ISSUE 204 | JULY 2013 | £6.95 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK
SEASONED PERFECTLY THE FULL LOWDOWN ON SPRING/SUMMER 2014 — A NEW DIRECTION GLOVERALL’S MARK VAN BEEK ON THE FUTURE OF THE ICONIC LABEL
JULY 2013 | CONTENTS | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 05
R E T A I L 12
Online Insider
14
Retail Insider
16
The changing face of retail
19
A lifetime in menswear
Advice, news and issues online The latest in-store news MWB highlights the findings of the recent Bira conference Celebrating the career of David Coe
G E N T 26
Product news
28
Drop the bomb
30
A quiet giant
32
Scorchio style from Pitti
Rounding up the key stories this month Bomber jackets to get in-store now The future of lifestyle label Brax Tom Bottomley’s finds from the Italian exhibition
B R A N D
G U I D E
36
Industry insider
38
Fashion focus
46
View from the shop floor
The news and developments for spring/summer 2014 Four of the key trends spotted for the new season Indies’ thoughts on buying, budgets and brands
D E N I M
&
S T R E E T
50
Product news
52
Tailored approach
54
Gallery, Copenhagen
57
Jacket Required
61
New name in skate shoes
What’s happening in denim and street Relaxed tailoring available to buy now Our second instalment of the brands to catch at next month’s show Uncovering some new names to check out at the London show The launch of New Balance Numeric
R E G U L A R S 7 8 20
Comment News Interview
63 64 67 70
Society Collective The Bottomley Line Last Orders With…
Mark Van Beek
Patrick Cox
Front cover
Baracuta 07773 775092 —
JULY 2013 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 07
EDITOR
COmmeNT
Victoria Jackson victoria@ras-publishing.com — DEPUT y
EDITOR
Tom Bottomley tom.bottomley@btinternet.com — CONTRIBUTORS Isabella Griffiths isabella@ras-publishing.com Laura Turner laura@ras-publishing.com Christina Williams christina@ras-publishing.com — SUB
EDITOR
Amanda Batley amanda@ras-publishing.com — DESIGNERS Michael Podger michael@ras-publishing.com James Lindley james@ras-publishing.com Clive Holloway clive@ras-publishing.com Richard Boyle richard@ras-publishing.com — SALES
MANAGER
Sharon Le Goff sharon@ras-publishing.com — SUB SCRIPTIONS Lydia Bennett lydia@ras-publishing.com — HEAD
OF
MENSWEAR
Jamie Harden jamie@moda-uk.co.uk — PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR
Gill Brabham gill@ras-publishing.com — COMMERCIAL
DIRECTOR
Nick Cook nick@ras-publishing.com — MARKETING
DIRECTOR
Stephanie Parker stephanie@moda-uk.co.uk — MANAGING
DIRECTOR
Colette Tebbutt colette@ras-publishing.com —
MWB is published 11 times per year by RAS Publishing Ltd, The Old Town Hall, Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5AL. Call 01484 846069 Fax 01484 846232 Copyright © 2013 MWB Magazine Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any written material or illustration in any form for any purpose, other than short extracts for review purposes, is strictly forbidden. Neither RAS Publishing Ltd nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage to transparencies and any other material submitted for publication. Reprographics/printing Image Colourprint Ltd 01482 652323 —
A Buyer Series Fashion Business Publication MWB is a fashion business publication produced by RAS Publishing Ltd. Other titles in the Buyer Series include WWB and CWB. RAS Publishing Ltd is an ITE Group Plc company.
With UK year-on-year attendance figures down at the most recent edition of Pitti Uomo, it seems after speaking to a number of retailers for this month’s seasonal issue, many are looking to unearth new talent much closer to home. — June saw the official start of the spring/summer 2014 buying season, when London Collections: men kick-started proceedings with over 150 catwalk shows, presentations and events over the three-day showcase. With the clout that Tom Ford, Burberry and Jimmy Choo have brought to the show, the third edition of the London menswear event was its busiest yet. It was great to see young British designers including Agi & Sam and Christopher Raeburn receiving as much attention from buyers and the media as classics such as Spencer Hart and Oliver Spencer. After speaking to four of the UK’s key independents for our feature View from the Shop Floor, on p46, it’s clear to see buying schedules have changed dramatically from what they once were. Long gone are the days when retailers would head to Florence, followed by Milan, and perhaps Paris and Berlin. Some cannot afford the time out of the shop, but most simply can’t afford the cost of travelling throughout show season. Now in its fifth season, London menswear trade show Jacket Required is getting ready to open its doors for what is set to be its strongest edition yet later this month. With a host of new signings, the event is definitely worth a visit – plus, there is little chance of having to contend with the Italian-style 42-degree heat in Blighty. Check out our second instalment of the brands to catch at the show on p57. With that said, European shows are still, and will continue to be, key to the buying calendar. And, while retailers may now only travel one season a year, there is still so much exciting and innovative product to discover. Turn to p32 to see our picks from last month’s Pitti Uomo. As always, if you have any comments on this month’s issue, email or tweet the team @mwbmagazine, and I wish you a successful buying season. Victoria Jackson editor
JULY 2013 | NEWS | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 08
N E W S
PIT TI UOMO SEES IN CREASE IN IN T ER N AT ION A L BU Y ER S
CA SH-FLOW CON CER NS FOR SM Es Concerns surrounding cash flow and late payment are on the rise, according to research by not-for-profit employer support organisation the Forum of Private Business. The study has also shown increasing fears from business around their finances in general, including concern banks would call in overdrafts or loans. On cash flow, 38 per cent of businesses stated it was the primary cause of concern to their business at present, this compared to 33 per cent last year when asked the same question in Forum research. Worries around access to finance also increased from 17 per cent to 23 per cent this year, and the actual cost of finance went up, from six per cent to eight per cent. Lack of choice for finance at 19 per cent was down marginally from 20 per cent. “Taken in a wider context, these results are alarming because they suggest a marked deterioration in SME confidence in their finances,” said the Forum’s chief executive, Phil Orford. “We suspect this is as a result of the banks’ ongoing failure to deliver affordable finance to small firms, and the fact businesses are increasingly worried about cash flow, and being paid late, is surely linked. These are issues borne of credit being scarce and difficult to obtain – the recently announced OFT investigation into the lack of business lending by the banks underlines this.” Notably, separate Forum research on business support also showed more than half of firms polled believed the Forum’s Credit Control Guide, which helps small firms get paid on time and manage their cash flow, would be beneficial. This, says the Forum, is proof many small firms are crying out for help with managing their finances better. “Everybody knows cash flow and credit control are crucial areas for all businesses,” says Orford. “It’s those firms who successfully manage these aspects of their business who are better placed to survive a one-off shock, and indeed who are more likely to be in favour with the banks for a loan. Our Credit Control Guide is a great starting point for businesses who feel they are wanting in this area.” To obtain a copy of the Forum’s Credit Control Guide call 0845 130 1722. —
The number of overseas visitors attending menswear trade show Pitti Uomo saw a rise of 4.6 per cent in direct comparison with last June. The show, which took place at the Fortezza da Basso showground in Florence on 18-21 June, welcomed around 30,000 visitors across the four-day event. Buyers were positive about the exhibition, praising the show’s atmosphere and ambience as well as its product offer. “As always, it was a very lively Pitti Uomo,” says Josh Peskowitz, men’s fashion director at US department store Bloomingdales. “You could feel a lot of energy, and we were happy that exhibitors had chosen an explosion of colour as a main trend. We always hope to find new companies to partner with but, in general, the fair is also a great opportunity to see a 360-degree preview of the season.” —
BESTSELLER CR EATES EUROPEAN HQ IN LONDON Danish fashion house Bestseller is relocating its offices to Fashion Street in Shoreditch, East London, next week, setting a new framework for the expansion and presentation of the group’s 13-strong brand portfolio. The new office will house the sales, visual merchandising, marketing and administrative departments, and will be treated as Bestseller’s European headquarters. The move comes just weeks after the expansion of the group’s Manchester showroom, which takes over the entire floor of the city’s Arndale House. “Fashion Street represents a significant milestone in the growth of our company and we have spent a lot of time and effort to create an incredible environment to support our continued growth,” says Allan Vad Nielsen, UK country manager. —
JULY 2013 | NEWS | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 09
IN BRIeF
RETA ILERS EXPECT IMPROVED SALES OVER JULY
GA N T M A K ES MODA DEBUT
Retailers are looking to this month for a boost in sales following a stagnant first half of the year, according to the CBI. The trade body, which surveyed 115 British companies, found that most retailers were expecting sales volumes to increase next month as a late summer gets under way. The CBI – Confederation of British Industry – did, however, warn retailers that recovery could be slow following a stagnant first half of the year, which has seen UK sales figures remain flat in direct comparison with the same period last year. “With the cost of living still much higher than pay growth, family spending power is likely to remain fragile through the summer,” says Barry Williams, chair of the CBI Distributive Trades Survey Panel. —
Gant, the preppy inspired lifestyle label, has become the latest exhibitor to sign up for the August edition of Moda. Presenting its spring/summer 2014 collection of accessories, including underwear, bags, belts and leather goods, the brand will make its show debut at the UK’s largest fashion trade event, taking place on 11-13 August 2013. The show will also see the welcome return of labels such as Gibson London, Maddox Street, State of Art and Olymp. Alongside a dedicated catwalk show featuring tailoring, urban and contemporary menswear running throughout the three-day exhibition, Moda will host a series of seminar programmes. These will include Gloople founder Warren Knight, looking at how retailers can build a successful website, and Anne Horton of Tonik Retail, discussing how retailers can get the best return for their money. —
CFW JOINS FORCES W ITH W HO’ S N EX T
T WO NEW SIGNINGS FOR DOUBLE H AGENCY
Copenhagen Fashion Week and trade exhibition Who’s Next Pret-a-Porter have entered into a partnership that will see visitor tickets valid for both events. The collaboration will give visitors to Who’s Next – taking place on 6-9 July – access to Copenhagen Fashion Week on 8-10 August. “This is a first for the world’s fashion trade show sector,” says Christian Gregersen, founder and owner of Gallery International Fashion Fair CPH, taking place during Copenhagen Fashion Week. “With one ticket for the leading fairs in Copenhagen and Paris, we have made it easier for visitors who only have to register once to visit both of these destinations.” The show organisers attributed the feasibility of the partnership to their shared portfolios of high-quality labels, rich programmes of events and ongoing development of visitor services as shared characteristics. —
French label Eden Park (pictured) and Danish denim brand Indicode have appointed UK agency Double H to manage distribution across the country for s/s 14. Double H, whose brand portfolio currently includes fellow French label Vicomte A, M.O.D, Garcia and Red Soul, has put in place a clear strategy moving forward for both labels with the aim of targeting higher-end independent retailers such as John Anthony and Repertoire with Eden Park and likes of Asos and House of Fraser for Indicode. “It has been a natural move to appoint Double H Agency to develop our wholesale distribution in the UK,” says president and founder of Eden Park, Franck Mesnel. “Their expertise and knowledge of the market, as well as their proactive approach towards retailers, were key arguments when establishing our strategy for the brand.” —
NEW LINE-UP AT ALAN PAINE Heritage menswear label Alan Paine has appointed Suna Setna and Guy McKelvey as key account managers with effect from the s/s 14 selling season. The new sales representatives – both of whom join the company from John Smedley Knitwear – will consult with Alan Paine in developing specific product and strategy for the UK market, and positioning the product in key accounts. Specifically, they are tasked with mirroring the brand’s success across Europe. Suna Setna will have responsibility for the Greater London area, while Guy McKelvey will cover North Staffordshire. — ASOS LAUNCHES REAL-TIME PARCEL TRACKING Online retailer Asos has stepped up its delivery service with the launch of its new Follow My Parcel scheme. The scheme carries no extra charge for the consumer, and allows delivery times to be narrowed down to a 15-minute window. Launched in conjunction with courier DPD, the development is part of a wider move by Asos to “continually exceed customer expectations” through its online fulfilment. The Follow My Parcel scheme is a step-by-step information service, which will see customers receive a text or an email initially specifying a one-hour time slot, which will progress to a live countdown throughout the day, allowing the courier to specify a 15-minute window for delivery. — HUNTER EXPANDS SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM Boot company Hunter has expanded its senior management team with four highprofile appointments across finance, design, e-commerce and communications. Ken Pratt has been appointed as chief financial officer, while Niall Sloan joins Hunter as global design director and will oversee the development and design of all product categories. Dan Lumb, meanwhile, has taken up the position of online director, overseeing global online functions and the further development of the e-commerce business. Finally, Ali Lowry is joining the team as global communications director. The appointments follow recent additions to the Hunter management board, with the appointment of Alasdhair Willis as creative director and Fabrizio Stroppa as commercial sales director in February, as well as James Seuss as CEO in December 2012. — ENYA LTD MANAGES DISTRIBUTION FOR CINQUE UK agency Enya Ltd will manage distribution for lifestyle label Cinque Men for spring/summer 2014. The brand is looking to focus on UK and Irish premium specialist retail stores for the new season. —
JULY 2013 | NEWS | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 10
IN BRIeF
MOD
COGGLES ACQUIRED BY THE HU T GROU P
N EW LIN E- U P AT FLIP
Independent retailer Coggles has been acquired by multi-website online retailer The Hut Group. The york indie went into administration on 7 May this year. The acquisition of the retailer’s assets will see Coggles continue trading as an online-only fashion retailer. “Unfortunately, most of the interest we received was from potential purchasers wanting to acquire the online side of Coggles’ business, which represented the bulk of turnover, rather than for its retail outlets,” says Andy Clay of administrator Begbies Traynor in york. “This means the stores in york have closed and the remaining staff have been made redundant. “While it is sad to see Coggles disappearing from the high street for the time being – and the loss of employment for the remaining staff – it is positive that the business will continue as part of a large and successful specialist online retail group.” —
Urban trade show Flip has diversified for its third edition this season, welcoming a host of new labels across the surf, denim, street and lifestyle sectors. Taking place at Birmingham’s NEC on 11-13 August, the exhibition will be accompanied by live catwalk shows and networking events across the three days. Making its Flip debut this season, Reef arrives with a vibrant range of washed-out brights and toned-down neons, while fellow debutante Bjorn Borg arrives with a range of statement styles across its intimate apparel collection for both men and women for spring/summer 2014. Returning labels, meanwhile, include MOD, which renews its focus on denim for the new season with new fits and innovative fabrics alongside its newly introduced range of leather belts. Surf labels Billabong and Timezone will also make a return. —
THIRD YEAR OF INDEPENDENT R ETA ILER M ON T H
FA SHION SVP SHOWCASES PRODUCTION STRENGTH
British shoppers are being urged to get behind their local businesses by buying independent this month. Spearheaded by retail guru Clare Rayner, Independent Retail Month, taking place in July, will once again see communities across the country organise promotions, family days and special events to celebrate the retail scenes in their local communities. “There are some 192,000 independents in the UK occupying almost 250,000 shops, and the more take part in Independent Retailer Month, the stronger they will become,” says Rayner. “Now in its third year, the campaign could not be more important – only a few weeks ago it was revealed that the number of empty shops across the UK has hit an all-time high and the only way to stem further closures is for retailers to not only remind local customers of the fact that they’re here, but give them more reasons to visit.” —
Over 70 handpicked suppliers from the UK, Europe, Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean will be showcasing their production capabilities at this season’s Fashion SVP, to be held on 22-24 September at London’s Olympia. The three-day event is aimed exclusively at those who buy direct from factories, and provides an authoritative showcase of “near-shore” sourcing. Covering manufacturing across all fashion sectors, including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, as well as denim and many other product types, the event also hosts comprehensive conference sessions with high-profile industry speakers such as retailers, brands, trend forecasters and legal specialists. To find out more visit www.fashionsvp.com. —
DEBENHAMS INVESTS £25M IN LONDON FLAGSHIP Debenhams is investing £25m into the refurbishment and expansion of its London flagship store on Oxford Street – the biggest investment to date in the store’s 200-year history. With an additional trading floor, the shop will stretch over seven storeys of retail space, with every department redesigned and reconfigured to create a new in-store experience. The refurbed store will house Debenhams’ biggest ever beauty hall, more designer departments across three floors of fashion, the biggest ever shoe hall and lingerie department, a new menswear department on the first floor, as well as three new cafes and restaurants. The extensive development will culminate in an entirely new exterior for the department store, using an innovative over-cladding system and featuring a “kinetic facade”, a first for the UK, which will move in response to the wind. Work has already begun on the comprehensive programme, which is set to take a year. — TRUNK CLOTHIERS OPENS NEW STORE London menswear retailer Trunk Clothiers has opened a dedicated accessories store just minutes from its flagship on Marylebone’s Chiltern Street. The new store – Trunk LABS – opened this week, retailing an extensive portfolio of labels in the luggage, accessories and bags sectors including premium travel brand Rimowa and canvas tote bag specialist Ichizawa Hanpu. “Trunk is a shop for men who like to look sharp in all settings and, with Trunk LABS, we’re taking a wide approach when defining what an accessory is,” says Mats Klingberg, who founded Trunk Clothiers in September 2010. “LABS stands for luggage, accessories, bags and shoes, but the idea is to also see it as a lab where we can test different things that we love and discover on our travels near and far.” The opening of Trunk LABS coincided with London Collections: Men, and saw the retailer celebrate both events by serving sparkling wine to menswear buyers and consumers visiting the capital over the weekend. — FOURMARKETING TO DISTRIBUTE LOT78 Fourmarketing has been appointed wholesale distributor for lot78, for both the UK and international markets. The lot78 collection, designed by Ollie Amhurst, will include both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and now available for sales appointments at the Fourmarketing showroom, alongside the likes of MM06 Margiela and Ice Iceberg. “We are delighted to introduce lot78 to our growing business,” says Gino Da’ Prato, founding partner and director of sales and marketing, Fourmarketing. “Fourmarketing has a wealth of experience in premium men’s and womenswear sales, distribution and public relations,” says Prato. “I feel confident that the market will embrace this collection and we look forward to helping build on the momentum that the brand has already gained.” —
JULY 2013 | ADVICE | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 12
ONLINe INSIDeR Advice, news and issues online.
