Drapers
Katherine Rushton

Katherine is deputy editor at Drapers magazine and Drapersonline.com. She oversees columns and the Indicator pages and works closely with the news team, writing on all aspects of fashion retail. She also has a particular brief to cover Arcadia, River Island and private equity. Katherine has six years experience in business journalism including stints on television trade magazine Broadcast and its publishing industry equivalent, The Bookseller. She is also a regular paper reviewer for BBC News and has written for The Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian and Time Out. Before she became a journalist Katherine worked on the shop floor at an independent retailer, as well as at Monsoon and Waterstones.

A strong working relationship

10 June 2011
Finding a factory to make your clothes is only half the battle - you’ve got to work with them too. Drapers visited two Chinese factories manufacturing for some of the UK’s biggest names to find out how they operate.
Army of shoppers targets UK fashion

10 June 2011
The number of Chinese tourists coming to the UK is soaring, and many of them want to splash out on fashion. So how can retailers cash in?.
China crisis

10 June 2011
Changes in Chinese manufacturing and demographics could hit its clothing output, so UK-based retailers and brands may have to rethink their buying strategies if they want to remain competitive.
David Sancho

10 June 2011
Mango’s senior vice president international expansion (China) is making a bold effort to crack the Chinese market by accelerating its store opening programme.
Serve the people

10 June 2011
The purchasing power of Chinese consumers is soaring, and many want to spend that money on fashion. If Western retailers do their homework, they could cash in on China’s burgeoning market.
Xander Zhou

10 June 2011
Beijing menswear designer Xander Zhou is part of a new generation of Chinese fashion talent. He tells Katherine Rushton about his country’s position in the global fashion market.
Reprieve for retailers as cotton prices slump

24 May 2011
Cotton prices have fallen sharply over the last months after mills stockpiled the material to guard against potential price rises, and more farmers started planting the crop in order to cash in.
Burton uses British fabrics in new range

20 May 2011
Menswear chain Burton is to launch a new heritage-inspired sub-brand named after its founder Montague Burton, which will use exclusively British-made fabrics.
Harrods launches iPhone app

18 May 2011
Luxury department store Harrods is to launch an iPhone app to help shoppers find their way around the London store.
Vente-privee to join forces with American Express for US launch

13 May 2011
Off-price etailer Vente-privee will partner with American Express when it launches into the US, and will have access to its entire membership database.
Vente-privee to launch in US

12 May 2011
Off-price etailer Vente-privee is to launch in the US under a joint venture agreement, Drapers can reveal.
"Made in" labelling proposals hit the buffers

11 May 2011
“Made in” labelling will not be made compulsory after the European Parliament and European Council failed to agree on the controversial proposals.
Footfall expected to slide on day of Royal Wedding

26 April 2011
Footfall is expected to be 16% lower than last year on the day of the Royal Wedding, as consumers spend the day celebrating at street parties instead of hitting the high street.
Production capacity on the rise in China

21 April 2011
Production capacity in China is starting to bounce back after months of being seriously squeezed, Spencer Fung, chief executive of supply giant LF Europe, hastold Drapers.
Ed Vaizey

21 April 2011
The culture minister isn’t faking it when he says he loves fashion.
Online fashion sales up 23% on last year

15 April 2011
Online sales of clothing, footwear and accessories rose 16% last month and 23% year-on-year, making fashion the best performing etail category behind only beauty products, despite tough trading on the high street.
Timing of Easter helps John Lewis

15 April 2011
John Lewis’ trading improved in the week to April 9, but the results were heavily influenced by the timing of Easter.
Prince Andrew hosts summit to promote UK fashion overseas

15 April 2011
Prince Andrew called a summit of 13 fashion industry chiefs to explore ways to use his controversial role as UK trade envoy to boost the British industry’s standing overseas this week.
Green in talks to launch manufacturing academy

14 April 2011
Retail tycoon Sir Philip Green is in talks with the government to train the next generation of pattern cutters and machinists, by launching a fashion manufacturing academy, Drapers has learned.
Jaeger pulled from market after 'too low' offers

13 April 2011
Jaeger owner Harold Tillman has pulled premium chain Jaeger from the market after it failed to attract bids north of £100m, according to reports.
Douglas & Grahame deliveries hit by turmoil in Middle East

