Drapers
Colleen McDonnell
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India to launch first fashion trade show
17 February 2012
India will host its first international fashion trade show following a long-awaited relaxation of the country’s retail investment laws last month. -
Manolo Blahnik takes over space at Liberty
13 February 2012
Liberty department store has today unveiled a space dedicated to luxury footwear label Manolo Blahnik. -
Young people still prefer to shop the high street
13 February 2012
Young adults prefer to shop in physical stores over online, according to a survey by advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi. -
Overseas growth is Base London focus
10 February 2012
Men’s footwear brand Base London will expand into new international markets this year following a five-year push to strengthen its product and business at home. -
Escada launches casualwear sub brand
9 February 2012
German luxury womenswear brand Escada has launched a new casual sub-brand of weekend and leisure wear. -
Alarming shop vacancy rates for some UK regions
7 February 2012
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called for urgent action after a study of the high street showed above average shop vacancy shop rates still plaguing parts of the country. -
A call to find fashion's best innovators
6 February 2012
The fashion industry is being invited to put its best innovators forward in a nationwide compeition to find the most innovative products and business practices in Britain. -
Dr Martens up for grabs
6 February 2012
The family group that owns Dr Martens is looking to sell after more than 50 years in the business. -
Retail search grows at fastest rate this year, driven by mobile
21 November 2011
Customers searching for retailers using Google grew at the fastest rate ever this year, driven by a surge in mobile search. -
House of Holland reality app brings magazine to life
18 November 2011
British designer Henry Holland has released a smart phone app that turns a magazine cover into a moving catwalk. -
Trend tool forecasts flat shoes
18 November 2011
Trend analysis of a billion social media posts has predicted that shoe heel heights are set to flatten out. -
Lower-price fashion to drive festive sales
18 November 2011
Clothing and footwear offered at affordable prices are expected to outperform other retail categories this Christmas, according to a report by analysts Verdict Research and SAS. -
Spiralling sales fuel Burberry optimism
18 November 2011
Burberry experienced double-digit growth across all regions, in both retail and wholesale, for the six months to September 30. -
Benetton returns to shock tactics
17 November 2011
Benetton’s latest ad campaign features arresting images of world leaders locking lips. The Italian fashion group launched the ‘Unhate’ project yesterday, kicking off a series of printed and online ads showing recognisable figures in loving embrace. -
Christmas 2011 crucial for shopfloor staff
17 November 2011
Shopfloor staff will be under increased pressure to offer the highest level of customer service this Christmas and ensure maximum takings over the next five weeks, a leading voice in retail training has said. -
London tops the global shopping charts
16 November 2011
London has been named the best city in Europe for international shopping by analysis firm The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). -
PostHuman Wardrobe and TOT joint winners of The Menswear Award with Debenhams
16 November 2011
Designer labels PostHuman Wardrobe and TOT were joint winners of The Menswear Award with Debenhams, which was launched in June on fashioncapital.co.uk. -
Gilt.com enters the UK flash Sales ring
16 November 2011
US private sales etailer Gilt.com will launch tomorrow in the UK as part of a global expansion into more than 90 countries. -
Burberry posts double-digit growth in half year results
15 November 2011
Burberry has clocked up double-digit growth across all regions in both retail and wholesale for the six months ended September, in half year results published today. -
Private Sales: the secret’s out
21 October 2011
If all eyes weren’t already on the online private Sale market, then news that sector heavyweight BrandAlley has experienced a 70% sales leap and fellow player Cocosa is scrapping its membership barrier is sure to put it in the spotlight. -
Surfdome drafts in ecommerce chief
14 October 2011
Online department store Surfdome.com has appointed Jon Lane as head of eCommerce. -
J Crew drafts in new marketing head
14 October 2011
American casualwear retailer J Crew has named Diego Scotti as its new senior vice president/chief marketing officer. -
Reforms threaten high street John Lewis warns
14 October 2011
Government changes to planning will ruin the British High Street, the retailer John Lewis has warned. -
Real Clothing site ‘like another store’
14 October 2011
Young fashion indie Real Clothing has revealed ambitions to generate online sales equal to the turnover of a bricks-and-mortar store with the launch of its new website. -
Retailers put the squeeze on suppliers
14 October 2011