ADVICE: Why POINT OF SALe TeRmINALS ARe CRUCIAL FOR yOUR BUSINeSS
NeWS
For many customers, the introduction of Chip and Pin and handheld point of sale (PoS) terminals has improved the shopping experience, but there are a number of issues retailers need to be aware of around in-store payment technology. — JAN B JAKOBSeN is a business development manager at ergonomic Solutions and is available through fieldworksmarketing.co.uk.
It is the retailer’s responsibility to ensure payment devices are secured, but also that they take appropriate measures to accommodate correct installation and security around the placement of the payment terminal position at the PoS environment. This is in part due to the increased threats. Indeed, records show it only takes around 30 seconds to remove an entire card device and replace it with an identical one fitted with electronic skimmers while, on any given day, according to MasterCard, there are over 5,000 terminals available for auction online, and legitimate terminals in stores are permanently under threat... And any security breach of data can lead to loss of reputation and customers, potential financial liabilities and litigation. Securing the PoS environment reduces the risk of theft, or replacement with an authorised terminal can prevent both data capture and the addition of skimming equipment while ensuring unattended PoS equipment and cabling cannot be removed or tampered with. By registering device key characteristics such as serial numbers, manufacturer, connection type and store location, retailers can ensure they are PCI compliant and reduce the risk of PoS theft and security breaches which can be damaging not only to the consumer but their precious brand. —
WeB WATCh
mANINTOWN.COm Launching during last month’s Pitti Uomo, Man In Town is a new menswear destination established in Italy. Although the site is currently missing a translate button – not good for those of us without a degree in Italian – it is definitely still worth a visit. Snapping gents of sartorial taste from across Fashion Week, including London Collections: Men, Pitti Uomo and Milan, as well as focusing on lifestyle, the arts, culture, news and events, the website is as polished and cleverly put together as its Italian creators. —
ASOS CONTINUES TO BUCK TREND Asos has revealed a 45 per cent increase in retail sales year-on-year following the release of its third quarter trading results. International sales, meanwhile, were up 67 per cent in total – a 2 per cent increase on last year’s results. With 6.5m active customers on 31 May 2013, the group is looking at further expansion with the launch of a dedicated Russian website. “I am pleased to report another strong trading period for the three months to 31 May 2013, with total retail sales up 45 per cent to £194m,” says CEO Nick Robertson. “We continue to see stronger growth in those countries where we have dedicated websites and in-country teams, notably in the US, France, Germany and Australia. We anticipate a further increase in the fourth quarter, which should result in a small improvement for the year as a whole.” Stewart Baxter, director of Mesh Marketing, adds, “Asos was one of the first to grasp that online fashion retail is not just about convenience, or even good value. It’s also about creating an entertaining and intuitive experience that enables people to enjoy shopping online, via quality images, sharp editorial and the sheer vastness of items on offer. But, with rival brands playing catch up, the challenge for the group now is to keep ahead of the pack, set the pace and continue to exercise creativity. Fortunately Asos has realised that, like its customers, in the e-tail market it needs to set trends rather than follow them.” —
urBAN // strEEt // dENim // liFE
// 11-13 August 2013 + NEC BirmiNghAm // modA-uk.Co.uk/Flip
JULY 2013 | RETAIL | NEWS & OPINION | 14
RETaiL inSidER The latest news and opinion from the menswear retail industry. —
VIEWPOINT RichaRd SimpSon, Bellamy menswear, Bourne, Lincolnshire
DR M A RT EN S OPEN S IN BR IGHTON British footwear label Dr Martens has opened a standalone store in Brighton, taking over a 700 sq ft space in the city’s historic Lanes area. The move comes as part of a nationwide retail expansion, which has seen the brand launch five stores over the past five months, with a further five openings planned for Norwich, Portsmouth, Milton Keynes, Newcastle and Edinburgh by the end of the year. Targeting Brighton’s locals and tourists, the latest store will seek to establish strong ties in the local community, showcasing performances by Brighton bands and in-store artwork by local artists. “Brighton is renowned across the country for its alternative spirit and forward thinking fashion style,” says Debbie Morgan, head of retail at Dr Martens. “This makes the city a perfect match for the Dr Martens brand and an excellent location for our new retail centre.” Dr Martens currently has 14 standalone stores nationwide, as well as a global presence in 75 countries worldwide. —
in BRiEF A NEW ADDITION TO SAVILE ROW London tailoring specialist Cad & The Dandy opened a new flagship store last month, located on the city's Savile Row. A first for Savile Row, the brand will hand-weave the cloth before creating garments in-house, alongside launching its first apprentice programme designed to introduce “would-be tailors” into the label’s three London stores – Savile Row, Birchin Lane and Canary Wharf. “We want to remove the perceived ‘mystique’ behind what we do,” says co-founder James Sleater. “We want to make suitmaking interesting, accessible and a viable option for young people again.” —
M&S LAUNCHES NEW YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY SCHEME Marks & Spencer has rolled out a new youth employability scheme – Make Your Mark – which will see the retailer join forces with youth charity The Prince’s Trust to create over 1,400 work experience placements for 16-25 year olds. With youth unemployment in the UK having reached record levels – with one in five 16-24 year olds in the labour force currently struggling to find a job – Make Your Mark is set to offer a training and job placement programme designed to address the skills and experience gap that prevents young people from finding work. —
Richard Simpson is a partner in Bellamy menswear, part of Jessie Bellamy, in Bourne, Lincolnshire, and is a member of the Fashion association of Britain (FaB). — I’ve been in the business long enough to remember getting blisters from wearing winklepickers and riding my bicycle wearing drainpipe trousers. In our hirewear side today it’s funny to see young lads wanting suits with skinny trousers to wear with modern winklepickers. Even Mod-style striped blazers are in fashion again. In all my time in the business I have never known trade to be so tough for so long. It seems people’s money goes towards paying off their debts these days. They are not spending like they used to do on clothes. Our reaction has been to reduce the number of suppliers to concentrate only on those that perform well. We used to stock seven shirt brands, for example. Now we have three. From five or six knitwear suppliers, we have dropped to two major ones. Olymp, Digel, Scott International and Brühl are good for us. The sales performance of brands is usually linked to their prices. It’s hard these days for us to sell a suit for over £300, for example. One thing still appreciated is our oldfashioned service. My mother, Jessie Bellamy, founded the business in 1937, and I took it over from her. My wife and daughter are my partners – we have a womenswear side too – so we are a real family business. We have noticed that visitors from the south in particular tell us they can’t get the service we provide down in their part of the country any more. It gives people a reason to shop with us. As everyone tells you, trade is erratic but, after a couple of weeks of better weather, we have started to see an improvement. People have been booking up outfits for October weddings. I’m predicting modern versions of winklepickers will still be big this autumn. www.fashionassociationofbritain.co.uk —
JULY 2013 | RETAIL | NEWS & OPINION | 15
SHOPPED: POCKeTS Do you feel the spring/summer season is increasingly tougher to buy for? It’s certainly been a testing season, everyone seems to be moaning how cold and miserable it is, and it’s certainly affected our high summer stock. But, on the flipside, we’ve had a good outerwear and layering season – selling lots of fine-gauge knitwear. Also, our tailoring business has improved. Whether it’s raining or cold, if you’ve still got a wedding booked in June, you need the right kit. how important is it to tap into the right trends for you now? It’s not really difficult for us because we’ve consolidated what we do, and we’re not trying to chase the fashion. We’ve concentrated more on a grown-up tailoring offer in our stores, which has worked for us. We’re not trying to chase the latest street fashion or new trainer collection, we’ve just stuck with our core grown-up brands and they’ve performed for us. Paul Smith London has been brilliant for us, and we’ve had a good season with Canali again. Also, Burberry London has been strong on the tailoring side. It’s very much about the soft, deconstructed jackets, and Eton shirts for those special occasions do very well for us.
mARK TAyLOR DIRECTOR, POCKETS, SHREWSBURY
Did anything catch your eye particularly at Pitti? It’s just the whole Italian look of soft tailoring in good colours with nice chinos, and generally men dressing up more and making more of an effort with the little details like pochettes and so on. That’s translating to the shop floor now. It takes a while, but our customers are embracing it. —
IN FOCUS: Le mONDe 1-3 UPPeR STReeT, TeTTeNhALL, WOLVeRhAmPTON WV6 8QF
eSTABLISheD: 1987 — BRANDS ON OFFeR: BOSS ORANGE, BOSS BLACK, OLIVER SPENCER, CP COMPANY, ARMANI JEANS, POLO RALPH LAUREN, SAND, PS BY PAUL SMITH, GRAND TOUR, ESSEMPLARE, GANT RUGGER —
ERMENEGILDO ZEGN A SET TO OPEN ON SLOA N E ST R EET Premium Italian menswear label Ermenegildo Zegna will unveil its latest store in London, located on Sloane Street in Knightsbridge. Designed by the brand’s in-house architects, the shop will incorporate Ermenegildo Zegna’s sleek and sophisticated DNA. Measuring 327 sq m, the store will also include the launch of an exclusive personalisation service – a dedicated area in the store will offer consumers the chance to choose fabrics and finishes for their garments. Each collection will be presented in an individually designed area, including the label’s Su Misura collection (made-to-measure), Sartoria collection (tailoring) and Upper Casual (leisurewear). A key inspiration for the interior has been the fabrics, created at the brand’s eponymous wool mill in Trivero, Italy, since 1910. —
IN BRIeF
The shop in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, was Jason Le monde Ody’s first in 1987, selling the likes of Armani and CP Company, which it still stocks to this day. A second store was added in Wolverhampton city centre in 1997, to cater for the younger fashion-conscious customer – with brands such as Lyle & Scott, Franklin & Marshall and Billionaire Boys Club. But it’s the smaller store located in Tettenhall (an historic village on the western outskirts of the city) catering for 25-45 year olds which is where it all began. Ody has been the architect of this establishment for 26 years, and his passion for clothes and everything stylish has not diminished since the day he started. The stores offer a friendly welcoming atmosphere, giving clients a unique shopping experience that has stood the test of time. Le Monde strives to constantly move forward and offers quality and individuality. Over the years, customers have come to rely on the staff’s judgement to pick the right pieces from the right brands for them. And they know there is an honesty and integrity in the customer service that’s on offer. That is, after all, what being a good independent is all about. —
APPEAR HERE WEBSITE LAUNCHES A new website, Appear Here (appearhere.co.uk), has launched, designed to help retailers and brands find available pop-up spaces. Appear Here specialises in locations such as London’s Soho, Covent Garden, Shoreditch and Bloomsbury, and can help provide interesting yet temporary locations for brands looking to showcase their collections without having to agree to a long lease. According to the website, the landscape of retail is changing and retailers need to “push an experience that cannot be matched online”. —
JULY 2013 | RETAIL | REPORT | 16
The ChANGING FACe OF The hIGh STReeT The British Independent Retailer Association (Bira) recently held a conference with leading industry speakers to discuss the current state and future of the Great British high Street. Isabella Griffiths sums up the key findings. —
What is the role of the high street in today’s changing retail landscape? Can it survive against the rise of e-commerce, decreased consumer spend, out-of-town centres and the many other factors that are turning high streets up and down the country into deserted spaces? Can it evolve, find a new raison d’etre and become a central part of every town again? These were the burning questions at a recent High Street Conference organised by the British Independent Retailer Association (Bira). A series of talks by key industry speakers shed light on different aspects of today’s trading conditions and the effects on independent retailers from a cross section of industries. Topics discussed ranged from successfully establishing e-commerce alongside bricks and mortar through social networking to local town initiatives and more. The event kicked off with a presentation on Creating Demand for your Retail Brand by fashion indie Deryane Tadd, owner of St Albans store The Dressing Room. Tadd, who is one of the leading fashion independents in the country, gave an insight into how, in only eight years since launching, she has turned her store into a recognised brand, both on the high street and online. “Know your customer,” she said. “I have a very clear vision of who my customer is, and I have created a shopping experience that is directly tailored to her needs.” Tadd revealed that constant in-store and online initiatives and marketing activity keep her at the forefront of customers’ minds, as well as consumer and trade fashion press, and that this is a vital part of the continued development and success of the store. “Whatever you do, talk about it,” she said. “Tell your customers, tell trade press, chat to bloggers and people on social media. Just generally keep your voice heard and don’t let people forget you.” Having taken her store online
in 2008, with a major relaunch in 2010, Tadd said that e-commerce had been a key factor in the growth of The Dressing Room and that she had invested a lot of time, energy and budget in getting it right. “However, I do believe it has strengthened my business,” she said. “I am certain that I would not have seen the growth in-store if I did not have a website. Taking the multichannel route is certainly not the easy or cheap option. Remember, you are promoting your business to the world with your website.” Finally, Tadd closed with an optimistic view on the future of both her store and independent retailers. “It’s not easy being an independent retailer right now – it is hard work,” she said. “However, we are in a better situation than multiples because we can action change and we can evolve with the needs of our customers. Independent retailers are what make our UK high street so interesting.” Tadd’s presentation was followed by social commerce expert and Gloople founder Warren Knight, who offered a practical workshop on Demystifying Offline to Online Retailing. Knight advocated the art of “storytelling” by engaging with customers through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social channels, creating a continuous dialogue that will help understand customers and ultimately drive traffic back to stores. “Technology has changed everything, except for what we do in human nature,” he began. “Technology has allowed us to share and
talk in real time to tens of thousands of people at the push of a button. Think back 20 years ago, we had to make a call 1-1 or send a fax 1-1,” he said, encouraging the audience to take advantage of the technological advances. Knight highlighted the importance of translating a store’s bricks-and-mortar personality to an online presence, too, building social interactions into the core of the customer user experience, enthusiastically making the case for social and e-commerce. “The UK is on top internationally when it comes to e-commerce, with 12 per cent of GDP generated by online sales, this puts us above the likes of Korea, China and the US,” he said. “Around £13bn is lost at the moment because businesses aren’t online. If you’re not going online, you’re losing money.”