8 April 2011
Brand house Douglas & Grahame has been hit by delivery delays after political unrest in the Middle East slowed production and freight out of the region.
Non-food inflation slows to 1.5% in March

6 April 2011
Non-food inflation slowed marginally to 1.5% in March from 1.6% in February, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Sarah Coggles hires finance and marketing directors

6 April 2011
York-based superindie Sarah Coggles has hired two new heavyweight directors and opened the doors on its London office.
LVMH says impact of Japanese quake 'limited'

1 April 2011
LVMH, the French luxury goods group behind brands including Louis Vuitton, Celine, Dior and Marc Jacobs, has said the earthquake and tsunami in Japan will have only a “limited” impact on its business there, and has vowed to continue investing in the territory.
Hindmarch says red tape is strangling UK manufacturing

1 April 2011
The UK’s stringent employment laws are holding back manufacturing and businesses, handbag designer Anya Hindmarch has claimed.
Tommy Hilfiger helps PVH beat expectations

29 March 2011
Philips-Van Heusen Corporation (PVH) nearly doubled revenues and beat earnings expectations in the fourth quarter to January 30, following its $3bn (£1.87bn) purchase of Tommy Hilfiger last May.
Government mulls tax breaks for UK manufacturers

28 March 2011
The government is considering introducing tax holidays for UK manufacturers, just weeks after Mulberry chief executive Godfrey Davies said in Drapers that the UK’s punitive tax system could prevent it from opening a second factory in the country.
Mango accelerates China expansion

21 March 2011
Mango is on track to increase its store portfolio in China from 134 to 200 sites by the end of the year, and is targeting to open at least 500 stores in China by 2016.
Alan Sugar’s plan to save manufacturing skills

18 March 2011
Entrepreneur says ‘incubator factories’ would support UK production growth.
M&S increases UK manufacturing in Derbyshire

18 March 2011
Marks & Spencer has ramped up manufacturing of hosiery in the UK, 13 years after it controversially decided to move almost all of its production contracts overseas.
Cash for training is the next step

18 March 2011
Exhilarated. It’s not a word you would automatically associate with manufacturing, but that was how the Drapers team felt after its open day for UK garment producers last Thursday.
JD Sports Fashion rescues Fenchurch from administration - but axes all staff

17 March 2011
JD Sports Fashion has rescued streetwear brand Fenchurch from administration - but has made all of its staff redundant.
Anti-dumping duties scrapped but EC warns of "swift action" if needed

17 March 2011
The European Commission has confirmed anti-dumping duties on leather footwear from China and Vietnam will be scrapped on April 1, but it warned that it would monitor imports for a year and take “swift appropriate action” if needed.
Skills gap is holding back UK manufacturing, designers tell House of Lords

17 March 2011
The lack of skilled manufacturing staff in the UK is holding back the UK textiles industry, designers and manufacturers have told the House of Lords.
IMAGE GALLERY: River Island to revive Chelsea Girl brand

14 March 2011
Chelsea Girl, the iconic 1970’s fast fashion retailer that later became River Island, is to be revived as a branded capsule collection within River Island stores.
Pringle creative director resigns

11 March 2011
Pringle of Scotland’s creative director Clare Waight Keller has resigned after five years at the brand.
Burberry tackles skills gap with apprenticeship scheme

11 March 2011
Luxury British brand Burberry has launched an apprenticeship scheme to train up new staff in grass-roots manufacturing skills after it was forced to go on a recruitment drive overseas.
Basler to up ‘sex appeal’ and bring in red-carpet glamour

11 March 2011
Brian Rennie, the former Ultimo and Escada designer who this week became creative director of mainstream womenswear giant Basler, has vowed to “up the brand’s sex appeal” and introduce a range of red-carpet dresses.
Gap to close stores and become more trend-led

10 March 2011
Casualwear giant Gap is to close 200 of its 900 US stores by 2013, and has admitted it has not invested heavily enough into attracting ethnic minority customers in the US.
Riccardo Tisci 'to replace John Galliano at Dior'

9 March 2011
Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci is tipped by widespread chatter on Twitter to be named as John Galliano’s replacement at Christian Dior later today.
John Galliano show replaced by "tableau vivant"

