ISSUE 215 | AUGUST 2014 | £6.95 | WWW.MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK
SUMMER CLASSICS MWB’S ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO MODA — BEST OF BRITISH WAYNE HEMINGWAY MBE ON THE GROWTH OF BRITISH MANUFACTURING — A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN PROFILING THE FACES BEHIND NEW MENSWEAR LABEL TUKTUK — BERLIN’S FINEST THE TRENDS TO EMERGE FOR S/S 15 FROM BREAD & BUTTER —
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AUGUST 2014 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 05
R E T A I L 12
Online Insider
14
Retail Insider
17
In the know
Advice, news and issues online The latest in-store news Expert advice from four industry insiders
G E N T 24
Product News Rounding up the key stories this month
26
In-season stock Grey area
28
Skope for growth
30
Taking the mac back
34
Smart turnout
The substantial growth of British label Skopes Aquascutum’s return to fashion MWB shoots the key products to invest in for s/s 15
M O D A 48
Lifestyle
50
Tailoring
52
Shirts and trousers
54
Accessories
56
Footwear
58
Select
60
What’s on
The best in casual menswear Key names to catch in Moda Gent Presenting the core products for s/s 15 Essential extras for in-store Bringing together the biggest names in men’s footwear New season’s fashion from contemporary and young brands What to expect at this edition of Moda
D E N I M 64
&
S T R E E T
Product News Rounding up the key stories this month
66
In-season stock Graphic content
69
Tuktuk rides into town
72
Streetwise
A label to watch for the new season Trends from Bread & Butter
R E G U L A R S 7 8 20
Comment News Interview
76 79 82
Collective The Bottomley Line Last Orders With…
Andreas Melbostad
Wayne Hemingway MBE Front cover:
Eton 020 7495 7988
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EDITOR
AUGUST 2014 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 07
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 — EDITORIAL
AS SISTANT
Rebecca Jackson rebecca.jackson@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 Laura Martindale laura.martindale@ite-exhibitions.com — HEAD
OF
MENSWEAR
Jamie Harden jamie@moda-uk.co.uk — PRODuCTION
DIRECTOR
Gill Brabham gill@ras-publishing.com — PORTFOLIO
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 9 times per year by RAS Publishing Ltd, The Old Town Hall, Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5AL. Call 01484 846069 Fax 01484 846232 Copyright © 2014 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 —
Always one to create a talking point, Bread & Butter founder karl-Heinz müller succeeded in doing so once again as he announced that, come January 2015, the show would relocate – returning to the home of some of its most successful editions. — For a number of seasons, there has been talk of an impending move for the Berlin trade show. Last season’s rumour was Istanbul, the season before Asia. This season, however, as the whispers travelled around Templehof and the rain came pouring down, those rumours were finally put to rest, when karl-Heinz müller announced that, in January, Bread & Butter would return to Barcelona. Receiving mixed reactions around the halls the next day, it seemed the smaller brands would be holding off on their decisions until the big boys had made theirs. With so many big-name exhibitors now a distant memory since the days of Barcelona – notably this season Scotch & Soda – many simply questioned why go back to a city where it had been previously. Surely a new chapter needs a new location? As both Seek and Premium continue to grow steadily each season, only time will tell if buyers will include Berlin in their buying schedule without the pull of key names at Bread & Butter. It will also be interesting to see which buyers, and brands for that matter, will fit Barcelona in before London, Florence, Paris and Berlin. But while some may doubt the latest move from Müller, especially following the decision to open the show to the public and then change back promptly before the summer edition kicked off, few can deny the success of the German entrepreneur. And while this show was noticeably quieter, especially as the rain put a dampener on the show’s Brazilian World Cup theme, there was still some great product on offer. Turn to page 72 for the key trends to emerge from the young fashion labels spotted at the show. This issue we also bring together the best of what to expect from this month’s Moda. With a brand new look, as well as a raft of new names to discover in and among the show’s returning favourites, s/s 15 sees the celebration of the show’s 25th edition. For those who are visiting Moda, do make sure you join us for a silver anniversary drink on Sunday at 5-6pm in the new Gent Plaza. I look forward to seeing many of you there. Victoria Jackson Editor
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.
