales information from men’s mainstream retailers, revealing the best-selling brands, the hottest products and the latest issues to affect men’s mainstream by clicking on the PDF -
Milan Fashion Week
Bright colours and quirky prints created a cheerful mood, while the 1920s, 1950s and 1960s inspired spring 12 silhouettes. -
Minnies Boutique website launches - and crashes
The much anticipated website for Essex womenswear indie Minnies Boutique went down within an hour after it launched today. -
MISS SELFRIDGE
Expertly interprets trends, but loses out to the fanfare of bigger rivals and their lower prices. -
Missoni
Spring 12 -
Moschino
Spring 12 -
Mulberry seeks government help for second factory
Luxury British brand Mulberry has issued a plea to the government for funding to help fund a second factory in the UK. -
N Brown warns of declining consumer sentiment despite profit jump
Home shopping group N Brown’s pre-tax profit swelled 5.9% in its half year but it warned of dampening consumer sentiment. -
NEW LOOK
Despite quality product, it misses out on top spot due to Primark’s more tempting prices. -
New Look boosts mobile with new app
New Look has launched a new iPhone and iPod touch application that provides users with fashion content and style advice. -
New West End Company spells out retail manifesto
New West End Company (NWEC) has launched a manifesto in a bid to win backing from London’s mayoral candidates for improvements to central London’s retail environment. -
NEXT
Next interprets the key trends for its customers, but comes up short against M&S’s breadth. -
Nobuo Domae
The group executive vice-president of Uniqlo’s parent company on why London is the centre of its UK ambitions and how its classic lines and innovation will see off its competitors. -
Northern Threads in South Shields
Chosen by Tom Peckett, UK sales manager at raincoat brand Stone-Dri -
Off the record, October 7 2011
Drapers gets the lowdown on the latest gossip and reports back from the hottest parties and events -
Paris Fashion Week: Chloé, Yves Saint Laurent and Stella McCartney
Sporty mesh details and an abundance of white united Chloé and Stella McCartney yesterday, as YSL preferred a more autumnal palette and a nod to the 1940s peplum shapes. -
Prada
Spring 12 -
PRIMARK
Excellent products at the cheapest prices on the high street, but quality is not always up to scratch. -
Profits dip at Uniqlo parent company
Fast Retailing, the parent company of Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo, said that its full-year net profit dipped 12%. -
REISS
Standout product covering key trends and more in a model store. -
Republic expands multi-channel offer
Young fashion chain Republic has boosted its multi-channel proposition with the launch of a Facebook store and extending its deals initiative on the social network to further stores. -
Republic launches own brand
Young fashion chain Republic has launched an in-house brand which it plans to buy in bulk in order to achieve lower retail prices. -
Retailers urge businesses to hire ex-offenders
Leading retailers including Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland have written a letter to the Financial Times urging businesses to back the government’s plans to provide work and training for ex-offenders. -
RIVER ISLAND
Bang on trend, in tune with its cool customers’ tastes. But it struggles with the cash-strapped. -
Roberto Cavalli
Spring 12 -
Sainsbury’s looks good with Gok Wan
Sainsbury’s womenswear collaboration with TV presenter Gok Wan launched in stores yesterday. -
Shop price inflation stable in September
Shop price inflation remained unchanged month-on-month in September, with the overall rate staying at 2.7%. -
Sunspel
British heritage brand Sunspel has grown from its underwear roots to a fully-fledged premium brand. -
Supplier fury over retailers’ demands
Jane Norman threatens to axe orders while M&S asks for revamp payments. -
TOPSHOP
Perfectly executed on-trend product, excellent staff and wide pricing makes this top of the shops. -
Tune in all your channels
From bricks-and-mortar to online and m-commerce, customers should get a seamless shopping experience. -
UK sales recover at American Apparel
US fashion chain American Apparel posted a 3% rise in like-for-like sales for the third quarter, driven by a strong performance sales in the UK and Europe. -
USC boss Jim McGonigle exits
USC chief executive Jim McGonigle has exited the fashion retailer. -
Utility trend and Dries Van Noten’s prints shine out
While controversy raged over the scheduling of the four major fashion weeks in 2012, the Paris spring 12 shows drew to a close this week with some standout collections. -
Versace
Spring 12 -
Versus
Spring 12 -
Warehouse woes to hit SuperGroup profits
SuperGroup, owner of the Superdry brand, has warned that full-year profits will be hit by as much as £9m after warehouse problems. -
White Stuff moves into Scandinavia
Lifestyle retailer White Stuff will open its first store outside the UK next month in Copenhagen. -
Womenswear Mainstream Indicator, October 7 2011
Access Drapers’ unique source of sales information from women’s mainstream retailers, revealing the best-selling brands, the hottest products and the latest issues to affect women’s mainstream by clicking on the PDF -
Woolmark launches second stage of Merino campaign
Woolmark has launched the second stage of its campaign to promote the benefits of Merino wool. -
www.jcrew.com
J Crew ‘launched’ its website in the UK recently (although most of the site is a re-skin of its US version). -
ZARA
The go-to retailer for grown-ups looking to buy into key trends at affordable prices.