4 March 2011
The show for John Galliano’s eponymous label will go on on Sunday – but the format and venue have been entirely changed.
Levi's hires Apple and Nike marketing guru

4 March 2011
Denim giant Levi’s has hired Apple marketing guru Rebecca Van Dyck to spearhead the brand’s global communications strategy, helping to fill the void created when Levi’s was dropped by its ad agency.
Clarks considers bringing manufacturing back to UK

4 March 2011
Clarks, the global footwear giant, is assessing whether it can bring some production back to the UK to champion its British heritage.
G-Star’s denim goes 5D for autumn 11

4 March 2011
G-Star is to launch a 5D denim range - a next generation move on from its highly successful 3D line - in a bid to double turnover and claw back market share in the premium denim market.
Christian Dior sacks John Galliano

1 March 2011
Christian Dior has formally severed ties with its head designer John Galliano.
Aurora Fashions to spin off Karen Millen

1 March 2011
Aurora Fashions is to spin off Karen Millen as an independent company.
Debenhams launches start-of-season Sale

1 March 2011
Debenhams has fired the starting gun on its spring Sale, offering £150m of price cuts across “tens of thousands” of new lines before the season has even officially begun.
G-Star appoints new UK chief

28 February 2011
Premium denim brand G-Star has appointed a new country manager for the UK and Republic of Ireland and made its existing UK sales manager, Tom Duncan, its retail manager.
John Galliano to counter-sue for defamation as shocking video emerges

28 February 2011
Head designer at Christian Dior John Galliano is to counter-sue the couple who accused him of racism for defamation, as a new video purporting to show the designer making anti-semitic remarks was released.
Mulberry: Give us a tax break

25 February 2011
Punishing UK tax rates are effectively blocking luxury British brand Mulberry from opening a new factory in the country, chief executive Godfrey Davis has claimed.
Bennett: UK skills are key to growth

25 February 2011
Industry veterans Maurice Bennett and Simon Berwin have thrown their support behind Drapers’ SOS [Save Our Skills] campaign, claiming education in grassroots skills is essential if the UK fashion industry is to grow overseas.
Outerwear

25 February 2011
After two harsh winters, brands were placing their bets on heavy-duty outerwear for autumn 11.
Kate Moss picks John Galliano to design wedding dress

24 February 2011
John Galliano is to design Kate Moss’ wedding dress, according to reports.
IMAGE GALLERY: George Davies opens doors on FG4 kidswear chain

22 February 2011
Retail entrepreneur George Davies has opened the doors on the first 11 of his new kidswear stores in the Middle East, ahead of planned launch in the UK in April.
Paul Smith to scale back the stripes

18 February 2011
Paul Smith is to scale back the use of its iconic multistripe branding across its clothing and footwear collections.
Mary Portas

18 February 2011
The Queen of Shops says she’s right to criticise multiples, and believes indies can ‘bash the hell out of the high street’
Appetite for luxury goods boosts PPR profits

17 February 2011
PPR, the French luxury and retail group behind Gucci and Balenciaga, grew operating profits 24% to €1.53bn (£1.289bn) in 2010, fuelled by a growing appetite for luxury goods.
Puma like-for-likes soar

16 February 2011
German sportswear giant Puma grew like-for-like sales by nearly a third to €623.4m (£523m) in the three months to December 31, but has warned that the rising cost of materials and labour will impact its bottom line.
Sector backs skills campaign

11 February, 2011
University’s axing of prestigious skills course triggers outcry against threat to UK manufacturing
Arcadia joins return to UK sourcing

11 February, 2011
Sir Philip Green’s retail empire Arcadia Group has thrown its weight behind the return of manufacturing from overseas to the UK.
Mary Portas stands firm on C4 shopfloor staff exposé

11 February, 2011
Mary Portas has robustly defended the undercover footage of so-called shoddy sales assistants in her Channel 4 series, claiming they should have taken pride in their work despite being on the minimum wage, and that they were being “neglected” by their managers.
Cooper & Stollbrand to feature in Channel 4 documentary

10 February 2011
Manchester clothes manufacturer Cooper & Stollbrand is to feature in a Channel 4 documentary celebrating UK production.
Mary Portas: Retailers get to answer back