“This is not the time to think just about your shop and see others as competitors. You need to work together. Treat your town centre as a destination. Get involved”
JULY 2013 | RETAIL | REPORT | 17
DERYANE TADD
Knight shared his top five tips for successful social commerce, which were summed up by the five Cs: “Coverage - get your business present on all of the relevant social networks; Collection – always add more followers; Curation – allow your followers to customise your content to match their audience; Context – promote your business by adding value around the brand and not as a hard sell; and Confidence – build trust with your followers to get them to be brand advocates.” Dr Jonathan Reynolds, academic director at the Oxford Institute of Retail Management, meanwhile, offered an insightful overview of the changing face of the high street, and the complex structural change that has shaped it over the years. Reynolds cited a multitude of factors that have been contributing to the evolution of the high street, including the recession, changing consumer attitudes to spending and saving (more people still spend less and save more than prerecession), store format changes – for example, many supermarkets are now launching smaller convenience branches and pop-up stores aimed at specific consumer and convenience needs – the accelerating rise in e-commerce and the everclosing gap between real and virtual shopping
WARREN KNIGHT
KATE HARDCASTLE
BETH WARD
JONATHAN REYNOLDS
“The crux of the matter is that people are getting poorer all the time, and this has had a huge effect on us all. People simply have less money to spend” experiences as contributing factors. However, Reynolds did not paint a depressing image, but rather explained that change is something natural and should be embraced by retailers of all sizes. “Embrace change,” he said. “Recognise and celebrate the strength of local independent retailing as an economic multiplier and a social multiplier. Collaborate to level the playing field. Innovation is everywhere, not just the monopoly of big firms. Technology is both a challenge and opportunity and the barriers to entry are low online. The future lies in the survival of the most adaptable – embrace the change.” “Local initiatives” that can improve business in town centres was the topic of Beth Ward’s talk. Ward, MD of Tippey Marketing & Events, is an authority on town-centre management in her role as town team special advisor for yorkshire, Humber and the North East as well as a former
Halifax town centre manager and executive director of Marketing Halifax. Ward shared her vast experience of boosting the footfall of Halifax high street by advocating that retailers need to work collectively, not as individuals. “This is not the time to think just about your shop and see others as competitors,” she said. “you need to work together. Treat your town centre as a destination. Get involved. It’s easy to criticise all the town teams, town-centre managers, Portas Pilots and so on. But how can you criticise something when you’re not involved yourself?” Ward cited examples of initiatives that have been successfully implemented in Halifax and subsequently boosted footfall across the town, including the Fiver-Fest. “We worked out that if every adult in the district would spend just £5 a week in their local shops, it would generate a total of £40m that would go directly back into the local >>>
JULY 2013 | RETAIL | REPORT | 18
economy,” she said. “It really helped make people aware of how much difference they can actually make. We developed the Fiver-Fest from there, encouraging local shops to have something on offer that people could buy for a fiver. It was a huge success.” Meanwhile, “queen of customer service” Kate Hardcastle, founder of the award-winning business transformation organisation Insight With Passion, offered an impassioned view on why customer service must be at the centre of retailing, both online and offline, and gave examples of successes and failures from local businesses across the globe. “Smile”, was her opening statement, something she believes is at the core of human interaction – and ultimately retail. “Humans want to deal with humans, so a smile makes all the difference,” she said. “Service must be paramount. you need to captivate with exceptional service. you need to be experts in retail and in your sector. Accentuate the positives, your retail store’s best features and embrace social interaction. The experience in your store needs to be fun, exciting, new and bold.” Hardcastle believes the high street will not disappear, but evolve – in fact, that “it has to evolve”, and the “evolution of the high street will be one of social interaction.” —
WhAT The PANeL SAID The day was concluded with a panel discussion about The Great British high Street and what lies ahead for towns and local retailers across the UK. Panellists included Jonathan Hopson, CEO of Newbury department store Camp Hopson; Dr Jonathan Reynolds, from the Oxford Institute of Retail Management; Michael Weedon, Bira’s deputy CEO and communications director; and Chris Wade, CEO of Action for Market Towns. The discussion kicked off with the question, “Was the Portas Pilot a big waste of time?” The panel was undecided on the issue, with Jonathan Reynolds stating, “We academics are often accused of our reports gathering dust on shelves. What she [Mary] has managed to achieve is more attention for the cause than any academic report has had in years. However, she hasn’t had the tools to do the job properly.” This was mirrored by Michael Weedon. He said, “It’s got us on TV to talk about retail and it has been in the public eye ever since. It was important as a tool, but she could never have achieved what needs to be done, because she has no legislative power. I wouldn’t say it was a waste of money, because there wasn’t much money to waste in the first place, it was a drop in the ocean. We actually took the view that it was a mistake to bring money into this [Portas Pilots], because it turned it into a game of ‘how can we spend £100,000’ – and it’s not enough to do anything properly anyway.” Chris Wade also concurred, “We need to ask, which shelf is Mary’s report now gathering
dust on? The report itself was good, but the big issues like business rates, parking, town-centre planning and out-of-town centres have not been acted upon and the government isn’t fulfilling its part of the bargain.” Jonathan Hopson concluded that only time will tell what impact – if any – the Portas Pilots will make. “The jury is still out on that. It’s not made a lot of impact on our business. The TV programmes themselves are probably also of more interest to retailers like us than to actual consumers. It has created a certain degree of awareness, but not much more.” Asked what the real, actual issues are that retailers are faced with at the moment, Hopson didn’t have to think long and hard. “Competition with out-of-town centres, the internet and attracting the right calibre of staff,” he said. This was reiterated by retailers in the audience. One retailer said, “Parking in towns is a real challenge,” while another member of the audience summed it up, “Rates, rents and parking are crippling us retailers. The government’s role in all of this hasn’t been mentioned. The government can create the infrastructure and give us the tools to help develop our towns, but they are ignoring the real issues.” Jonathan Reynolds agreed, “Most local governments don’t get how important retail is to the local economy, which is why many are so inactive.” Concluding, Michael Weedon pointed out another key issue, “The crux of the matter is that people are getting poorer all the time, and this has had a huge effect on us all. People simply have less money to spend.”
JULY 2013 | RETAIL | PROFILE | 19
DAVID COE
A LIFeTIme IN meNSWeAR having recently received honorary membership to the British Independent Retail Association, an accolade bestowed on those members recognised to have gone above and beyond their call of duty for retail, mWB takes a look at the career of menswear retailer and industry figurehead David Coe. —
Although being born into a family business is far from unusual, being born inside the four walls of a family business is slightly more of a rarity. But, for Ipswich retailer David Coe, being born above his father’s shop, Coes, in 1938 provided him with an introduction to an industry that he has not only flourished in, but become an integral part of. “I was born just above the shop and slept in the cellar during the early part of the war,” says Coe. “I was only four and already folding handkerchiefs on the shop floor. I left school at 16 with five O Levels and started National Service in 1956. But within weeks my father sadly passed away, so at 18 I was given compassionate leave and subsequently thrust into running the family business.” Fast forward 56 years and it’s fair to say Coe’s knowledge and experience of menswear is second to none, having being awarded Honorary Membership at the recent British Independent Retail Association Conference – the highest accolade the industry body has for its members for going beyond the call of duty and showing out-of-the-ordinary support for their industry. Over the 85 years since it was established by Coe’s father, William David Coe, the shop has grown from a small town-centre menswear hub on Ipswich’s Norwich Road to a multiple independent
retailer with stores across East Anglia. Having acquired Goddard’s of King’s Lynn and, at the age of 60 during his first year of retirement, purchasing Golding of Newmarket, Coe can still be found working the shop floor. “I’ve been running the business since 1957, though in all honesty it probably runs me more now,” he says. When asked how retail has changed since he started in the industry, the answer is a simple one. “Everything’s faster, I’m definitely running the business at a quicker pace,” says Coe. “There have been many changes, but a lot has stayed the same, even down to certain suppliers such as Gurteen. Obviously there is more casual clothing nowadays than when I first started in the business, but I’ve certainly enjoyed the challenge over the years.” A significant player in the retail landscape, Coe has also been regarded as playing an instrumental part in the IMC Buying Group – originally the ABC Group – since it was conceived over three decades ago. It was the brainchild of business advisor Norman Highton, who felt that independent menswear stores could potentially join forces to buy certain products and brands, reaping the benefits of buying in scale. Being treasurer for the IMC Buying Group over the past 15 years, Coe recently made the decision to step
down from his role. Bruce McLaren, longstanding IMC Buying Group member and owner of menswear destination Kingsize Menswear in Woking, is one of Coe’s biggest supporters. “David has been, without doubt, a driving force behind the IMC Buying Group since its inception, as well as great supporters of the menswear trade in general. “Coes, as you know, is a forward-thinking business, continually investing in a big way – you just have to look at the recent major Ipswich makeover to see David means business and, ultimately, understands the changing face of retail.” Not one to shy away from social engagements, Coe has become a leading figure within his home town of Ipswich over the years. He has undertaken roles such as chairman of the local school governing body, chairman of the local sports club, vice chairman of the local building society and treasurer of the historical churches association – all, we must remember, while running a thriving business and being a father of four. William Coe, David’s son and fellow director of Coes, sums up the general feeling. “Dad has been an inspiration, not only to me, but to many people in the industry – within our business and the trade in general.”
JULY 2013 | INTERVIEW | 20
INTeRVIeW
mARK VAN BeeK mark Van Beek joined Gloverall nine months ago after a six-year stint as menswear designer for Burberry Prorsum. Tom Bottomley finds out what prompted such a different move, and what to expect from his first full collection for spring/summer 2014. — Tom Bottomley: how long were you designing for Burberry Prorsum before taking up the head-of-design post at Gloverall? Mark Van Beek: I was with Burberry Prorsum for six years designing the menswear. I decided to leave to take up this amazing opportunity at Gloverall. I started nine months ago, and this spring/summer 2014 collection is my first. — TB: What was your design background prior to Burberry Prorsum, and how did you come to join such an iconic brand? MVB: I was based in Amsterdam designing for Tommy Hilfiger, and then I worked for Verri in Milan, and briefly for Versace after that. Burberry was also based very much on high fashion, exclusive fabrics and everything “made in Italy” so, because I had three and a half years’ experience working in Italy in the high-end market, it was easy to make the transition to Burberry Prorsum. — TB: Is it very different to now be at Gloverall? MVB: After doing catwalk show after catwalk show, I’m happy to now work for a small company, and Gloverall also has a great heritage – starting in 1951 with the duffle coat. Before that, the company’s founders, Harold and Freda Morris, were industrial clothing specialists, selling overalls, workwear, gloves and so on, as well as army surplus duffle coats, of course, before they started making their own. It’s an interesting background
heAD OF DeSIGN GLOVeRALL
JULY 2013 | INTERVIEW | 21
to use for design inspiration. — TB: So how does this spring/summer 2014 line relate to the heritage of the brand? MVB: The collection is still based around the duffle coat. I’ve reworked a couple of archive pieces from the head office in Earls Barton. I also looked at a couple of things it sold before the duffle coat – some of the workwear. Workwear is very on-trend, so it makes sense to utilise that part of the label’s history. So I’ve used denim, Japanese chambray and cotton. I wanted to elevate the brand a little, and use interesting fabrics. Although we manufacture in London we have still have competitive prices compared to quality. I’ve done a couple of workwear-inspired duffle coats and jackets – in denim and resonated cotton – and there are also a couple of fisherman Guernsey knits. They are indigo garment washed, so they are a unique take on a traditional garment. — TB: It’s certainly a different direction for Gloverall, was that intended? MVB: I guess so, because we’ve even got a great Hawaiian shirt, in a fantastic fabric. I wanted to add an element of fun. Even as an English brand, I think those elements can work well in a summer collection. We’ve done a Breton striped top, which is such a classic. It never seems to go out of style. — TB: Do you think you’ve injected a more “fashion” element to the Gloverall brand? MVB: yes, definitely. My aim was to make it more relevant and contemporary. However, I think it was right to build the collection around the duffle. But it’s current and fresh, and the reaction to it has been very positive. you need to look at what’s going on in the industry in London, New york and Japan, and find a way to blend different directions. — TB: Where are you based, and what is it like working for such an old-school english brand? MVB: Our design office is on Brick Lane, though I go to the head office in Earls Barton around once
a week. It’s quite fun to go there, but it’s certainly the olive wood toggles and the large inside not a corporate glamour palace. When you work pocket detail, which nods to a hunting jacket. I’m at Burberry you feel like you work in an ivory a big fan of workwear in general, so I want to focus tower; it’s all so sophisticated. Working for on the utility look again for the next collection. At Gloverall is more old-fashioned, and it feels more the end of the day, the classic Gloverall Monty real. It’s like a family business, and you interact duffle coat is a utility garment, so I want to push with all the people who work for the company the workwear element throughout the whole much better. For example, one of the pattern range. Another piece I like for spring/summer cutters has been there since the very early days 2014 is the unconstructed tailored jacket made of the brand’s existence. When he takes me to the out of a cotton and linen mix. It has reinforced archive, he does point out the importance of webbing on the inside, which is another feature keeping things the way they should be. I taken from the classic duffle coat. It’s a threesometimes share my ideas with him, and he taps button notch lapel blazer, with workwear-style me on the fingers and says, “Be careful, that’s not pockets, and it’s good to add in a touch of easy tailoring to the collection – another element I want the way we do it.” to continue with. I think going forward it’s going — TB: With Gloverall being an outerwear brand to be important to push a smarter look, albeit with more associated with autumn/winter, what was a more casual feel to it. it like coming in and designing a spring/summer — TB: Another piece that stands out is the collection as your first? MVB: I actually thought it was fun to do. It allowed bandana print shirt, how did you come to me to open up new product categories that include it? Gloverall has never really done. That’s why I MVB: I basically bought a second-hand bandana, started doing the shirts, T-shirts and lightweight and I worked with the pattern on the computer. I knitwear to create a summer look. I think it turned it into a bigger repeat pattern with a worked out pretty easily. I’ve also added a border at the hem of the shirt, also adding an windbreaker and parka, and it feels like a more anchor in there to give it a more naval element complete collection than perhaps it has previously. that befits the brand’s history. It also feels There is even a 40s denim overall pant and a like the shirt is made out of a giant bandana military trouser based on the old British army hankerchief. In a way this collection is all about pants, but in a rigid cotton twill. When I was key pieces. designing the collection, I was also thinking — about the photo shoot for it, so I wanted outfits TB: In terms of UK retailers, who do you hope that work well together. you can mix and match the collection will appeal to? this collection because there is a common theme MVB: Buyers have been quite surprised. They see it as something fresh, and running through it. more modern. I’d love to get — “I think it was right to this collection into the likes of TB: What would be your build the collection Liberty and Present. People favourite piece in this are looking for a slightly more collection? around the duffle. It’s elevated product and, though MVB: I would definitely have current and fresh, and we want to still be interesting to say the denim duffle jacket. to our old clients, it’s It has a corduroy collar and the reaction to it has important we attract new corduroy facing on the inside been very positive. You clients who are looking for of the cuffs. I also like the something more special. selvedge on the inside hem,
need to look at what’s going on in the industry in London, New York and Japan, and find a way to blend different directions”
JULY 2013 | PROMOTION | 22
exPeRIeNCe mORe AT mODA 11-13 August 2013, NeC Birmingham The UK’s largest trade fashion exhibition is getting ready to host the must-see brands from across the menswear sector. Prepare for the ultimate buying experience with our guide to this season’s moda. —
INKKAS
The moda Gent bill is hotting up as key brands across the industry reveal the new directions for spring. Florentino and Benvenuto will present their takes on the season’s maritime looks, while Farah takes its lead from military and workwear stylings, returning with both its 1920 and Classic collections. Quintessentially British label Gibson London unveils its latest line of tailoring with its unique city edge. Fellow British brand maddox Street London also reinterprets city style with its latest line, drawing upon the quirky heritage of the English gentleman. At the more casual end of the sector, Dutch label State of Art returns with a suitably summery colour palette across its range of polos, shirts and footwear, while European label Brax reveals a range that is equally celebratory of summer with its latest focus on premium casual clothing. Returning favourites Jockey and Brühl are also exhibiting. —
FLORENTINO
FARAH
JOCKEY
M.O.D.