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AUGUST 2014 | NEWS | 08
N E W S
CLOTHING SECTOR BOOSTS J U N E SA LES
SALE COMES EARLY FOR RETAILERS menswear retailers across the country have reported an early start to their summer Sale season, despite a strong in-store performance during the spring months. A straw poll carried out by mWB revealed that the high street still has a major influence on Sale start dates, often forcing retailers to start discounting from mid-June onwards. “Peer pressure from the big stores and online stores prompted our decision to go into Sale on 19 June this year,” says Phil Goodfellow, owner of Northern Threads in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. “unfortunately, our Sale date is led by our competitors and the bigger stores – I find it frustrating.” Despite an early start to the Sale season, however, Goodfellow did see strong sales across polo shirts, short-sleeve shirts and round-neck shirts. “They still went into the Sale, but they sold well,” he says. “Our best brands for spring were Boss Green, Boss Orange, Armani and Adidas. We had a poor season, however, for lightweight jackets and denim.” Fellow retailer Richard Bell agrees that outerwear was a poor performer this season, but reported good sales across shorts and short-sleeve tops. “I’m actually really upbeat because I had learnt from previous seasons and hadn’t bought into outerwear as much for s/s 14, meaning I had less to put into Sale,” says the owner of Bell Clothing, a Cumbria independent chain. “I always go into Sale quite early – I have to because the high-street stores do from mid-June onwards – but because revenue had been consistently up, I was able to take a softer approach and go in with smaller discounts initially – which I then increased up until the end of sale in August.” However, some retailers favoured a different strategy, of holding out until long after the start of the high street sales to capture the second wave of bargainhunters. “We held out until the second week of July to go into Sale,” says Rowan Hines, owner of Room 14 Menswear in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. “We find it’s better not to compete with the high street and prefer to hold out until consumers have been paid again before we start our Sale. This season, however, we put less into Sale, simply because we had such a strong spring season.” —
Overall retail sales dropped by 0.8 per cent during June in comparison with the same period last year. The decrease in sales, however, was mainly attributed to the food sector, with non-food sales showing growth of 3.7 per cent over the past three months. “It’s a bit of a mixed picture,” says Helen Dickinson, the BRC’s director general. “Non-food sales are up, but at a slower rate. Could it be that consumers are feeling more confident and have bought into full-price fashion – which in turn has encouraged some retailers to delay their sales? Retailers may find that their margins are less affected than figures would suggest.” —
WORKERS GAIN FLEXIBLE RIGHTS New legislation introduced last month gives workers the right to request flexible working patterns from their employer. The right – previously limited to parents and carers – has been rolled out to the uK’s entire workforce in a bid to bring working practices “up-to-date” with modern lifestyles. Although obliged to consider requests in a “reasonable manner”, employers are under no obligation to meet demands, but are urged to see the potential benefits of flexible working. Some industry groups, however, have reacted with disdain to the news. “We know that many of our members offer flexible working, but there will be a number of small businesses who just cannot do that, whether it’s through cost or just from balancing their teams,” says Lisle Brown from the Federation of Small Businesses. —
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AUGUST 2014 | NEWS | 09
IN BRIEF OCTOBER DATE FOR BUY BRITISH DAY This year’s edition of Buy British Day will take place on 3 October. Organised in conjunction with Best of Britannia, the industry representative of British brands, Buy British Day will aim to raise awareness of domestic manufacture and will encourage consumers to buy products made in the UK. Labels that have pledged their support for brand event include footwear label Cheaney and accessories label Cherchbi. —
HU N T ER EX PA N DS IN TO J A PA N
A N IM A L OPEN S M A N CHEST ER SHOWROOM
Iconic British boot label Hunter has founded a joint venture with Itochu Corporation to distribute its collection of men’s and women’s footwear and apparel throughout Japan. Effective from s/s 15, the collaboration comes as part of a wider move to position Hunter as a global lifestyle brand. “We are excited about the partnership forged with Itochu Corporation,” says James Seuss, Hunter’s CEO. “We see a huge opportunity in Japan, and see Itochu as a key player in furthering Hunter’s development as a global lifestyle brand. As another company with a long heritage and strong core values, this is a natural partnership for us.” —