10 February 2011
Retailers have the chance to respond to criticism on Mary Portas’ website, after the television retail guru launched a “retailer response tool” on its Secret Shopper forum.
TowerBrook targets overseas expansion for Phase Eight

4 February, 2011
Phase Eight is poised for rapid expansion in the UK and overseas following the sale of a majority stake to private equity firm TowerBrook Capital Partners for about £80m.
Egypt riots disrupt UK stock deliveries

4 February, 2011
Anti-government riots in Egypt have slowed supplies of product from the country, piling fresh pressure on brands and retailers to re-examine their supply bases and bring them closer to home.
Pure London preview

4 February, 2011
Expanded across two sites, the new-look Pure London and Pure Spirit will host new brands and old favourites.
Browns names Ruth Runberg as buying director

1 February 2011
Premium London independent Browns has named Ruth Runberg as buying director, replacing Erin Mullaney who departed last month.
Indies report flat end to 2010

1 February 2011
Like for like sales at clothing and footwear indies were flat in the final quarter of 2010, as shoppers balanced their need to stock up on cold weather apparel with a desire to stay out of the wintry conditions.
Katie Price to launch own label

31 January 2011
Glamour model Katie Price is to launch a fashion and accessories womenswear brand called Day 22.
Joules considers sale of minority stake

31 January 2011
Lifestyle brand and retailer Joules has appointed investment banking group Rothschild to advise on its growth and investigate the potential sale of a minority stake.
House of Fraser names director of ecommerce

28 January 2011
Department store chain House of Fraser has appointed Andy Harding as director of ecommerce.
UK manufacturing is reborn

28 January 2011
Rising cost of sourcing in Far East and heritage trend trigger huge increase in orders for British factories.
Mongolian goat crisis sends cashmere prices sky-high

28 January 2011
Cashmere prices are set to rocket for autumn 11, thanks to growing demand in developing countries and two bitter Mongolian winters that have killed off a quarter of the region’s goats.
Milan Menswear

28 January 2011
James Bond and Don Draper inspired a wealth of sharp tailoring on the catwalks
Reiss on track for 40% sales boost

24 January 2011
Premium chain Reiss is on track for a 40% lift in sales in its current financial year, which ends on January 31.
Original Factory Shop to offer home delivery

21 January 2011
Off-price retailer The Original Factory Shop is to introduce a click-and-collect service this year, as well as home delivery on product bought in stores.
Why the smart money is on a recovery for menswear

21 January 2011
Menswear is often said to be the first area of fashion to feel the force of a recession and the last to return after it. If the aphorism is true, we can consider the recession good and buried. According to retail research firm Kantar Worldpanel, the total UK menswear market grew 2% in the 52 weeks to October 31, 2010.
Pitti Immagine launches virtual tradeshows

20 January 2011
Italian exhibition organiser Pitti Immagine has launched a virtual version of its tradeshows online.
Selfridges names new buying directors

19 January 2011
Selfridges has promoted Sebastian Manes and David Walker-Smith to buying directors, splitting the buying director role vacated by Anne Pitcher when she was named managing director of the iconic department store chain last week.
Chinese spend in London doubled in December

19 January 2011
Like for like spending by Chinese visitors to London more than doubled in December, as more Chinese tourists visited the city and their personal spending power grew.
Milan Fashion Week: Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry Prorsum

17 January 2011
The autumn 11 catwalk season kicked off in Milan this weekend, with soft tailoring and strong silhouettes a key feature of the shows so far.
Fever

14 January 2011
The eclectic womenswear brand has retail expansion in its sights.
Footwear anti-dumping duties to be scrapped

12 January 2011
Anti-dumping duties on leather footwear imported from China and Vietnam are to be scrapped, potentially freeing UK retailers to reduce prices and increase margins.
Sir Philip Green named International Retailer of the Year

12 January 2011
Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green was in New York yesterday to pick up the International Retailer of the Year award from the US National Retail Federation.
£14m windfall for Hobbs

12 January 2011
Hobbs has secured £14m of new investment from its private equity backer 3i, and parachuted in turnaround specialist Iain MacRitchie to replace retail veteran Tony Campbell as chairman.
Sir Philip Green: Topshop will not pass on VAT hike