As the high street continues to suffer the effects of slow trade, price inflation and a change in the way consumers shop, the pressure is also being piled on suppliers, who are having to share the pain with retailers. -
La Senza appoints non-exec
10 October 2011
Lingerie retailer La Senza has hired Land Securities commercial director Ronan Faherty as a non-executive. -
Fenwick pre-tax profits rise
10 October 2011
Fenwick, the department store chain, has bucked the sluggish high street trend to post record annual sales of £433m. -
Essex girls go to Newcastle with second Minnies store
7 October 2011
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. -
London indie Clear puts focus on ethics
7 October 2011
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. -
Luxury to gain if India lifts FDI cap
6 October 2011
The world’s top luxury brands stand to make big gains if the Indian government goes ahead with plans to lift its cap on foreign retail investment. -
Claire's names new Euro president
6 October 2011
Claire’s Stores, the accessories chain, has appointed Beatrice Lafon as its new president of business in Europe. -
Fast Retailing donates to Japan's survivors
6 October 2011
Fast Retailing, the group which owns Uniqlo, is donating nearly a million pounds worth of clothing to Japan in aid of victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country in March this year. -
TOWIE boutique apologies for website's failure to launch
3 October 2011
The Only Way is Essex womenswear indie Minnies Boutique has postponed the launch date of its online shop to later this week after a string of setbacks prevented it from going live on Friday as anticipated. -
Funds look to buy up New Look's debt
3 October 2011
New Look is being circled by ‘vulture funds’, funds that buy up distressed debt, as pressure builds on the retailer to pay off its £680m Payment in Kind (PIK) debts. -
Hunter sales surge 120%
3 October 2011
Hunter Boot enjoyed a boost in sales of 120% last year, helped by improved distribution, a broader range of products and global expansion. -
Jimmy Choo plans to expand in China
30 September 2011
Jimmy Choo is set to expand across China over the next five years. -
Rotherham scheme opens indies’ doors
30 September 2011
A diverse and thriving high street has emerged in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, after a council scheme to revive the town centre has started to pay dividends. -
Patagonia opens London flagship
23 September 2011
Outdoor lifestyle company Patagonia has opened its first UK flagship store in London’s Covent Garden. -
Speedo takes bisexual blogger to court to protect brand
23 September 2011
Swimwear company Speedo is suing a bisexual blogger for breach of copyright, fearing his websites are damaging the brand. -
Kids strut the catwalk for autumn 11
23 September 2011
The first ever virtual fashion week for children launched this week, showcasing designer kidswear collections with live streaming from the catwalk. -
Indies fear effect of Westfield Stratford
23 September 2011
Stratford’s fashion independents have given a mixed reception to the new Westfield in the days following the shopping centre’s opening. -
Hugo Boss apologises for Nazi ties
22 September 2011
Hugo Boss has apologised for maltreatment of factory workers during World War II. -
Asos launches Apple apps
22 September 2011
Online shopping giant Asos has launched a new app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. -
South Koreans' love of luxury has room to grow
21 September 2011
South Korea has steadily grown as a demanding luxury goods market, a new study has found. -
Asos chairman pockets £14m in share sell-off
19 September 2011
Asos chairman Waheed Alli has cashed in nearly half of his £30m stake in the online fashion retailer. -
Giles Deacon leaves Emmanel Ungaro
16 September 2011
The design collaboration between Giles Deacon and Emanuel Ungaro has ended after two seasons. -
Zara channels online affairs through Ireland
16 September 2011
Zara has joined the mini wave of companies moving their online business to Ireland, which boasts one of the lowest corporation tax rates in Europe, according to The Times newspaper. -
Ecommerce and mums’ ideas drive back-to-school sales
16 September 2011
Supermarket chains Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have reported strong back-to-school seasons, citing design improvements and a surge in online shopping for the boost in sales. -
Stuarts of London goes Gaga for refit
16 September 2011
Menswear indie Stuarts of London has installed a new shopfit designed by the same firm that creates stage sets for pop star Lady Gaga. -
Hermès wins legal battle over LVMH
15 September 2011
Hermès has won a major victory over LVMH today after a French appeals court crushed the luxury giant’s chances for a takeover. -
Robbie Williams to talk about his debut menswear collection
15 September 2011
Robbie Williams fans curious about the popstar’s new foray into men’s fashion will have a chance to view his debut collection and meet the popstar in person today. -
Topman removes slogan t-shirts after Twitter outcry
14 September 2011
Topman has pulled two t-shirts - one comparing women to dogs and the other joking about domestic abuse - following an angry social media backlash. -