Following on from the opening of a London showroom earlier this year, action sports brand Animal has announced the opening of a new showroom in Manchester. Currently, wholesale customers are able to visit the space and view the label’s s/s 15 lines across men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories. After relocating from its smaller premises in Warrington, the new 2,000 sq ft showroom will act as a hub for the brand in the North of England. Located in the Fairburn Building on 70-72 Sackville Street, the label hopes the move will attract new accounts as part of its continued sales growth for 2014. “Relocating has been a great step for the brand, making it much more accessible to our Northern accounts,” says Joel Pickering, Animal’s head of brand and marketing. “We look forward to introducing the s/s 15 range to new and existing customers in this great space, which reinforces our core brand values.” —
BR EA D & BU T T ER ON THE MOVE
DIESEL COMBATS COUNTERFEITS
Karl-Heinz Müller, founder of trade show Bread & Butter, has confirmed the return of the exhibition to Barcelona for the winter edition in January 2015. Bread & Butter will, however, return to the former Airport Berlin-Tempelhof for the summer show, for which dates will be announced in due course. Taking place, as it has previously, in the grounds of the Fira de Barcelona, Bread & Butter’s a/w 15 edition on 8-10 January 2015 will kick off the international season for the fashion industry. Next year will also mark the exhibition’s first venture into Asia, with its debut in Seoul, South Korea, taking place on 3-5 September 2015. “Now we are in Europe’s two best cities, namely Barcelona and Berlin, and in Seoul/Asia,” says Müller. “One city is still missing to complete the Grand Slam – the American continent is still waiting for us.” —
Diesel has filed legal action in a uS federal court against 83 websites selling counterfeit products appearing to carry the Diesel label. The 83 sites created the false impression they were authorised to sell genuine Diesel goods by using the company’s trademark in their domain name, going on to sell thousands of replicas of the brand’s products. As part of a global programme to combat the business of counterfeit products, Diesel launched an online brand-protection programme earlier this year, which has resulted in more than 120 infringing sites being taken down, over 1,000 sellers blocked, and around 400,000 items removed. —
MPS SUPPORT NEW DESIGNERS Shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman and chair of the Labour Arts, Craft and Design in Education All Party Group Sharon Hodgson MP were among the 17,719 people who visited the 29th edition of New Designers at London’s Business Design Centre last month. New Designers – which brought together 3,000 of the UK’s best emerging designers - welcomed these key parliamentary figures who met with designers from colleges in their constituencies, as well as with New Designers award-winners, other graduates and tutors. — RETAIL INDUSTRY DINNER 2014 Providing a key forum for retail networking, The Annual Retail Industry Dinner is set to take place on Wednesday 17 September at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane. The event provides members of the retail industry the opportunity to entertain valued colleagues, existing clients, and to network with prospective customers and generate new business contacts. Last year’s dinner received around 1,100 guests, attracting senior retailers, government and civil service. For further information email events@brc.org.uk or call 020 7854 8971. — REDUNDANCIES AT CROCS Footwear brand Crocs will make 183 of its 5,000-strong workforce redundant, following a fall in profits over recent seasons. The move comes after a 17 per fall in profits during the second quarter of this year. Established in 2002, the Crocs label has seen phenomenal growth over the past decade, and is best known for its distinctive and brightly coloured men’s, women’s and children’s shoes in its patented Croslite material. — BRC RETAIL CRIME CONFERENCE This year’s BRC Retail Crime Survey has exposed that UK retailers are fighting increased organised theft in-store and, combined with the dramatic increase in fraud and ecrime, are facing a progressively sophisticated criminal. In light of this, this year’s BRC Crime and Loss Prevention conference on Thursday 2 October at London’s America Sq Conference Centre, will take a more operational and practical approach to solutions to retail crime. Retail security bosses, senior police representatives and business groups will gather for presentations, panel discussions and active roundtables to share expertise, incite debate and stimulate ideas on the major issues currently concerning all parties. —
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AUGUST 2014 | NEWS | 10
IN BRIEF
RETAILERS FALL SHORT ON SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICE
HISTORICAL IN FLUENCES KEY FOR FR A N K W R IGHT 2 7 0 0 LIN E
An undercover survey has found that uK retailers are falling short when it comes to responding to queries submitted by social media. The survey, which assessed retailers in the fashion, food and entertainment sectors, found that only 33 per cent of retailers successfully responded to queries submitted via Twitter, while 75 per cent successfully responded to email queries. The research – carried out by analyst Eptica – also found that the average response time for emails is now 35 hours and 43 minutes; over one day less than the average email response time of 66 hours and 52 minutes in a similar study carried out in 2012. “The retail sector has been revolutionised by the expansion of digital channels,” says Olivier Njamfa, CEO, Eptica. “However, our study shows that many retailers are failing to deliver fast, accurate responses and consistency across channels.” —