11 January 2011
Topshop and Topman will not pass the January VAT rise on to customers, Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green has confirmed.
Sir Philip Green to 'double' Topshop sales

10 January 2011
Arcadia boss Sir Philip Green is aiming to double sales at Topshop within the next five years, through an ambitious programme of international expansion at the young fashion chain.
Shoppers stampede for the Sales

29 December 2010
Some 800,000 shoppers descended on London’s West End the day after Boxing Day, with many queueing outside stores in the early hours of the morning to make sure they got first look at the Sales.
Sainsbury's market share rockets

29 December 2010
Sainsbury’s has more than tripled its share of the £9.9bn UK value clothing market in the last five years, according to new findings by Verdict Research.
No respite for London retailers as Tube strike confirmed

24 December 2010
A last ditch attempt to avert a Tube strike on Boxing Day, a crucial shopping day for retailers, has failed.
BFC cash crisis looms as Vaizey says sorry for ‘cock-up’

10 December 2010
Culture minister Ed Vaizey has privately apologised to the British Fashion Council for a Treasury “cock-up” that has left London Fashion Week short of funding, Drapers understands.
Burton in talks over Baird concessions

10 December 2010
Menswear supplier Baird Group is understood to have entered talks with Arcadia Group menswear chain Burton about converting its tailoring concessions to a straight suit supply agreement.
Boxfresh founder to open ‘pop-up mall’ for brands

26 November 2010
Boxfresh founder Roger Wade is to open the world’s first “pop-up mall” opposite London’s Shoreditch House private members club.
Spending boom predicted for royal wedding weekend

26 November 2010
London retailers are in line for a £24m boost to fashion sales over the royal wedding bank holiday weekend and a return to ladylike dressing inspired by royal bride Kate Middleton.
Liam Gallagher

26 November 2010
The rock star’s Pretty Green brand has swaggered into the menswear market, last week landing a Drapers Award. But the Oasis frontman is sure it won’t be a one-hit wonder.
Superdry plays down delays as Asos tries to cancel order

19 November 2010
SuperGroup chief executive Julian Dunkerton has said manufacturing delays to product from its Superdry young fashion brand are “minor”, as it emerged that etailer Asos is trying to cancel an order for goods worth £1m.
Can fashion fix the cracks in China’s production line?

19 November 2010
China topped the news agenda last week as Prime Minister David Cameron joined the biggest-ever British delegation to the country to forge a closer business relationship. But the Asian superpower was on the lips of those in the fashion business for an altogether different reason.
Arcadia profits climb 6.4%

18 November 2010
Young fashion chains Topshop and Topman had their best ever years in the 12 months to August 28, as pre tax profits at parent Arcadia Group climbed 6.4% to £213.2m.
DRAPERS FASHION SUMMIT: The Find scoops prize for Mary Portas makeover

17 November 2010
Kent womenswear indie The Find won an overhaul by retail guru Mary Portas last night, at the Drapers Fashion Summit, as well as monthly coverage in Drapers over the course of the next year to track its progress.
Burberry pre-tax profits rocket 50%

16 November 2010
Pre-tax profits at Burberry rocketed nearly 50% to £129m in the six months to September 30, as the luxury giant introduced a new pricing strategy and fine-tuned its stock replenishment system.
Lanvin's Elbaz honoured in WGSN Global Fashion Awards

12 November 2010
Lanvin artistic director Alber Elbaz was named the most influential womenswear designer in the world at the inaugural Global Fashion Awards held by trend forecaster WGSN in New York.
Fashion Rocks sets date for debut store

12 November 2010
Fashion Rocks, the premium young fashion retail concept planned by the founders of USC, is poised to launch early next year under the aegis of former Cruise managing director John Heath and design director Martin Lacey.
Bolland holds fire on M&S brands

12 November 2010
When shoppers watch Marks & Spencer’s (fantastic) Christmas TV ad, they don’t see Twiggy, Dannii and Peter Kay wearing Indigo or Blue Harbour. They just think in terms of M&S - and as a marketing man, the retailer’s new chief executive Marc Bolland knows just how valuable this is.
BRC: Clothing and footwear sales slowed in October