Thomas Pink unveils men's suits
14 September 2011
British shirt maker Thomas Pink has launched a range of men’s suits to compliment the retailer’s well known ranges of shirts, knitwear and accessories. -
Armani picks Rihanna as face of autumn ads
12 September 2011
Global popstar Rihanna has been unveiled as the star of both Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani Underwear’s autumn 11 ad campaign. -
Dorothy Perkins fined £1k for store being too cold
9 September 2011
Retail chain Dorothy Perkins has been fined £1,000 for allowing one of its stores to become so cold after the heating system broke that staff became ill. -
Vivienne Westwood in legal dispute with franchise partner
9 September 2011
A legal dispute has broken out between Vivienne Westwood and one of her long-standing business partners over plans to end the franchise agreement between them. -
Lacoste asks for ban on mass-killer wearing its clothes
9 September 2011
French fashion label Lacoste has asked Norwegian police to ban mass-killer, Anders Breivik, from wearing its world famous crocodile logo. -
Richemont sees sales soar
8 September 2011
Sales at luxury goods company Richemont have risen sharply over the past five months, helped by demand in Asia. -
J.Lindeberg gains new owners
8 September 2011
Swedish lifestyle brand J.Lindeberg has new owners after a group of private investors acquired a majority share in the company. -
Trio of emerging designers to receive support
8 September 2011
Three emerging designers will receive industry support to help develop their businesses after winning this year’s British Fashion Council (BFC) and ELLE magazine Talent Launch Pad award. -
Lift in retail sales for July
9 August 2011
Like-for-like sales of clothing and shoes rose in July after two months of decline. -
Soaring overheads put indies on brink
5 August 2011
New research has revealed how escalating overheads are crippling UK independents, with 60% of indie owners polled fearing they won’t survive if costs rise higher. -
Unseen Winehouse Fred Perry line on hold
29 July 2011
A final collection of womenswear designed by Amy Winehouse for Fred Perry could hit stores this autumn if the star’s family give approval for the line to be released. -
Sale-weary shoppers snap up autumn stock
29 July 2011
Boost for womenswear retailers as fresh trends generate high street spending -
PPR eyeing up Brioni
28 July 2011
French luxury group PPR is understood to be talks to buy Italian menswear brand Brioni for a reported €350m (£308m). -
Founder exits as Jack Wolfskin sold on
22 July 2011
The man who “made Jack Wolfskin what it is today” is to step down as chief executive officer of the German outdoor clothing company following news it is to be sold to new owners. -
Womenswear is off to a flyer for autumn
22 July 2011
An unprecedented demand for early autumn womenswear has been reported by retailers across the UK. -
E-tail figures significantly up on last year
20 July 2011
Online clothing sales rose by a nearly a third last month compared to June 2010, according figures tracking online sales. -
Armani to design 2012 kit for Team Italy
18 July 2011
Designer Giorgio Armani has been selected to dress the Italian team at next summer’s London Olympic Games. -
Alfred Brown supplies British cloth for Moss Bespoke range
15 July 2011
Moss Bros has joined a growing list of men’s formalwear retailers offering suits made from British cloth under its Moss Bespoke sub-brand from this week. -
Kurt Geiger signs autumn face
11 July 2011
Polish model Anja Rubik has been unveiled as the new star of Kurt Geiger’s autumn 11 advertising campaign. -
Camilla Al Fayed buys Issa
11 July 2011
Camilla Al Fayed, the daughter of former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, has bought a majority stake in womenswear brand Issa. -
Footfall rose 0.2% in June
8 July 2011
Shopper numbers rose ahead of last year for the first time since January last month with a 0.2% rise in footfall compared to June 2010, according the Experian Retail Footfall Index. -
Indies’ Day verdict: a great idea that lacked publicity
8 July 2011
Despite a groundswell of enthusiasm for the UK’s first Independents’ Day, held this week, fashion retailers have called for more publicity at next year’s event to maximise returns. -
UKFE Awards shortlist unveiled
7 July 2011
The UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) has released the list of finalists for its annual UK Fashion and Textile Export Awards, which recognises excellence in global trade across the industry. -
Fat Face to boost sales with summer ad campaign
7 July 2011
Lifestyle retailer Fat Face is looking to boost sales and reach new customers through a marketing campaign inspired by the British coastline. -
Indies slash forward-order budgets on eve of B&B
1 July 2011
Exclusive poll reveals retailers’ cautious mood, although seeking out new brands is still key for many -
Three-quarters of high street stores on Sale early
27 June 2011
Nearly three-quarters of the high street stores have resorted to early summer Sales to boost spending, according to consultancy firm PwC.