BRÜHL
SE LE C T
F LI P
Bringing together the most contemporary and directional labels across the menswear and footwear sectors, Select once again provides a platform for fresh, new style this season. From the total-look offer from British label Guide London to the more specific collections from brands such as accessories label Fanpac, Select showcases an eclectic range of brands designed to stand out from the sector. Footwear label Inkkas’ first collection at the show fuses traditional SouthAmerican textiles with contemporary designs, while fellow newcomer Life and heritage will launch its first collection of unique tailored jackets. They will sit alongside the returning favourite Judge & Jury’s Northern Soul inspired range. —
Now in its third season, urban trade show Flip returns to the NEC with a fresh new range of men’s and women’s brands across the surf, skate and street sectors. Making its Flip debut, surf label Reef arrives at the event with a vibrant range of washed-out brights, toned-down neons and vintage Hawaiian prints across its men’s collection. Björn Borg, meanwhile, will also be showing for the first time interpreting the colours of the season for the men’s intimate apparel sector, revealing a range of directional statement styles in underwear for s/s 14. Surf stalwarts Animal and Billabong also make a welcome return to Flip, while m.O.D renews its focus on denim for the street sector. —
JULY 2013 | PROMOTION | 23
BUSINESS CRITICAL SEMINARS
W I NE , DI NE AND NE T WO R K
SPE C I ALI ST C AT WALK SHOW S The industry’s hottest brands will feature at the catwalk theatre in Hall 20, with men’s tailoring & lifestyle and urban & contemporary catwalk shows. Alongside them, the footwear & accessories catwalk will also return to Hall 20. Meanwhile, Hall 17 will showcase fashion, evening & occassionwear and lingerie & swimwear labels. Both catwalks also welcome a host of specially selected industry experts delivering a comprehensive programme of seminars. Plan what you want to see on the Moda website. —
Networking opportunities abound at Moda this season, with social events providing another chance to link up with new contacts. With the choice of fine dining at Hampton Manor or a barbecue at the Beeches, Moda’s Monday night events offer something to suit everyone’s style and preference. Beeches: £20pp, hampton manor: £40pp (includes drinks reception, three course meal and half bottle of wine). Email caroline mackinnon to book your tickets at caroline@moda-uk.co.uk or call +44 (0)1484 846069. —
SPEAKERS INCLUDE: EmaiL maRkETing on a BudgET Nick Evans, technical director, Extra Mile Communications 11.00am – 11.30am, Hall 17 1.00pm – 1.30pm, Hall 20 Tuesday 13 August Boost your business through email marketing with Nick’s guide to communicating with a range of different customers, keeping costs low and making each email count. gETTing youR BuSinESS onLinE Warren Knight, CEO, Gloople 12.15pm – 12.45pm, Hall 17 3.00pm – 3.30pm, Hall 20 Monday 12 August This seminar is a must for anyone thinking of opening an online store or looking to improve online sales, with online retail expert Warren Knight sharing his top tips.
J O I N T HE C O M M U NI T Y With so much going on around the show, it pays to prepare. The Moda Community offers you an essential online planning resource all year round. Open to all buyers, it gives you the facilities to organise and schedule appointments and make and follow up contacts with brands. The website also provides useful information about how to get to the show, what’s happening around the halls and the latest brand and industry news. —
Moda’s acclaimed seminar programme returns to Hall 17 and Hall 20 this s/s. The insightful seminars, run by business leaders and experts, cover a range of industry topics, giving knowledge and practical advice to help develop your business.
10 STEpS To viSuaL RETaiL SuccESS Eve Reid, director and founder, Metamorphosis Group 12.00pm – 12.30pm, Hall 20 3.00pm – 3.30pm, Lingerie & Swimwear Retail Theatre, Hall 17 Sunday 11 August In today’s retail environment making a good first impression has never been so important. Discover the secret to maximising your sales through the art of visual merchandising in this dynamic and inspirational seminar.
M O DA O N T HE M OVE If you are on the move, the Moda app is another great way to keep up-to-date and get the latest news from the show once you are there. Essential updates are available in the lead up to the show. Find out more at moda-uk.co.uk. —
conSuLTanTS: how BEST To invEST Anne Horton, founder, Tonik Retail 3.00pm – 3.30pm, Hall 17 Monday 12 August Anne Horton, previous MD of Hoopers, shares her wealth of knowledge from an impressive career in retail, giving her top tips for how investing in a consultant could be a wise move in today’s climate and how to turn that investment into profit. ThE nEw diREcTion FoR womEnSwEaR S/S 14 Sandrine Maggiani, trend specialist, Stylesight 2.15pm – 2.45pm, Hall 17 Sunday 11 August Get an exclusive insight into next season’s hottest trends, exploring the colour palettes, styles, shapes and materials that are set to be big in s/s 14. maximiSing youR EmaiLS: STRaTEgiES To makE youR cuSTomERS Buy James Steiger, business development manager, Emailcenter 1.00pm – 1.30pm, Hall 17 Tuesday 13 August There are few marketing channels that can drive sales via your e-commerce website like email marketing. This seminar will teach you four simple yet essential techniques that will help build stronger relationships with your customers and increase your online sales. —
BENVENUTO
To see the latest updates on the moda seminar programme visit moda-uk.co.uk
For information on all the latest signings and to register for your free ticket to the show, visit moda-uk.co.uk
JULY 2013 | GENT | CONTENTS | 25
G E N T
ICe BReAKeR Conceived in Italy in 1974 by design duo Silvio and Giuliana Gerani, Iceberg has since become synonymous with urban sports influences blended with traditional knitwear. Following the same blueprint, but designed for a more directional market, the brand subsequently launched diffusion line Ice, which has experienced international success since it began in 2009. The coming autumn/winter 2013 season will see Ice take inspiration from Seattle in the 90s, when the likes of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana became emblems of a revolution in music, culture and fashion. Drawing on grungier prints, garments and colours, the collection cleverly integrates smarter tailored options such as the parka and tuxedo combo. The history of parent label Iceberg has also served as a source of inspiration, adding its signature sportswear spirit and flair for mixing knitwear with chintz, leather and sheepskin. —
26
Product news Rounding up the key stories this month
28
Drop the bomb
30
A quiet giant
Bomber jackets to get in-store now The future of lifestyle label Brax
32
Scorchio style from Pitti Tom Bottomley’s finds from the Italian exhibition
JULY 2013 | GENT | PRODUCT | 26
RADAR
PRODUCT NeWS
Spotlighting style.
Inside menswear.
A LU XE APPE AL Los Angeles brand James Perse was established as a simple T-shirt label in 1994, before developing into a collection of women’s ready-to-wear separates including jackets, sweaters, pants and dresses. It wasn’t until 1998 that Perse tapped into the potential of the men’s and childrenswear markets later that year. Now stocked in the likes of Selfridges, Harrods and Net-a-Porter, the brand is developing its first boutique hotel – a move that turns James Perse into a lifestyle, rather than just a product. —
LOUIE THOMAS ESTABLISHED: 2010 — SIGNATURE STYLE: Countryside chic is at the core of the Louie Thomas collection, with tweed jackets and pocket squares paramount to each season. — HISTORY: Established three years ago by former menswear buyer Katie French, Louie Thomas was named after French’s grandfather, whose eclectic wardrobe choices inspired the British designer to create a gentleman’s tailoring and accessories label. Starting on Jermyn Street, Katie French started her career in menswear as a buyer before moving on to launch her own label, Louie Thomas. “I wanted to create a label in which gentlemen could shop for their clothing, gifts and grooming all under one roof,” says French. “There aren’t enough stores on the high street or online specialising in products for gents only.” Inspired by her grandfather’s sense of style, including his varied mix of silk scarves, tie pins, braces and hankies, French launched her collection into the wholesale market for a/w 13 – starting with the brand’s Louie Thomas Jacket collection. Currently stocked on Notonthehighstreet.com, Asos Market Place and the Louie Thomas web portal, French is looking to target independent boutiques such as Annabel’s of Chislehurst, Kent, and The Dulwich Trader, London SE21. “My dream is to be on Jermyn Street, where I first started, as well being stocked in some of my favourite stores such as Emma Willis and Fortnum & Mason,” she says. www.louie-thomas.co.uk —
SHE F F I E LD’ S F I NE ST Currently stocked in the likes of Weavers Door in Liverpool, Folk on London’s Lamb’s Conduit Street, Indigo and Cloth in Dublin and Ideology Boutique in its birthplace of Sheffield, Mamnick is certainly a name to watch. Launched in 2012 with a range of apparel and accessories, it’s Mamnick’s range of brushed stainless steel pieces that have really got indies sitting up and taking notice. Comprising money clips, card holders, bookmarks and tie clips, 100 per cent of the range is made in Sheffield – something founder Thomas Barnett was keen to incorporate after being inspired by his grandad, whose entire working life was spent in the Sheffield steel industry. With wholesale prices averaging at £11, the next step for Barnett is to extend the Mamnick range to include 100 per cent UK handmade shoes, alongside a capsule collection of made-in-England shirts. —
JULY 2013 | GENT | PRODUCT | 27
ON TREND Seasonal extras: Bow ties
C L ASS O F ’ 85 Unveiled at last month’s Pitti Uomo, eponymous label Simon Carter presented its latest collection, 1985, drawing on the brand’s 28-year heritage. Offering a capsule collection of semi-casual jackets, chinos and shirts, the range features a selection of luxe European fabrics, linen blends and washed-finished cottons. With both soft-tailored and relaxed, deconstructed fits to complement the label’s slim-cut chinos and casual shirting, the 1985 range is the ideal wardrobe for a typical British summer. —
1
2
3
4
5
1: DRAKES £39 020 7608 0321 2: SELECTED HOMME £5.25 020 3205 0315 3: SMART TURNOUT price on request 0845 129 2900 4: PENROSE LONDON £27 020 3176 4328 5: RORY HUTTON price on request 07933 032973
BRAND TO WATCh
HACKETT LONDON It seems spring/summer 2014 is set to be another successful season for British label hackett London if its London Collections: men showcase is anything to go by. Located in the Old Billingsgate market in the heart of the capital, the runway show was set to the sound of the 38-piece London Philharmonic Orchestra. Drawing inspiration from the 60s, including French fashion illustrator Rene Gruau’s menswear designs from the same decade, the new Hackett London collection features bold colourways and graphic elements. Stand-out pieces from the spring/summer 2014 line include a yellow seersucker suit, pink suede car coat, silk patterned shorts and a bordered blazer. Incorporating the Riviera trend that has been central to the brand’s more recent offerings, the new season sees the return of thickly striped blue and white tailoring and initial monogram emblazoned pinstripe blazers. www.hackett.com —
ESTABLISHED: 1979 — SIGNATURE STYLE: Quintessentially British, Hackett London combines traditional yet quirky tailoring methods with timeless wardrobe staples. — HISTORY: Established over three decades ago, the iconic label is the brainchild of Jeremy Hackett and Ashley Lloyd-Jennings who, after meeting on Portobello Road, made their first foray into the menswear market with a collection of bold suits and accessories.