9 November 2010
Clothing and footwear sales slowed in October, according to the latest BRC figures, as uncertainty over job losses prompted shoppers to cut back on their discretionary spend.
French regulators to investigate LVMH Hermès deal

8 November 2010
French competition authorities are to investigate LVMH’s £1.3bn acquisition of a 14.2% stake in Hermès.
Morleys Stores Group buys family-owned Pearsons

5 November 2010
Independent department store chain Morleys Stores Group has acquired family-owned department store Pearsons.
Customers must bear brunt of cotton crunch, says Next

5 November 2010
High street giant vows to increase prices by 8% to protect profits in face of rocketing cotton costs.
Green: Earnest approach led to Kate Moss for Topshop success

5 November 2010
Kate Moss for Topshop succeeded because of its “earnest” approach to design, Sir Philip Green has claimed, as its final full collection drove the biggest single day of trading that Topshop.com has ever seen.
Sean John to shutter only standalone

5 November 2010
Sean John is to close its only standalone store at the end of the year, amid a reported row with its landlord over falling sales.
Sales at fashion indies stabilise in third quarter

5 November 2010
Sales at clothing and footwear indies grew by an average of four percentage points in the third quarter this year, according to indie trade body BHF-BSSA.
BrandAlley to woo brands with free consumer data

5 November 2010
Off-price etailer BrandAlley is to share consumer insight data with brands for free to help it combat the shortage of off-price product.
Rob Feldmann

5 November 2010
Intelligent brands should treat clearance as part of their overall strategy, says the UK boss of BrandAlley, who hopes the discount etailer’s new projects will make working with it a no-brainer.
Shopper scrum at Topshop for final Kate Moss collection

2 November 2010
Model Kate Moss and Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green were met by a scrum of shoppers last night, as Moss unveiled her final womenswear collection for Topshop at its flagship store in London’s Oxford Circus.
Urban Outfitters’ Leifsdottir label to wholesale in UK

29 October 2010
Leifsdottir, the premium womenswear brand owned by US retailer Urban Outfitters, is to launch in the UK and branch into retail as an “upmarket Anthropologie”.
Paul Smith launches kidswear with Harrods pop-up shop

29 October 2010
Premium label Paul Smith is to open a pop up shop in Harrods to mark the launch of its first ever kidswear collection.
Emreco mounts challenge to classic knitwear labels

29 October 2010
Mainstream womenswear brand Emreco will unveil a new classic knitwear sub-brand for autumn 11, to tap into the trend for heritage-inspired product.
Indies flex payment terms to drive sales

29 October 2010
Indies are introducing long-term payment programmes to help their customers manage their cash flow through the downturn.
Private equity bids in for Office

27 October 2010
PAI Partners, the private equity firm behind Spanish fashion retail giant Cortefiel, and T J Hughes investor Silverfleet Capital, have thrown their hats in the ring to buy footwear retailer Office.
Jigsaw names new chief executive

27 October 2010
Kewsaw, the holding company behind womenswear chains Jigsaw and Kew, has appointed former Thomas Pink managing director Des Swan as group chief executive.
MEPs back country of origin labels

25 October 2010
Clothing and footwear imported from outside the European Union could be bound by law to state its origin following a landslide vote in European Parliament.
River Island goes global with Asos

25 October 2010
Young fashion retailer River Island is to sell its product on etail giant Asos.
Shop Direct hires Debenhams' creative boss

25 October 2010
Home shopping giant Shop Direct Group has hired Debenhams’ Mark Woods as group creative director.
Argos to muscle its way into fashion

22 October 2010
Retail giant Argos is to throw its muscle behind branded clothing - but has met with a cool reception from the branded fashion sector.
Jan Shutt

22 October 2010
After more than 39 years of trading, the owner of womenswear indie Sunday Best has won plenty of plaudits from her peers thanks to a relentless focus on the customer and the bottom line.
Seller beware

22 October 2010
To sell or not to sell? From private equity investment to IPOs, fashion businesses need to consider their individual goals to find the best option to suit them.
Tory Burch to open London store

21 October 2010
US footwear and womenswear brand and retailer Tory Burch is to open its first UK store on London’s New Bond Street in December, a month after opening its first European store in Rome.
Own brands boost Debenhams profits