The premium 2700 collection from British shoe company Frank Wright, which returns for autumn/winter 2014, incorporates influences from the brand’s rich cavalry history. Creating vintage-inspired styles, Frank Wright has taken inspiration from its archives for the collection’s three boot styles, which reference the Victorian era’s traditional lace-up pit boots. The Chelsea boot, brogue boot and work boot are available in a choice of colour options and feature a number of key finishing touches, such as overlaid leather, stitch-down soles and leather laces. —
LEEDS AT THE FOREFRONT OF RETAIL AND INNOVATION A host of retail leaders gathered in Leeds for the Grand Depart International Business Festival last month, including Asda CEO Andy Clarke; director of social and environmental affairs at Company Shop Sarah Dunwell; and Mike Barry, director of sustainability at Marks & Spencer. The summit, in association with investment firm Leeds and Partners, highlighted research and experience of the region’s retail investors and promoted the city as a major retail force. The region has recently benefited from a recent retail investment boost and, according to figures provided by Hammerson, the developer of £150m Victoria Gate project, Leeds shoppers are outperforming the UK average. The figures revealed that six per cent of Leeds’ shoppers spend more than those in Manchester and 41 per cent of all shoppers in Leeds are in the key buying age of 16-44. Lurene Joseph, CEO of Leeds and Partners, says, “The Leeds retail scene is a hot prospect for investors and developers. As a compact alternative to London, we’re an upscale retail destination for consumers from around the world. “The latest project to go on site in the region, Hammerson’s Victoria Gate has taken the development and investment pipeline in Leeds to over £2.5bn,” she continues. “The Retail Innovation Summit has highlighted just some of the factors contributing to that success.” — MEN OPTING FOR MORE REVEALING SWIMWEAR THIS SUMMER Recent sales figures from Debenhams have shown that while women are ditching revealing bikinis in favour of 50s-inspired high-waisted briefs and swimsuits, men are opting for more revealing swimwear than ever before. The department store’s findings show sales of men’s board shorts have been in steady decline, while sales of smaller, swim-short styles have seen a 242 per cent increase in recent weeks. To meet demand, the retailer’s swim shorts are now, on average, 2cm shorter than this time last year. —
BROOKS BROTHERS ON T HE STREET
U K FT SHOWCA SE AT GR A N D DEPA RT
Men’s retailer Brooks Brothers hosted a live fashion show outside its Regent Street store last month as part of London’s Summer Streets event. Six models were photographed outside a Chevy pick-up truck, alongside vintage bicycles and skateboards as part of the fashion show, and passersby could relax in a pop-up garden also based outside the store. Models wore pieces from this season’s Red Fleece collection, a mix of preppy favourites and a youthful take on the classic Brooks Brothers style. Throughout Sundays in July, the Summer Streets event transformed Regent Street into a traffic-free zone. Each Sunday saw a new theme transform the street through various events. —
The uK Fashion & Textile Association took the opportunity to showcase yorkshire’s comprehensive textile industry last month, when the county played host to the Grand Depart of the Tour de France. During a day-long event at The Carriageworks in Leeds, hundreds of visitors turned out to see two catwalk shows displaying designs crafted from yorkshire yarns. Guests were also able to participate in a cycling-themed knitting workshop, where they could experiment with the region’s most luxurious pure wool yarns. “The Grand Depart was a huge success, and attended by industry professionals and local people,” says John Miln, CEO of uKFT. “It was great to see the festival unite the local community in celebration of the skills and creativity yorkshire has to offer. The event provided a great platform to showcase the homegrown talent from the region alongside the Tour de France.” —
OVERSEAS EXPANSION FOR M&S High-street giant M&S will expand into Azerbaijan and increase its presence in Saudi Arabia, following confirmation of a new collaboration with retail partner Alhokair. The expansion will see ten new stores opening across Saudi Arabia, and the opening of a new shop in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku, which will retail an extensive collection of the retailer’s menswear, womenswear, footwear and childrenswear. — MATALAN SIGNS OXFORD STREET DEAL Discount retailer Matalan has announced the opening of its first high-street store on Oxford Street. The retailer, which is traditionally located within out-of-town retail parks, has made the move in a bid to be better placed to compete against fellow value retailers TK Maxx and Primark. The move is understood to be part of a wider plan to roll out a series of store openings on high streets across the UK. —
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AUGUST 2014 | ADVICE | 12
ONLINE INSIDER Advice, news and issues online.