JULY 2013 | GENT | PRODUCT | 28
MATINIQUE PRICE ON REQUEST 07875 849291
SAMSOE & SAMSOE £118 07903 583879
SELECTED HOMME £56 020 3205 0327
REMUS UOMO £37.95 01543 483777
LAVENHAM £116 01787 379535
ANTONY MORATO £121 020 7739 8560
HARRY STEDMAN £164.59 020 7226 9029
DROP The BOmB Like its counterparts the trench and the parka, the bomber jacket is a timeless wardrobe addition. Updated for a new season, fabrics include suede, contrasting leather panels and quilting. —
CROMBIE £536 020 7659 9046
AIGLE £87 01608 813860
Unless stated otherwise, all prices are wholesale
BOOMERANG £169 020 7603 4500
JULY 2013 | GENT | PROFILE | 30
A QUIeT GIANT Continuing its mission to develop into a complete lifestyle label, trouser specialist Brax has its sights firmly set on the UK market moving into spring/summer 2014. Victoria Jackson visits the label’s headquarters in herford, Germany, to discover how it remains successful despite tough trading conditions, and what path it has taken to grow into the global brand it is today. —
JULY 2013 | GENT | PROFILE | 31
On approach through the roads of herford in North Rhine Westphalia, it is clear to spot the grand white structure that houses the headquarters of German lifestyle label Brax. Five storeys high, set in an impressive mansion-like fascia, the latest addition to the historic building is the floor-to-ceiling glass structure, which sits impressively on the top floor. Housing the brand’s full collection, spanning both men’s and womenswear, the new showroom is a clear indicator that Brax means business – especially in its home town of Herford, which has been dubbed “fashion valley”, with the likes of Ahlers and Bugatti both also having headquarters in the city centre. This year in particular has been one to remember for the German lifestyle brand, as it celebrates achieving a staggering 125 years in business. More staggering, it might be added, when so many brands in the industry find themselves trying to fight and struggle to stay afloat in the choppy economic waters. Wholesale accounts in the brand’s native Germany currently stand at 1,863 – it’s a household name, if you like – while group sales have seen an increase from €226m in 2007 to €283m last year. That’s not to mention the group’s estimated further growth of €23m during 2013. So what is the secret to the brand’s continued success? Simple. Quality products and a reactive team at the heart of the company. It is apparent on first meeting with Brax’s UK & Ireland country manager, Carl-Friedrich Wischmeier, in Germany, that the label’s 977 employees are, and will continue to be, the essence of the company, regardless of the season or the state of the economy. Offering internships, paid education and structured development within the group underlines why staff turnover is so low. Wischmeier himself has grown within the company from his initial intern role. Walking around the surrounding areas of the Herford HQ, the brand’s imposing logistics centre – just yards away – is bustling. The centre, which cost €10m to build, expanded in 2011 and now includes a vast area dedicated to hanging garments – an instrumental cog in the label’s Never Out of Stock (NOS) service. With 175 stockists in the UK, the brand recognised early on that an NOS program was vital to stay ahead of the game, especially in the UK market, where in-season buying
market, as well as creating a positive brand awareness,” says Wischmeier. “Plus, of course, we want to showcase the label’s complete casual wardrobe offer as opposed to consumers still thinking we are solely a trouser specialist.” With an in-house display and merchandising team on site in Herford, material is made available and stock services are growing rapidly due to to wholesale accounts globally and carries the the consumers’ need to see fresh product all same brand blueprint throughout. Key items featured in each seasonal campaign, for example, year round. “Our depot and NOS service has been will be clearly showcased in store, and the label’s successful throughout Europe, and it enables marketing campaigns will continue to use the retailers to reorder on a weekly basis to maximise recognisable Brax models – a concept designed sales without having any gaps in sizing – in turn to once again create a familiar and trust-worthy increasing stock turn rates, turnover and gross brand experience. Moving into spring/summer 2014, Brax margin,” says Wischmeier. And with sales in the UK hitting €2.2m during expands further into a complete lifestyle Brax’s last financial year, it only highlights further collection while maintaining what it does best – why the brand should be a name to consider for producing quality, well-cut trousers spanning vintage washed denims and five-pocket sun-faded the spring/summer 2014 buying season. Stocked in stores such as Goodridge of cotton chinos. A key development for the new season, Farnham and Andrew Gardner in Wendover since relaunching into the UK market in 2011, sales in the meanwhile, is the collection’s polo shirt, offered in UK are handled by agent Mike Smith in the South a variety of bold block colourways, as well as and colleague Andrew Bunch, who manages bi-colour striped, polka dot, dip-dye and tonal graduation options. For the conservative dresser, accounts across the North and Scotland. “I think we work so well in the UK market shades of grey, desert sand and navy present because our customers can rely on our instinctive more subtle alternatives, while the more trendfeel for style – we adapt current trends to create driven consumer will welcome the return of the wearable pieces but without being too avant- slim-cut chino with reduced foot width. A regular at the UK’s largest trade fashion garde and young,” says Smith. “We offer a service where the buyer can almost see into the future by exhibition, Moda, Brax will return to the halls of Moda Gent next month to buying seasonal products that showcase its latest offering. are going to be backed by “With the brand looking With the brand looking to stock. This helps the retailer to expand its account expand its account base in the keep good control of stock and helps to increase the base in the UK by 20 per UK by 20 per cent over the next 12 months, it’s clear to see most important and vital cent over the next 12 that although Brax’s evolution thing – margin.” months, it’s clear to see is slow and steady, it’s this kind Considering the brand’s of organic growth that enables business strategy moving that although Brax’s the label to react and develop forward, Wischmeier is keen evolution is slow and with the ever-changing to focus on the roll-out of the climate, when many others Brax shop-in-shop concept. steady, it’s this kind of simply crash and burn. “This strategy is designed to organic growth that www.brax.com drive Brax’s visibility in the UK
enables the label to react and develop with the ever-changing climate”
JULY 2013 | GENT | REVIEW | 32
R I VI E R AS
SCORChIO STyLe FROm PITTI The scorching sun was even making the Italians sweat at Pitti’s latest edition, but Tom Bottomley managed to pick his favourite product before feeling the heat on the street. — HART F O R D Now with its own space in one of the independent outside buildings, Hartford was able to give a better idea as to how its collections look in its own retail environment (the brand has 11 shops, including six in Paris). Impressive and very stylish, indeed, and little wonder why UK interest in the brand is forever on the up. Probably the best swimwear at the show, now kept very much as its own sub story within the whole collection, so it has its own identity. The wider range is continually growing up and becoming more about complete outfits, as opposed to specific pieces. There are plenty of great over-dyed printed shirts for s/s 14, some tidy washed Hawaiian shirts, too, a really cool lightweight patchwork check blazer – with matching shorts, a washed army green and safari beige story and plenty of navy blue, which always brings out the best in a look. All in all, it’s preppy casual at its finest. —
The summer shoes that put the “f” in fun with a real nod back to the leisure shoes you would have seen paraded in St Tropez in the 50s. From Paris, and only going since 2009, they’re actually made in Spain – and sell to the likes of Dover Street Market and Start in London. Selfridges is also a likely stockist for s/s 14. There is a “classics” line, retailing at around £45, while suede versions go up to around £65, so they’re decently priced. There are also great multicoloured weave numbers for the more adventurous, or the supercolourful kaleidoscope-effect collaboration shoes with New york based architect Rafael De Cárdenas. He has created four exclusive limited-edition shoe designs in a gabardine fabric. The dual-tone shoes update the regular Rivieras by featuring De Cárdenas’ signature zig-zag graphics and vibrant colour combinations. Guaranteed to stand out from the crowd. —
JULY 2013 | GENT | REVIEW | 33
LEVI ’ S M ADE & C R AF T E D It’s taken a few seasons to kick in and have its own design character, but Levi’s Made & Crafted is finally looking the real deal. Some great, wearable pieces – and now enough of them to buy into properly. This is, without a doubt, the best the brand has come up with so far. While the Levi’s Vintage Clothing (LVC) range remains true to historical Levi’s pieces from the archive, the Made & Crafted line affords the designers creative licence while borrowing aspects from the past. It’s more colourful and playful, and there are some fine key pieces for s/s 14, including eye-catching shirts in Japanese fabrics, and a pale blue suede jacket – made out of a small mill in Italy that can make small quantities in high quality. you can see that Made & Crafted is emerging out of the shadows of LVC, and the design team has got into a rhythm. Let’s hope it doesn’t miss a beat going forward. —
C AM O SHI TA U NI T E D AR ROW S
SANDE R S
I’ve been reliably informed by a savvy UK buyer that this gear is super expensive, but it’s also super nice. It’s the top of the tree of the Japanese United Arrows collections, and you can see why. United Arrows has 50 shops in Japan, so it makes sense for it to have its own top-end line to sell in its own stores, but also good of the brand to share it globally with this fine wholesale line – for those retailers who have the customers willing to pay top dollar. Creative director yasuto Kamoshita (yes, that’s with a K as opposed to the C used for the collection name – don’t ask us why) has clearly got a passion for vintage 40s through to 60s styling, updating some great looks with wonderful Japanese fabrics and great use of colour. If there was one collection I’d have wanted to be walking around the show in, this would probably have been it. That’s not to say it’s overtly retro (like me), it’s just timeless style and it oozes quality. —
Former Tricker’s and Alfred Sargent salesman Simon Tennant is back in the footwear business after spells at John Smedley and then Pantherella, as export sales manager for another Northampton shoe institution, Sanders. Five weeks in, and he’s in fighting spirit to get the brand – and its quality products – some greater recognition and, of course, distribution. “Sanders is the best kept secret in Northamptonshire,” says Tennant. “And it’s time to start shouting about it; it’s why we’re showing at Pitti for the first time.” More recently, the brand has been given a fashion makeover via its collaboration with Mark McNairy. But it shouldn’t detract from the regular Sanders line, which still has the legendary crepe-soled suede Playboy chukka and shoe and is firmly back on trend. Suede tasseled loafers with brick red Dainite soles are now getting big attention, as are the suede double monk shoes – currently sported by the more dapper chaps around town. —
Eden Park is thrilled to announce the appointment of
Double H Agency to handle its UK sales and distribution. President and founder of Eden Park, Franck Mesnel said of the news: “It has been a natural move to appoint Double H to develop our wholesale distribution in the UK. Their expertise and knowledge of the market as well as their proactive approach towards the retailers were key arguments when establishing our strategy for the brand.”
Eden Park, which is positioned in a sport chic universe
for over 25 years, offers a Spring-Summer 2014 collection faithful to its origins, focusing more than ever on the authenticity and quality. The palette that provides a spectrum of classical and bright colours is composed of shades of blue and pink with accents of yellow and army JUHHQ 7KH VSRUW LQVSLUDWLRQ LV UHÁHFWHG LQ WKH ZRUN RI stripes, stitching and trims, and the graphics have a vintage look giving the impression of sun fading and wear by the sea spray.
Eden Park’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection will be available to buy from 24th of June until mid August 2013. For appointments please contact Brand Manager Ward Mann on 0203 432 6485, or email Ward.doubleh@gmail.com
JULY 2013 | GENT | BRAND NEWS | 36
INDUSTRy INSIDeR mWB takes a look at the news and developments from some of the key names in menswear for spring/summer 2014. —
R E ALM & E M PI R E Now under the guidance of brand director Richard Robinson, formerly of One True Saxon, the spring/summer 2014 range from Realm & Empire makes its final step towards becoming a full lifestyle collection. Delivering outerwear, shirts, trousers, polos and accessories, the label continues its exclusive collaboration with the Imperial War Museum, enabling Realm & Empire to utilise its vast historical archives. Inspiration for the new season derives from Lawrence of Arabia and the Long Range Desert Group, with mid-weight overshirts, classic military cargo shorts, bomber jackets and military detailed blazers all standing out as key pieces for the new season. —
O LYM P Continuing its success with its casual top segment, shirt specialist Olymp presents a strong offering of polo shirts alongside its knitwear and formal shirt categories. Colour and print are key to the spring/summer 2014 collection, with pastels coming out to play against bolder hues of lime, turquoise, yellow, orange, pink and hibiscus. In terms of print, the new season sees the classic pinstripe sitting next to the more playful Hawaiian prints on poplin or denim. Sports-inspired washed-out polo shirts take centre stage, with both colour-block and stripe options available. —
J U PI T E R Innovation and functionality are key to the new line from outerwear specialist Jupiter. In terms of detailing, multipurpose pockets, detachable hoods, drawstrings on the waist and hem and contrasting stitching feature throughout, while mesh lining and UltraNylon shell fabric create breathable and weatherproof garments. Fashion trends, meanwhile, come from a semi-transparent outer with lime-coloured net lining, as well as quilted-style bomber jackets with smooth and matt nylon finishes. —
JULY 2013 | GENT | BRAND NEWS | 37
J O U LE S Staying true to its outdoors heritage, British label Joules offers a range of form, function and style for spring/summer 2014. Making its debut this season is the brand’s first foray into performance outerwear, while the collection on a whole takes its inspiration from Europe’s south coast in the 50s, with coastal stripes and brights found throughout. Versatility is key to the label’s latest offer, with stylish rubber Poolers loafers and chino-style swim shorts creating ideal home and holiday wardrobe options. Retaining its playful sense of design, Joules will also welcome back its Crown Joules underwear line for a third season. —
C G C LU B O F GE NTS Presenting two definitive collections for spring/summer 2014 – Seaside Playground and Downtown Jungle – CG Club of Gents strengthens its development into a separate entity further. In Seaside Playground the focus is on sharp silhouettes and shades of blues, applied to both suits and single-breasted jackets, while detailing has become more refined – think slimmer pocket flaps, pointed lapels, sloping shoulders and wider cut-offs. Shirting, meanwhile, features fluorescent colours, horizontal multicolour barré stripes and fantasy prints with detailing coming from patch pockets, elbow patches and trimmings on cuff slits. —
STONE S Formalwear takes a relaxed turn this season at Stones, characterised by unwashed clean cottons and wool-blend casual sports jackets. New design features include three-button variants with highercut necklines. Another highlight, meanwhile, is the deconstructed lightweight sports jacket with airy half linings, designed to form a hybrid between formal and sportswear. Coloured chinos, denims and wool/cotton trousers complete the look, with cargo pants illustrating the trend towards relaxed city living. —