21 October 2010
Debenhams grew operating profit 7.1% to £196.1m during the year to August 28, helped by a strong performance from its own brand Designers at Debenhams ranges - and has announced four new designer collaborations.
Sports Direct profits up as bonus scheme pays off

20 October 2010
Sportswear retailer Sports Direct increased gross profit 5.4% to £117m in the nine weeks to September 26 as its bonus share scheme paid off.
Hermès to pop up in Shoreditch

15 October 2010
Paris fashion house Hermès is to join the London pop up revolution by opening two temporary stores - including one in Shoreditch.
Polo Ralph Lauren launches UK ecommerce site

15 October 2010
Premium US fashion house Polo Ralph Lauren has launched the UK version of its ecommerce site, allowing customers to shop the brand online without a US address.
Former Russell & Bromley chair Peter Bromley dies at 68

15 October 2010
Footwear chain’s former chairman and director was renowned for his commitment to quality.
Child benefit cuts threaten indie sales

15 October 2010
Premium and mainstream indies are bracing themselves for a drop in sales in 2013 as middle-income parents bear the brunt of cuts to their child benefits.
Supplier to revive Stone-Dri as ‘cheaper Stone Island’

15 October 2010
Outerwear supplier Baker Street Clothing is to revive classic 1950s raincoat brand Stone-Dri as it diversifies into branded product.
Quality pays off at Russell & Bromley

13 October 2010
Russell & Bromley grew operating profit 26.3% to £13.9m in the 12 months to December 31, as sales increased 6.2% to £88.1m.
American Apparel appeases lender with key management hiring

11 October 2010
Beleaguered US chain American Apparel has hired Blockbuster executive Tom Casey as acting president, in line with a pledge to lender Lion Capital to secure key management talent.
Profits climb at Kurt Geiger

11 October 2010
Towering heels, celebrity endorsements and midnight shopping helped Kurt Geiger to grow operating profits 21% to £11.5m in the year to January 31 - but the footwear retailer has denied sale rumours.
Burton reintroduces branded concessions to select stores

8 October 2010
Arcadia-owned menswear chain Burton has reintroduced branded concessions in its stores after an absence of more than a decade.
Victoria Stapleton

8 October 2010
The founder and owner of cashmere specialist Brora intends to retain the company’s uniquely special selling point while keeping a cap on prices.
H&M opens Champs-Elysées flagship

6 October 2010
International young fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz AB has finally opened the doors on a flagship on Paris’ Avenue des Champs-Elysées.
Revealed: first picture of Barbara Hulanicki's collection for Asda

5 October 2010
George at Asda has revealed the first picture of its range created by Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki and set a November 14 launch date for the first collection.
House of Fraser bites back over Biba founder’s claims

1 October 2010
Department store chain defends Biba pricing strategy as George at Asda plans value alternative.
Raw leather, silk and wool follow cotton price hikes

1 October 2010
Retailers and brands will use a combination of re-engineered price points and January’s VAT rise to mask rising prices on leather, silk and wool from the consumer next spring.
Ben Sherman names global retail boss

30 September 2010
Young fashion brand and retailer Ben Sherman has hired Diesel USA’s Antonio Cvijanovic as global head of retail.
Matalan chief executive Alistair McGeorge to stand down

29 September 2010
Matalan chief executive Alistair McGeorge is to stand down and other boardroom changes are expected at the value retail giant.
Barbara Hulanicki blasts House of Fraser's Biba as she signs with George at Asda

29 September 2010
Barbara Hulanicki has issued a two-fingered salute to House of Fraser and joined forces with George at Asda to produce a low-priced fast-fashion collection just weeks after the department store spent millions relaunching the Biba label she founded.
Alexander McQueen label to lose angst

28 September 2010
The first Alexander McQueen collection to be produced without his input will be softer and less angst-ridden than previous collections, according to the premium label’s new creative director Sarah Burton.
Topshop signs Chicago site

28 September 2010
Topshop/Topman has signed a lease on a store in Chicago where it is poised to open its second US standalone.
P Diddy plans UK launch for Sean John megabrand

27 September 2010
Sean Combs, the singer previously known as P Diddy, is to launch his lifestyle clothing brand Sean John in key European markets from early next year.
Next to slash prices this weekend

24 September 2010
Highstreet chain Next is to launch a flash Sale this weekend.
Government hints at LFW cash support

24 September 2010
Minister praises fashion industry as London catwalks serve up most commercial trends yet.
David Koma

24 September 2010
Despite the LFW designer’s strong commercial potential, he is committed to slow and steady expansion.
Dolce & Gabbana turns stockist

22 September 2010
Premium brand Dolce & Gabbana has opened a new concept store in Milan selling collections by emerging designers alongside its own product.
New Look unlikely to float until 2012

20 September 2010
New Look is unlikely to make another attempt to float before 2012 because of deteriorating conditions on the high street, according to reports.
Hobbs’ owner calls for strategic review

17 September 2010
Private equity firm 3i has ordered a root and branch review of womenswear retailer Hobbs ahead of a major financial restructuring.
Next plans style changes to menswear but denies sales have been suffering

17 September 2010
Next is to make its menswear offer older and less trend-led, but has hit back at claims it has underperformed in the category.
Smashing windows

17 September 2010
To celebrate High Street Fashion Week, Oxford Street shoppers were asked to pick out the most inspirational window displays from the area’s retailers in this year’s Glammy Awards.
Ed Burstell

3 September 2010
Iconic building, great location - the ingredients suggest success, yet Liberty’s recent performance has disappointed. But its new managing director says tourists can help him change all that.
Selfridges parts with D&G in ‘giant row’

21 August 2010
Department store chain Selfridges will no longer stock Dolce & Gabbana or D&G product in any of its stores from spring 11 following an alleged fall-out with the designer brand.
Eugene Lin

21 August 2010
Despite its macabre inspiration, the designer’s third collection for spring 11 is his most accessible yet
Sixty UK files for liquidation

18 August 2010
Sixty UK, the UK distributor for young fashion brands Miss Sixty and Energie, has filed for liquidation after the High Court last month rejected its Company Voluntary Arrangement.
Evans adds brands to tempt teenagers

14 August 2010
Plus-sized womenswear chain Evans is to trial a branded young fashion offer in selected stores and online in a bid to capitalise on the growing market for trend-led clothes for larger-sized teens.
Dresses

14 August 2010
Spring 11
Eveningwear and Occasionwear

14 August 2010
Spring 11
Jackets and outerwear

14 August 2010
Spring 11
Knits

14 August 2010
Spring 11
Rags to Bitches shuts shop to focus on web

14 August 2010
Manchester womenswear indie Rags to Bitches has closed its bricks-and-mortar store and is planning to develop its online business and relocate to southern England.
Trousers

14 August 2010
Spring 11
Boden goes premium to lure web shoppers

7 August 2010
Boden, the catalogue and internet retailer, is to launch a limited-edition premium womenswear sub-brand for spring 11, one of a string of online-only ventures designed to reduce dependence on catalogues.
Fly53 to swoop onto the high street with 26-store assault

7 August 2010
Streetwear brand Fly53 is to open 26 standalone stores over the next three years as part of its plans to expand rapidly into retail.
Pure London closes with 24% leap in visitors

4 August 2010
Womenswear tradeshow Pure London saw a 24% uplift in visitors compared to the August 2009 edition, and a 37% increase in the number of those spending more than one day at the event.
Deliveries at risk as Bangladesh rioting steps up

3 August 2010
UK retailers are facing renewed threats of stock delays after rioting by factory workers in Bangladesh stepped up in intensity.
Pure attendance jumps on upbeat opening day

2 August 2010
Womenswear trade show Pure saw a 27% jump in visitors on yesterday’s opening day compared to the first day of the August 09 exhibition, and buyers and exhibitors were positive about the level of business being done.
Pepe Jeans

31 July 2010
The long-standing denim brand is emphasising its British roots in its new British Khaki collections
Clothing prices set for 12% jump

22 July 2010
The price is clothing is set to rise 12% by 2014, countering the price deflation that has blighted the sector for most of the previous decade.
Embrace etail but handle with care

17 July 2010
It’s been a bleak week for indies, with the news that two well-established names have bitten the dust. The perennial pressures of rising rent and a drop in sales stopped the books balancing at Marmalade, while Bagga Menswear collapsed partly due to a failed online venture.

DrapersKatherine Rushton

Drapers
Katherine Rushton