C AM E L AC T I VE Drawing inspiration from Brazil for the new season, Camel Active continues to provide casual and comfortable wardrobe staples. At the heart of the collection stands strong surface patterns and prints, including hand-drawn floral motifs, newly interpreted camouflage and the use of fonts and typography. A key fabric prevalent throughout the collection is leather, found in outer materials on labels, zipper pulls, pipings, sleeve trimmings and buttons. Camel Active’s spring/summer 2014 colour palette is really where Brazil comes into play in terms of influence, with yellow and green shades drawn from star fruit, limes, avocados and guavas, as well as contrasting highlights in hibiscus, orange and amaryllis. —
AL AN PAI NE Not one for the colour shy, British heritage label Alan Paine presents its spring/summer 2014 collection in a 25-strong colour palette. Comprising Pima cotton and cashmere-blend knits, the range also welcomes the addition of more casual sweatshirts and half zips. These are complemented by soft cotton piques and, for a relaxed take on summer, wash-down polo shirts. The new season also sees the launch of Alan Paine’s English Explorer collection which, until now, has only been released in the autumn months. Taking inspiration from the brand’s association with explorer George Mallory, the collection includes lightweight, casual pieces aimed at the explorers among us. —
JULY 2013 | BRAND GUIDE | TRENDS | 38
mAC
TImezONe ReALm & emPIRe
JUNGLe FeVeR While younger, directional labels were picking up on camouflage during spring/summer 2013, it has taken a year for the trend to translate through to the more mainstream menswear labels. Camo is newly interpreted for the 2014 season, with bold palm leaves and digital floral prints seen at the likes of trouser specialist G Design and lifestyle label Cinque, while functionality and comfort are retained throughout. Although tees and polo shirts are staples in this category, cargo shorts and pants make a welcome alternative to the dominating chinos and denim. Cut with a slimmer, more fashion-conscious fit than previous seasons, compact cotton weaves – inspired by military fabrics at Camel Active – and washed cottons with coarse surface textures give the pants an authentic finish. In terms of outerwear, soft non-constrictive styles stem across bomber styles through to semi-lined rounded-shoulder blazer options. As expected, colour palettes comprise khaki, forest green and sand, with subtle highlights coming from shades of yellow including banana and lemon. —
CLUB OF COmFORT
JULY 2013 | BRAND GUIDE | TRENDS | 39
CINQUe
G DeSIGN
DIGeL
CAmeL ACTIVe
>>>
hATTRIC
JULY 2013 | BRAND GUIDE | TRENDS | 40
ATeLIeR GARDeUR
BeNVeNUTO PURPLe LABeL
mAC
TONe ON TONe
CINQUe
Tailoring takes a more minimalistic approach this season with tone-on-tone layering standing out as the category’s most prominent trend. While light bleached and authentic slim-tapered denims have been designed to be worn with powder-blue blazers and crisp white shirts as seen at MAC, pastel chinos at the likes of Benvenuto Purple Label, for example, use detailing such as colour buttons on trousers and single-breasted blazers to fuse the look together. One brand to offer easy tonal tailoring is Cinque, with contrasting narrow lapels and sharp twobutton silhouettes adding newness for spring/summer 2014. Neutral is the buzzword for tone on tone dressing, with grey, taupe, sand, pink and light blue creating softer alternatives to typical city tailoring in the warmer months. —
>>>
SOLE DISTRIBUTOR FOR THE UK, IRELAND AND CHANNEL ISLANDS. DAVID ALEMBICK Templebest (UK) LTD 27A Mill Lane, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 1NL Tel: +44 (0) 1767 682969 Fax: +44 (0) 1767 682876 Mob: +44 (0) 7768 345507 Email: sales@bengreenuk.com
SALES FOR NORTH EAST, NORTH WEST AND LINCOLNSHIRE BARRY PINKNEY Tel: +44 (0) 1642 293753 Mob: +44 (0) 7546 536652 Email: barrypinkney602@yahoo.com
SALES FOR LONDON, HOME COUNTIES AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND JEREMY DIXON Birlings, Hartfield Road, Coleman’s Hatch, East Sussex, TN7 4HG Tel: +44 (0) 1892 540979 Mob: +44 (0) 7973 407169 Email: Jeremy.dixon@btconnect.com
SEE US AT INDX MENSWEAR 30TH JULY - 1ST AUGUST 2013
SEE US AT MODA GENT 11TH - 13TH AUGUST 2013 STAND MB11
JULY 2013 | BRAND GUIDE | TRENDS | 42
JouLES
caLamaR
SpoRTing chancE
mac
The luxe sports look returns for another season, updated for spring/summer 2014 with premium fabrics and innovative finishes. Slim but relaxed silhouettes lead, while details such as piquè inserts on collars, mesh material quilted with superlight fabrics, discreet material mix, contrasting bands and distinctive zipper tapes, found at lifestyle label Calamar, for example, underline the smart and functional elements of this trend. Colour moves from subtle options at MAC through to more intensive shades at Brax and Olymp – both of which present new bi-colour stripe polo-shirt options for the new season. While bomber jacket styles continue to dominate in the outerwear category, lightweight nylon shape-memory fabric with contrasting piping styles at the likes of Digel offer a versatile alternative. Heritage label John Smedley, meanwhile, tries its hand at sports-inspired leisurewear with fine-knit crew knit jumpers and loose-fit tracksuit style bottoms, giving the casual trend a more luxe appeal for the new season. —
DIGeL
JULY 2013 | BRAND GUIDE | TRENDS | 43
OLymP
BUGATTI
CINQUe
BRAx
>>>
JULY 2013 | BRAND GUIDE | TRENDS | 44
ReD POINT
TImezONe
JOULeS
meRC
Recognising its popularity through the summer months, a number of labels have turned their hand once again to the nautical trend. Retro styling can be found at Joules, with a vintage collection of coastal stripes and brights taking inspiration from Europe’s south coast, while Roy Robson updates its Breton long-sleeved cotton top with a washed faded finish. Chino-style cargo pants are key to this trend, as seen at Timezone, with royal blue and canary yellow options channelling the nautical theme perfectly. Of course, when it comes to modernising the nautical trend, the key is in the detail, with Red Point’s sailing gilet updated with a bold yellow waterproof coating and toggle closure, while neck-ties and straw trilbies add the finishing touch at Merc and Joules. —
ROy ROBSON
DOCK OF The BAy
JULY 2013 | GENT | PEOPLE | 46
VIeW FROm The ShOP FLOOR With shoppers remaining cautious, unpredictable British weather continuing to blight sales and increasing competition from the high street, independent retailers are having to work even harder to stay afloat. mWB speaks to four of the country’s key indies to discover their secret to success and what the spring/summer 2014 buying season has in store. — QU E ST I O N AI R Name: Nicolas Thorne, menswear buyer Location: London NW3 Established: 1992 — Victoria Jackson: have you cut your buying schedule down this season? Nicolas Thorne: I’ll travel to Paris as I do every season, and I might try and fit in a day trip to Milan somewhere. But with the clout that labels such as Tom Ford, Rag & Bone and Burberry have brought to the London show season, I feel it’s a good time to start focusing on what we have to offer at home. VJ: how is your budget split for the new season? NT: Previously around 80 per cent of our budget was kept for the main buys, however we have reduced it to 70 per cent to allow greater flexibility in-season as a result of the unpredictable London weather. VJ: Which products are you buying into for spring/summer 2014? NT: We’ve seen a vast growth in printed tees and shirts, and I think it will continue into 2014. Hentsch Man has done some fantastic printed shirts this season that are bang on trend. In terms of new brands we’re introducing, Rag & Bone, Aimo Richly, MSGM, BLK Denim and PRPS Goods are on our radar for the new season. VJ: When considering these brands, how important is exclusivity for you? NT: The whole ethos of an independent retailer is to offer an interesting product that is not widely available. Therefore it’s imperative that labels respect distribution and exclusivity boundaries. Uncovering new and exciting brands has been key to the success of Question Air over the years. VJ: Does your buying alter for your online retail arm? NT: With our website becoming increasingly important to us in terms of overall sales, our buying strategy is ever evolving to try and meet the demands of our new customer base. We have recently bought into new labels with the anticipation that they will sell well online for us. —
ST UARTS LO NDO N Name: Ravi Grewal, founder Location: Shepherd’s Bush Established: 1967 — Victoria Jackson: Which shows are you visiting this season? Ravi Grewal: Pitti Uomo, Capsule Paris and Bread & Butter. In terms of buying, we’re keeping things as normal – however, we have allocated larger budgets to brands that have performed well and decreased on labels with poor sell-throughs, which is pretty much standard process. VJ: how are you splitting your budget this season? RG: We do generally focus on keeping more for forward order to make sure we have enough on the bestselling brands to see us through the season. Short orders have grown over the last couple of seasons, with certain brands themselves creating collections to be bought on a quarterly basis, so the right products can be bought according to weather or other defining factors. VJ: What are you looking for in terms of product this buying season? RG: To be honest I go to the shows for inspiration, but this spring I am, personally, not on the lookout for anything in particular, as we added some new brands for a/w 13 that we will focus on. Blazers have done well in general, and sales on denim jeans were also much better than the previous season. We are all aware that the weather has been poor, but at least we recovered sales from having a good offer of lightweight jackets. VJ: how important is exclusivity to your store? RG: It is key to maximising sales. When presented with the chance to sell product that is exclusive to Stuarts London, I’m always up for it. —
JULY 2013 | GENT | PEOPLE | 47
PU R PLE M E NSW E AR Name: Paul Monks, founder Location: Harpenden, Hertfordshire Established: 2009 — Victoria Jackson: Which shows are you visiting this season? Paul Monks: I’ll only be visiting Jacket Required this season. Historically, I always like to do one show abroad, but last season I only went to Jacket Required due to time and came away with Garret Leight sunglasses, Descente and Canada Goose. I did want to go to Pitti this summer but, again, due to time and buying commitments, I wasn’t able to, so I’ll make an effort to go for a/w 14. It actually suited me fine as the heat in Florence in June is a nightmare for walking around a show all day. VJ: What adjustments have you made in your budget for the new season? PM: We’ve always kept the same growth plan when it comes to our budgets since we opened four years ago, and it has worked well. We are always strict with our budgets and I think that has been the key in growing our business. All the labels we currently stock are forward order, so any budget we keep back (10-15 per cent) is for replenishing from stock within our forward-order brands. VJ: have any trends caught your eye for next summer? PM: I think tailoring is starting to have a renaissance. I don’t just mean a suit, but men are taking a little more time on how they dress, and a blazer is a core item in their wardrobe. VJ: Are you looking to introduce any new names to the mix this season? PM: With the expansion of our second floor last year, creating a clear split between casual downstairs and smart upstairs. We have bought in Orlibar Brown for s/s 14 and have some great labels in the diary such as Crombie, Without Prejudice and Circle of Gentlemen. Our current brand list is performing well, and we have taken on a lot of new brands for a/w 13 such as Sunspel, Victorinox, Canada Goose and Puma. So, until we can see how these perform, we’ll only be adding for now rather than dropping any. VJ: how important a consideration is exclusivity when buying into a brand? PM: I think everyone would want exclusivity in a label they are stocking, especially if they’re pitching their brand portfolio at the higher end of the market. To know you will be one of X stores stocking that label in the UK is definitely a draw, but it is pointless to have that exclusivity if the collection and marketing is poor and the brand doesn’t leave the shelves. It’s a fine balance, but a great one. —
RO O M 14 M E NSW E AR Name: Rowan Hines, founder Location: Ashton-under-Lyne Established: 2005 — Victoria Jackson: have factors such as time out of the shop and budget caused you to reconsider your buying calendar this season? Rowan Hines: yes, travelling has been cut down from last season, mainly because the majority of the brands we work with have showrooms in Manchester as well as London, which helps us out a great deal. The only label we come to London for at the moment is Suit Denmark. VJ: have you adjusted your budget this season? RH: We made considerable changes to our budget last season. Where in previous seasons we would probably commit around 70-75 per cent of our budget to forward order, last season we held more back, as working on short-order basis worked much better. Being able to work with brands in-season kept our offer more relevant and fresh because we could react quicker to trends on almost a weekly basis. In our experience, times are changing. In order to survive and compete, committing large percentages to forward order is risky as trends are moving quicker than ever before. We only forward order with brands that we’ve worked with for a long time with good sell-throughs such as Religion, Farah Vintage, Fred Perry and Converse. Beyond these, we keep a decent amount to one side to work in-season with brands such as Abandon Ship, Cuckoo’s Nest and Native youth. VJ: Are you looking to drop any labels for spring/summer 2014? RH: No, we’re pleased with everyone we work with. As a small indie, it’s vital to keep an eye on slower performers as it’s easy to stay with a brand a season too long and tie your money up for another season. We made a few cuts the season before last and have seen the benefits. Even though it’s been a hard decision at times, trade is tough enough as it is and you have to do what’s right for your business. VJ: What trends and products are you looking at buying into for the new season? RH: For us we always look to get feedback from customers. Certainly in the last few seasons, customers are product more than over brandled. When we first started eight years ago, customers were much more influenced by brand over product. With this in mind, we tend to work with and look out for smaller, emerging brands, and try to be ahead of the curve as much as we can as a small independent – someone like Abandon Ship. We were approached last autumn, and since then the brand has gone from strength to strength, so it was nice to be there from the start. Streetwear seems to be the buzzword at the moment and it’s a look that’s been a huge success for us. The blend of unique product with competitive prices has been a winner all round for the consumer and retailer alike. —
See us at Moda Gent Stand SE29 Enquiries: andrew@newbeachretail.com www.sterling1958.com
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | CONTENTS | 49
D E N I M
&
S T R E E T
LITTLe RASCALS Founded in 2008 by brothers Patrick and Martin Jørgensen, Rascals stems from the shores of Scandinavia – Copenhagen, to be exact. Born from the city’s underground Fixed Gear riding culture, the collection was initially a capsule range of tracksuit bottoms and hoodies. With a handful of select UK stockists, the brand is introducing a mid-season drop featuring a strong sports luxe offering in a graphic monochrome palette. Expect blocks of black broken up with grey inserts, contrasting textures and white detailing. Moving away from its original cycling heritage, Rascals is now concentrating on performance fabrications and sports-inspired silhouettes. Drawing inspiration from Danish streetwear brands and technical menswear, the new collection includes key styles including a grey marl baseball tee, with contrasting black and white striped sleeves and black crew-neck sweat with white logo branding. Definitely an alternative for the priceconscious shopper, with wholesale prices ranging from €10 to €12 for accessories and €14 to €32 for apparel. —
50
Product news
57
Jacket Required
61
New name in skate shoes
What’s happening in denim and street
52
Tailored approach Relaxed tailoring available to buy now
54
Gallery, Copenhagen Our second instalment of the brands to catch at next month’s show
Uncovering some new names to check out at the London show The launch of New Balance Numeric
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 50
RADAR
PRODUCT NeWS
Spotlighting style.
Inside menswear.
SE NT F RO M SPAI N Spanish label Veras continues to provide bold footwear options through into spring/summer 2014, with its signature take on the traditional espadrille available in a series of pop colours. Bridging the gap between the classic lace-up chukka boot and the iconic slip-on, Veras has built a cult following since it was launched in 2010 by fashion insider Neil Morris. Colours for the new season include pastel pink and cobalt blue, while the brand’s bestselling styles, including the Betis, Gerona, Grandad and San Juan, will return. —
MI-PAC ESTABLISHED: 2012 — HISTORY: Launched in the UK last year, backpack label Mi-Pac was founded by a team of creatives with careers spanning the industry including retail, distribution and brand development. — SIGNATURE STYLE: The classic backpack updated and modernised in a series of quirky and directional colours, prints and designs. Established in 2012 by a team of individuals from across the fashion sector, including creative director Max Baines – previously responsible for the in-house brands at street and skatewear destination Route One – Mi-Pac is already a favourite on the streetwear scene. Stocked in the likes of Asos, Topshop, Schuh, Urban Outfitters, Bank, USC and Footasylum, the label is looking to widen its independent retailer stockist base further for spring/summer 2014, including increasing its womenswear retailer portfolio. The collection is split into five distinct categories: Classic, consisting of 12 block colourways; Tonal, including two-tone and tri-tone designs; Textile, comprising Nordic and Native American patterns; Flag, including a series of national flags complemented by vibrant colourways; and Pocket Prints, which takes the Mi-Pac classic and adds a screenprinted pattern pocket in polka dot, stars, paisley or aloha. With the “young fashionable youth demographic” set as the brand’s core target market, wholesale prices are cleverly set between £9 and £14, retailing at a disposable-income-friendly average of £20. www.mi-pac.com —
F LYI NG HO R SE S Specialising in the intensive developing process of indigo yarn dye, fledging label Flying Horse presents a strong selection of denim apparel for autumn/winter 2013. Comprising jeans, shirting and outerwear, the brand draws inspiration for its latest collection from co-founders David Rix and Sanjay Madan’s travels around Asia. Embracing a broad range of authentic and interesting nautical washes, from bright ocean blues to deep sea black, each pair of jeans features a chain-stitch, signature Flying Horse rivets and an aged motor-oil finish leather back patch, while detailing across the rest of range is kept to a minimum, with the focus turned to simplistic and effective construction of each garment. Outerwear is a strong product category for the brand, with the stand-out piece the fitted indigo Hulk style, which is treated with 3D resin to a give a lived-in finish. —
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 51
ON TREND Seasonal extras: Underwear
W I LD W I LD W E ST Discovered by the MWB team at last season’s Jacket Required, Son of Wild was launched earlier this year by design duo Jake Phillips and Tim Chapman. Following a successful showcase at the London exhibition, the brand is looking to build on its fast-growing stockist base. For autumn/winter 2013 the label will be carried in 28 stockists across eight countries, including e-tailer Asos, as well as in-store at Article in London, Super Conscious in Berlin and Street Files in Zurich. With prices ranging from £13 to £28, buyers can expect a 2.7 per cent mark-up. —
1
2
3
4
5
1: BJORN BORG £9 020 7637 1395 2: JACK & JONES £6.90 020 3205 0315 3: SCOTCH & SODA £12 020 514 1060 4: WAXX price on request 0114 249 3037 5: TRUNKFIT £36 for six www.trunkfit.com
BRAND TO WATCh
NEW LOVE CLUB New Love Club is a label which, until now, has only been spotted on the backs of the in-the-know hipsters of east London. But growing in popularity and further afield from its birthplace of Brick Lane, the brand can now be found in Topman, Asos and Selfridges. “It would be great to be as globally recognised as we are in the UK – we are selective of the doors we go in as we are aiming for brand longevity,” says Aaron Colaco, co-founder of New Love Club. “We like to be with quality retailers, and stockists need to fit our brand ethos.” Built from a need to find creative yet wearable tees, New Love Club is looking to lead the way in retro graphics, hand-drawn illustration and manipulated photography. With hints of 90s rave, 80s shapes and 70s psychedelia, the label is growing from strength to strength and includes fans such as British indie band Mystery Jets and music artist Mikill Pane. www.newloveclub.co.uk —
ESTABLISHED: 2009 — SIGNATURE STYLE: Cool, quirky tees and sweats born from the heart of East London. — HISTORY: Founded by friends Aaron Colaco and Anthony Noll over four years ago, the brand has grown into a cult label among the hipsters. —
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 52 QUIKSILVER £22 020 7392 4020
VOLCOM £21.10 0845 486 5266 BENCH RRP £35 WWW.BENCH.CO.UK
TAILOReD APPROACh Spring/summer 2013 has seen a growing number of denim and street labels introducing more tailored options for the younger customer. expect lightweight fabrics and pastel shades. — VANS £50 WWW.VANS.COM
JACK & JONES £29.50 020 3205 0315
ALPINESTARS £18 0039 04235286
BOXFRESH £20 020 8371 7554
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL £29 020 7488 1380
NATIVE YOUTH £17 07712 522874
Unless stated otherwise, all prices are wholesale
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PREVIEW | 54
SANDQVIST
ORIGINAL PeNGUIN
OLIVeR SPeNCeR
UNIVeRSAL WORKS
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PREVIEW | 55
aSgER JuEL LaRSEn
gaLLERy, copEnhagEn in mwB’s second part of the brands to catch at copenhagen’s hippest show, gallery, we look to not only the Scandinavian labels showcasing but the British names standing alongside. —
A QU E ST I O N O F Designed around a philosophy of making sustained living a simple choice, menswear label A Question Of continues its journey this season with a new collection exploring the classics and dipping into sports and street wear. Hinting at elements of darkness through its latest designs, the brand introduces a gloomier feel to its creations for a mesmerising take on s/s 14 style. ASGE R J U E L L AR SE N Layering cultures through its eclectic range of contemporary influences, Asger Juel Larsen presents a diverse collection for the new season, comprising styles inspired by 90s Euro Rave and Antarctic conditions. Designed to challenge conventional perceptions of menswear, the Danish brand continues to evolve throughout this season and beyond with its unique, sci-fi take on men’s fashion. O LI VE R SPE NC E R Art, architecture and London’s ever-evolving sub-cultures are the key inspirations for Oliver Spencer this summer, as the British label diversifies its collection for s/s 14. Over-dyeing, under-dyeing and bleaching techniques reference the early graffiti artwork of neo-expressionist painter Jean-Michel Basquiat throughout the range, a lot of which continues to be manufactured in the UK. O R I GI NAL PE NGU I N Travel influences every aspect of the latest collection by Original Penguin, as the brand turns to the freedom and refined nonchalance of escaping for the summer as inspiration. Encapsulating the richness of the summer season through a light textural palette of voile, cotton linen blends and lightweight knits, the brand focuses on a mix of pastels interspersed with spicy hues across its latest designs for s/s 14. U NI VE R SAL WO R K S Universal Works heads back to the 50s and 60s this season with a s/s 14 range comprising relaxed tailored looks in navy, pink, pale blue and yellow designed for both the workplace and beyond. The label introduces a sportier silhouette with its cropped bomber jackets and hints at all things tropical with boxy, short-sleeved shirts in bright summer prints.
a quESTion oF
SANDQVI ST Sandqvist has slowly been building its presence in the UK market and is one of those brands you keep seeing more and more of. Since establishing in 2004, this Swedish brand has produced uncomplicated and appealing luggage influenced by Nordic nature. For s/s 14, the label is introducing three new styles to the Urban Outdoor Series. There is also a new lightweight bag series, manufactured in a ripstop fabric – bang on-trend. They are designed for easy compression, to fit conveniently into your jacket pocket. —
Blue planet needs
Blue jeans DoubleHagency DoubleHa gency Showroom: wroom: LLondon ondon Sho 309 Fulham Rd W10 9QH SW10 LLondon ondon S
Account Manager ger North A North ccount ccoun t Mana is S ykes Chr Chris Sykes Chrissykes.doubleh@gmail.com Chrissykes.doubleh@gmail.com gmail.com 07855264225 264225 0 7855 855264225
t Mana ger Account Manager South A South ccount ccoun sh Welsh Andy And y Wel gmail.com Andy.doubleh@gmail.com Andy.doubleh And y.doubleh@gmail.com 07834975241 0 78349 834975 752 75 241
Ir Irish ish A Account Manager ger ccount ccoun t Mana Robinson Mark Robin Rob inson Mark.doubleh Mark.doubleh@gmail.com 07885950953 0 7885950953
MoD-denim MoD at t Mod Moda a 2013 a Stand S tand Number: FL50
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PREVIEW | 57
JackET REquiREd mwB presents its second instalment of the brands to tickle your budget, with a host of new signings plus the return of some familiar faces at this month’s show. — BAR AC U TA BLU E L ABE L This top-end line from Baracuta – designed by Kenichi Kusano, ex-creative director of Japanese brand Beams Plus – is coming into its own now it’s three seasons in (for s/s 14). It has an identity away from the regular Baracuta offer, with price points that match the design expertise and fabrications. There is a tri-block colour Harrington in a sailing fabric, and a multi-pocket number in a military rip-stop, as well as three-button blazer. Some of the jackets have inside braces – a trick taken from jackets worn fly fishing, so you can whip it off but carry it on your back should you get warm. It’s more technical, taking Baracuta to another level, and none of the Blue Label carries the Fraser tartan lining to further distinguish it from the mainline. Talking of which, introduced into the mainline is a tasty garment dyed cotton, G-9 Harrington – available in 15 colours for s/s 14 – set to retail at a friendly £200. —
BI LLI O NAI R E BOYS C LU B BL AC K This is a Pharrell Williams and Mark McNairy production. While visiting Crye Precision, known for designing and manufacturing innovative equipment for America’s armed forces, the duo were drawn by the all-black special operations uniforms, and Billionaire Boys Club Black was conceived. Made entirely from black materials, the collection is produced with innovative technical fabrics and roots its production in America. Drawing utilitarian elements from the special “ops”, Billionaire Boys Club Black is designed as the contemporary man’s “everyday combat gear”. Among the items in the a/w 13 debut range are Crye combat pants, an N-3B parka, rip-stop trousers, long tunics, a hooded Crye WindLiner jacket and the Crye FieldShell jacket. — >>>
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PREVIEW | 58
BE LLE RO SE This is a great signing for Jacket Required, and it’s a first-time showing. Usually one that stands out among the usually strong offer on the first floor of the L’Altro Uomo Arsenale area at Pitti (though strangely absent along with a handful of other highly regarded brands this time round), it may surprise a few to know that it’s a Belgian label, born as far back as 1989. It can’t have too many stockists here, though, hence its appearance at London’s number one show. What it consistently seems to do well is re-create great vintage looks, but without the price tags you get with the Japanese brands. And it tends to keep it more on-trend, too, while not shirking on the details, customisation and washes. —
O HW ? It may be spelt backwards, but thank god the product’s not. For s/s 14, men’s contemporary footwear label ohw? (pronounced who, of course) builds on its “back to basics” aesthetic with a new range of clean, pared-down designs that let the craftsmanship and detail shine through. The new offer adds six new styles to the now established core collection of Hiro and Roc shoes and boots, giving a total of 60 designs and colourway options for the new season. A new 80s trainer-inspired sole unit with a rubber wraparound toe guard is matched with simple upper designs in two shoes and a boot. The sole also features a more defined pyramid tread, but retains ohw?’s signature phylon midsole. The latter is more commonly seen in the midsole of sports shoe constructions, and provides exceptional under-foot comfort. Also new for the season is a moccasin boot, low-cut moccasin boat shoe and a work boot design. Just ohw do they think they are? —
HE NTSC H MAN SE NHO R PRU DÊ NC I O João Pedro Filipe is a Portuguese shoe designer, who graduated in Fashion Design International Program at Institute Français de la Mode (IFM) in Paris and has been working in collaboration with several Portuguese and international brands since 2010. So he’s still pretty fresh on the scene if truth be told. Filipe is now presenting his own footwear and accessories brand for men, called Senhor Prudêncio, with a first-time showing at Jacket Required. It’s inspired by his grandfather’s designs. His grandfather was a Portuguese shoemaker going back to the 50s, though these shoes have a contemporary feel and are 100 per cent Portuguese-made, utilising old shoemaking techniques and mixing them with modern interpretations and fabrics. Well worth a look at this new Portugeezer on the block. —
Hentsch Man’s offer has grown up for s/s 14, and has gone less preppy and more rugged, drawing on all things Americana. Designer Alexia Hentsch is clearly getting into a rhythm when it comes to defining simple, elegant and wearable menswear, and providing classic wardrobe basics. There are skinnier silhouettes and more sombre shades to give the line more of an edge. Prints are less sunshine California and exotic Hawaii, and more nostalgic of backwater America – Southern California and New Mexico, even, “for a relaxed road-trip feel.” Brand new, too, is a collaboration with Canstaner espadrilles and desert boots, to complement the unlined two-button blazers, chino shorts and word-print tees, which demonstrate the brand’s lighter outlook on life. Easy style, well delivered. —
Garments that won’t hang about. The steamer that will.
For more information Tel: 020 8417 0660
www.propress.co.uk
JULY 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PROFILE | 61
NeW NAme IN SKATe ShOeS Best known for its running shoes, New Balance has turned its attention to the skate market, targeting customers committed to the culture with high-quality product built for purpose – in partnership with Black Box Distribution, well-known on the skateboarding scene. Tom Bottomley discovers they mean business. — With such a strong reputation for innovative design, quality, fit and manufacturing, New Balance has become renowned worldwide for making superb running shoes, so it makes sense for the brand to look at other markets and work its magic in those, too. Numeric product goes into retail for the first time in the US and Canada this month, and will be available in stores in the UK from January 2014. Global brand manager, Sebastian Palmer, says that Numeric is the differentiator for skateboarding specific and skateboarding inspired product. “Rather than use the word ‘skateboard’, we played off New Balance’s heritage in using numbers for all its shoes,” he says. “It’s all about the numbers.” No doubt he hopes that one day it relates to serious sales figures, too. Who would doubt it? Apparently the collection has been several years in the making, no doubt with copious research to create the best shoes. New Balance is a privately held company, and believes in maintaining authenticity at all times. So it certainly wasn’t going to go to market with a half-baked notion that it was going to take on the world of skate and win the hearts and minds of real skaters without the right preparation. “Until the partnership with Black Box Distribution came about there wasn’t a feeling of having a genuine connection in skateboarding,” says Palmer. “New Balance has done well not to rush into the market. It’s taken the time to do it right. Although it
draws upon New Balance’s heritage and details, a specific last has been created for this, and each shoe has been designed to fit a certain style of rider – in turn giving multiple options to the consumer.” There has also been a lot of inspiration and learning taken from running shoe production in terms of materials and applications developed specifically for New Balance, such as Revlite foam – which is 30 per cent lighter compared to the equivalent midsole. Price points may well be higher compared to other skate shoes out there, but quality is certainly not compromised. Getting the right accounts to take the product on board (no pun intended) will be key, as will the level of customer support a brand such as New Balance, with so many years’ experience of quality production, can offer potential stores. “Core skate stores are a vital part of our culture,” says Palmer. “They offer the skateboarding community a place to meet, share and learn. Good skate stores provide great service, not only in advising the right type of skateboard set-up for their customers, but also
THE NEW BALANCE TEAM
by helping them make wise choices with regards to footwear. For skateboarders, footwear is equipment. you don’t need shin pads or a team kit, just a good board and the right pair of shoes. We want our retail partners to be the type of respected stores that know what they’re talking about, and that can represent our products accordingly – and support their skate community.” Palmer certainly doesn’t appear to be skating around the issue of where they want to be and who they want to appeal to. Time will tell if they get into shops such as Natterjacks, Chimp and Urban Industry – who are bound to be on their hit-list. Let the numbers game commence.
JULY 2013 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 63
SOCIeTy The parties and events from in and around the menswear industry.
OLYMPIC GYMNAST AND STRICTLY COME DANCING’S LOUIS SMITH ATTENDING THE BEN SHERMAN X SHORTLIST CLOSING PARTY FOR LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN.
TV PRESENTER RICK EDWARDS AT THE SPRING/SUMMER 2014 CATWALK SHOW FOR JOHN LEWIS MAN.
This month welcomed the third edition of London Collections: men, while royal visits and the Race For Life finish line created perfect photo opportunities. —
LONDON MAYOR BORIS JOHNSON JOINED BY NINE MALE MODELS WEARING ICONIC BRITISH STYLES, CELEBRATING THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF BRITISH MENSWEAR ON SAVILE ROW.
MWB EDITOR VICTORIA JACKSON AFTER COMPLETING THE RACE FOR LIFE IN HONOUR OF HER FATHER, DEAN (PICTURED WITH JACKSON AND HER MOTHER, LYNN), WHO WON HIS BATTLE AGAINST CANCER.
HRH PRINCE CHARLES VISITS JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN AT ITS BORDERS FACTORY IN HAWICK TO UNVEIL ITS ROYAL WARRANT, WHICH WAS GRANTED TO THE COMPANY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND SUPPLY OF ESTATE TWEED CLOTH TO THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD.
JULY 2013 | PEOPLE | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 64
COLLeCTIVe The people, the places, the products.
LITTLE BLACK BOOK TemPORARy ShOWROOm BeRLIN
SIMON SAyS Ah, Pitti. — It was good to be back. We missed out in January, as the organisers were unable to move us to our desired new location, preferring instead to offer those sites to newcomer Italian companies you’d never heard of, staffed with scantily clad 19-year-old wannabe Ruby the heartbreakers, rather then a British brand with global presence of nearly 30 years’ heritage. Who would blame them? Just when we despaired of ever returning, with two and a half weeks to go, the call came in. “We have a cancellation; are you interested?” No, it wasn’t where we’d ideally choose to be, but it meant a room to ourselves in a sophisticated location, with good adjacencies such as Borsalino hats. The deal was great so we took it. A frantic fortnight followed. Our Italian stand-fitters were true stars, adapting our old system to fit the room, and magicking up a whole plethora of antique tables and props to take the clothing. After a day of sweat, rearranging, minor tantrums and strong coffee, we were open for business. I’ve recently taken on the legend that is Doug Hood to help us with the key independent menswear stores, and this room was the ideal showcase. True to their word, the great and the good of the indies came, and liked what they saw. It was good to see their reaction to the accessories, reflecting the work that we’ve put in to distinguish the higher end of the collection. So, a week after the return, would I go back to my “salone”? Definitely, is the answer. I didn’t realise how much I’d missed it until I saw the preened mass of posturing Italians competing to be “papped” by the new hordes of bloggers. If I saw any more soft-tailored, double-breasted jackets with shorts, and a diddly bow tie, I think I would have screamed. Despite my best endeavours, no one snapped me on my way to the show. I’m already planning my outfit for January.
Designed as a platform to showcase a variety of european and international fashion designers, Temporary showroom has offered an interchangeable creative space since launching in 2006. Supporting and presenting avant-garde fashion over a maximum six-month period with innovative concepts, including presentations, catwalk shows and events, Temporary Showroom is located at Kastanienallee and set over two floors of industrial retail and showroom space. A minimalistic atmosphere, interior details include glass, metal and concrete finishes, with a balcony, custom-made metal staircase and glass façade. The store has recently launched its online retail arm, which also highlights selected pieces from brands available to purchase. Labels featured in Temporary Showroom include Odeur, Soulland, Sandqvist, Stine Goya, Damir Doma-Silent, Ubi Sunt and MM6-Maison Martin Margiela. — PLAN B
PeTeR JeUN hO TSANG
Simon Carter is the CeO of the eponymous brand and retail stores. BRAND OWNER AND DESIGNER, COEUR
I’d be a country boy with horses and competing in showjumping. It was actually while I was developing plan A, my brand Coeur, and travelling around the world learning about clothing production and development, that I fell in love with horse riding. I somehow ended up in France and riding a horse – quite the opposite of the world of fast-paced fashion. There is something so serene while being with a horse, yet at the same time a kick of adrenaline when jumping over a fence. There’s an element of focus and control that is required in both professions, which probably says something about me as a person, and then there’s the element of maintaining elegance while cantering, or trying to, at least. —
JULY 2013 | PEOPLE | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 65
TOP TWEETS
CLOSeT CONFIDeNTIAL GRAhAm eAVeS PRODUCT mANAGeR FOR CP COmPANy AND WOOLRICh AT FOURmARKeTING The staple in 95 per cent of men’s wardrobes is the humble jean. I’ve tried loads of brands over the years, but my first is still my favourite to this day – Levi’s. The 501 is a must for all denim lovers. I currently have 13 pairs in various ages and stages of wear that I’ve collected over the years. My favourite models from Levi’s Vintage Clothing are the 1955 and the 1966 cuts, as they are looser and less fitted than the more popular models. — I have a bit of a footwear fetish to match my denim addiction. My all-time winter boot is the LL Bean Duckboot, a classic (duck) hunting boot handmade in Maine, USA. you can’t get them in the UK, and I've bought all mine on trips to the US. They're fully waterproof with a rubberised “duck” toe and full calf leather. — I bought my first pair of Tricker’s when I worked in Jones on Floral Street in the mid-90s. A few of us in Jones wore them, as did most of the lads around the corner in Duffer St George. Most of my mates that didn't work in fashion took the piss and said they were “architect’s shoes”. Those same mates now wear them. Military and camouflage always come around every five years or so in fashion, and I've had my WWII East German military jacket for a good few cycles. It's an unusual camo called Raindrop, and numerous brands have reproduced it over the years. My particular jacket looks ace, especially as the fabric is now a lot softer and more worn in. — As much as I appreciate well-made, hard-wearing product with craft and utility, I have always had a love for sportswear, street and skate. I used to skate in the late 80s, and you were nobody unless you had a pair of Vans. Back then they were still made in the US, but alas they are now made in the Far East. Still, you can’t go wrong with a pair of Vans, I currently have eight pairs! —
Johnny Ridley @ridlej Next time you’d like to know if it’ll rain, simply ask me if I’m wearing suede shoes. If so, it’s a dead cert downpour. Christopher Shannon @shannonmenswear Finally a show in Milan that doesn't look like a load of mancunian hairdressers, congrats Calvin Klein!! #sogood David Watts @David_M_Watts "Talking with quiet confidence will always beat screaming with obvious insecurity" The Independent @Independent Stripes set to be big for Dolce and Gabbana as fashion designers get 20 months in prison for tax evasion Individualism @individualism I tried to type "hijacked" on my iPhone, who politely corrected it to "hoecakes". Thank you Apple. Paul Turner-Mitchell @Paul25Ten @maryportas says “bloody mad” that the Gov last year decided to delay a revaluation of business rates. About time too! Khabi Mirza @khabimirza Half hour queue for registration, 30 degrees in the shade, coquettish dandies everywhere. #PittiUomo begins —
THREE OF THE BEST hIP FLASKS
Louie Thomas RRP £35 07930 553950 —
Gentleman’s Hardware RRP £25 www.wildandwolf.com —
Ted Baker RRP £25 0845 130 4278 —
JULY 2013 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 67
The BOTTOmLey LINe
© Paul Mowatt
mWB deputy editor Tom Bottomley – our man on the inside of menswear.
FOR MORE OF TOM’S OPINIONS VISIT MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK
SALe OF The CeNTURy Is it me or are the summer Sales starting earlier every year? We had barely got into June and the high street was going crazy with anything from 20 per cent up to 60 per cent offered off stock that can’t have been in very long. The summer selling season gets shorter and shorter. Before we know it we really will be calling it “sprinter”! Prior to the high street going on Sale was, of course, the bombardment of emails from online retailers slashing their prices to get rid of stock that hasn’t even been tried on yet. Great news if you’re taking an early holiday, but will we be looking at jumpers and winter coats come July because all the summer stuff has been given away less than half price? Actually, thinking about it, the seasons are so mixed up that Bentalls in Kingston, near me, had a Carhartt parka hanging on the rails in their summer Sale, complete with fur-lined hood. Not very June, I thought, but I guess I haven’t even put on a pair of shorts yet – and now I can buy them for next to nothing. And, saying that, at my little vintage (and occasional sample stock – and bits and pieces from friends in the business) space at Kingston Antiques Market, I’ve not even bothered taking out the real winter stuff – and that’s what’s been selling. So maybe the trick is to not buy for seasons at all; just buy what you like, when you like – if you can. One high-street shop I don’t care to mention recently switched stock around according to the weather, and fiveday forecast. So when the sun came out it was all bikinis and summer dresses, and the next week fleeces and waterproofs. Being that reactive was apparently paying dividends. A good job they weren’t listening to veteran weatherman Michael Fish, who was once spotted in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt as the heavens opened and some serious rain lashed down (unfortunately he couldn’t swim his way out of that one).
ON The NORDIC ROAD Photographer Sven Eselgroth has come up with a novel way to get himself and his work noticed. A
NORSE PROJECTS SHOT BY SVEN ESELGROTH
FASHION ACCESSORY OF THE MOMENT, THE BEARD
ARE SALES STARTING EARLIER THIS YEAR?
motorcycle trip across Scandinavia shooting brands such Norse Projects, Our Legacy, Velour, Blue Highway and Uniforms for the Dedicated in their natural surroundings. Norse Projects (pictured) was shot on the streets of Copenhagen. Of course, he’s also shining a spotlight on both the emerging and established brands that form part of the exciting Scandinavian fashion scene that we seem to be so attracted to in the UK. you can check out Sven’s travels and photo diary at Sveneselgroth.tumblr.com, as he revs his way, and checks his shutter speed, across Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
WeIRDy BeARDS It’s funny that the beard has become such a fashion accessory over the past few years, but even funnier that there have been cases of “beard envy” among fashionistas, clearly eager to look more Taliban than trendy man. And there are some absurd ones spotted in every corner of every show – some accompanied with the
twirly ’tache, which is surely more Music Hall than savvy style call. What has also come to light is the amount of older models used for shoots and catwalk shows, with grey beards the order of the day. While it must be great for said models to be getting a second wind in a profession dominated by six-pack studs barely in their 20s, it seems a bit at odds with the market outside of “fashion land”. Now, I can’t grow a beard, I just don’t have enough hair springing out of my boat race. I’m thankful it’s a look I’ve never been keen on. It might spring from the days of my old bearded Action Man always being the one run over by the tank, or thrown viciously out of a top-floor window with a parachute that didn’t work. But, even if I did wish I could grow one, once it turned grey I think I’d be reaching for the Gillette Fusion again. It’s too geography teacher for my liking. By the way, the picture is courtesy of Alan Paine, and apologies to them for using this image to go with my point – it was the only one I could lay my hands on in time. Great knits, though!
JULY 2013 | DIRECTORY | 68
BIG SIzeS
CASUALWeAR
hANGeRS
SUITS
POINT OF SALe
Unit 63 (Sixth Floor) Regent Studios 8 Andrews Road, Hackney, London E8 4QN Tel: 0207 254 8888 Fax: 0207 254 8889 Email: trimtexclothing@btconnect.com
WANTeD
STeAmeRS & IRONS
GARmeNT STANDS
To advertise please call Sharon on
To advertise please call Sharon on
01484 846069
01484 846069
or email sharon@ras-publishing.com
or email sharon@ras-publishing.com
www.gucinari.co.uk
DEDICATED TO STYLE To subscribe to mWB simply call +44 (0)1484 846069 email lydia.bennett@ite-exhibitions.com or visit mwb-online.co.uk eU £75 (includes p+p) Outside eU £146 (includes p+p)
NexT ISSUe AUGUST BUTTeR WOULD meLT THE HOTTEST STyLES FROM BERLIN SURVeyING The COmPeTITION HIGHLIGHTS FROM MWB’S E-COMMERCE SURVEy DOWN ON FIFTh AVe THE WHOLESALE LAUNCH OF SAKS FIFTH AVENUE +
BREAD & BUTTER BERLIN
Online Insider | Retail Insider | Collective | Last Orders With...
JULY 2013 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 70
LAST ORDeRS WITh... PATRICK COx Following their success last season, iconic footwear designer Patrick Cox and Italian shoe specialist Geox have once again teamed up, this time for s/s 14. Victoria Jackson caught up with Cox to find out what it took to reignite his passion for design. — Place of birth: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Now lives: London W9 Date of birth: 19/03/1963 —
First of all, your debut collection for Geox was met with a great response. how did the partnership come about? Geox approached me through a great Italian friend of mine – Giorgio Veroni. Giorgio had hooked Geox up with Red Bull Formula One. In passing, during one of their meetings, he mentioned knowing me and Geox asked for a meeting. I had left my eponymous brand in around 2008. I was disillusioned with the fashion/finance system and never thought I would return to designing, or Italy for that matter, but so much of the demise of Patrick Cox felt like unfinished business. The possible collaboration with them intrigued me as it was accessible and global – Geox is the second biggest footwear company in the world, selling over 20 million pairs a year. Its remit is very much in the casual sneaker/loafer family of shoes and, because of the huge success I had enjoyed with my Wannabe loafers, I felt I had something to say. I have always been a democrat and loved the idea of dressing a million people rather than one chic person. I’m sure you’re approached with respect to collaborating quite often. Why Geox? I hadn’t been approached with anything that interested me. I had sent out some unequivocal signals that I was over fashion after leaving my brand. I was very much in an “I want to be alone” mood. Geox felt right because of the global scale of its business and the aspirational everyman positioning of the brand. I thought it would be fun to inject some fun and humour into what it does. What does the s/s 14 collection have in store? S/s 14 is clean and simple... almost minimal but with an injection of pop colours. There are, of course, loafers – this season chisel-toed and unlined in suedes or pebbled calf. There is a fun group of suede shoes and sneakers that seem to have their toes dipped in high-gloss paint. And then there is a fun sporty story of sneakers and loafers on this cool two-part sole with a chromed shank. One highlight of this group is my urban take on the boat shoe with elastic replacing the laces and the sneaker sole giving the shoe a new sporty profile. What drew you to footwear when you made your first foray into design? What first drew me to fashion was the power of
dressing up. I was a New Romantic, a club kid, or at least the Toronto version of one. I started to be photographed and liked the attention. My schooling, however, had been strictly academic, so I felt artistically insecure with my new peers. Designing shoes was much more like architecture I reasoned (or rather convinced myself) – a shoe, like a building, has an inside and outside façade and a hidden supporting structure – and this appealed to the logical side of my brain. What else do you have planned in the coming months? After rediscovering the joy of designing, I am looking forward to launching my own collection again. I envisage a London Mayfair designer brand of men’s accessories. The shoes and leather goods made in Italy, perhaps a sneaker or two from Asia and the balance of our offer (scarves, gloves, umbrellas) made in Britain. I currently love the word “haberdasher”. I want to reconnect with my customer so, besides the range available in the shop, I will be on hand (or nearby) to consult and chat, and offer a bespoke/customisation service, too. I have such fond memories of my first shop by London’s Sloane Square with antiques and a roaring fireplace and me hovering in my offices directly above the shop. I want to be the antithesis of the big brands. I want to celebrate being British and niche with constantly changing small runs.
QUICK-FIRe QUeSTIONS — Who is your mentor? Coming from the culturally starved Canadian suburbia of the 70s, what the hell did I know about Savile Row or Saint Laurent? TV was my world, and Nolan Miller was the fashion god who dressed all my TV goddesses. — One piece of advice I’d give my 16-year-old self would be… Don’t give into a plague of doubt when things aren’t going your way – and believe you deserve it when things are. — What can’t you live without? My English bulldogs, Caesar and Brutus. — Most treasured piece of clothing? A tan ostrich car coat with a detachable mink lining.