ADVICE: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A STREAmLINED APPROACH TO RETAIL mERCHANDISINg? many fashion merchandisers are unable to focus on their core competencies of forecasting, planning and analytics due to disparate systems and labour-intensive data entry. Most retail merchandisers can manage 1,500 products per season, during which they spend an enormous amount of time raising purchase orders, notifying suppliers and managing replenishment across multiple territories in different currencies. To make matters worse, some battle with a different worksheet for each element of their job, leaving them with little time for activities that will have a positive impact on profit. To meet this challenge, merchandisers now have tools at their disposal to bring all these systems together under one roof; that integrate with the market-leading Oracle Retail platform. By managing the entire order and allocation lifecycle from a single worksheet, retailers can control the merchandising and planning operations right through to multi-channel replenishment; in turn triggering workflows across the business, suppliers and beyond. Historical sales data can be integrated into the process to automate decision making, while the headache of time-consuming activities such as multi-currency pricing is removed. Merchandisers are then able to focus on key activities such as in-season category optimisation and planning for next season, all of which will benefit both the customer and the bottom line. David Hawkings is vice president EmEA at OLR Retail and can be contacted via www.olrretail.com and 0121 262 4800. —
WEB WATCH
WWW.EmOJINALART.COm Spotted on a number of lists for “Tumblr accounts to follow”, Emojinal Art brings together some of the world’s most famous paintings and works of art and combines them with the modern-day use of emojis. In a day and age where text speak is the norm, these characters are present everywhere – however, on a Van Gogh they are not. Designed to blend in perfectly with each painting, you can expect to log on and find the Mona Lisa with a huge smiley face, or Jack Vettriano’s The Singing Butler featuring the woman and man kissing smiley faces. Another weird, but great, online find. —
NEWS
GROWTH SLOWS SLIGHTLY FOR JUNE ONLINE SALES Online sales of non-food products in the UK grew 10.6 per cent in June versus a year earlier, where they had increased 12.5 per cent, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium. However, despite online growth of non-food items having increased at its lowest rate since July 2013, the proportion of online sales in regard to the total overall monthly figure continues to grow, with 17.2 per cent of total non-food sales standing against 15.9 per cent in June 2013. Helen Dickinson, BRC director general, says, “This is due to the enhanced online customer experience that retailers have worked hard to provide for their customers. “Retailers’ sophisticated multichannel propositions are especially convenient for shoppers who do not want to brave busy stores during the summer sale season,” she says, “This means people can browse leisurely for goods online, through their mobiles, desktops or tablets, in the comfort of their own home or on the move. Online sales also include shoppers buying online and collecting in-store, which often incorporates the best of both worlds as customers can collect at their convenience instead of waiting at home for the delivery and will often take the opportunity of a top-up purchase.” David McCorquodale, head of retail, KPMG, adds, “The summer months are traditionally a weaker time for online sales, and this slowdown will not give retailers too much cause for concern. The onus is on retailers to better connect with consumers online and deliver innovative, personalised campaigns that will capture the average shopper’s imagination and encourage them to shop online and in-store. “With a summer of sport, festivals and local events taking place across the country, there are numerous opportunities for retailers to link online campaigns with the great outdoors and regain the attention of shoppers.” —
3RD
EDITION
HONG
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27-28
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T H E H U B . H K
A S I A ’ S D E S I G N E R
P R E M I U M F A S H I O N
B R A N D T R A D E
A N D E V E N T
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AUGUST 2014 | RETAIL | NEWS & OPINION | 14
RETAIL INSIDER The latest news and opinion from the menswear retail industry. —
VIEWPOINT Hilary Cookson is acting mD of J R Taylor in St Anne’s, in Lancashire, and the owner of maureen Cookson in nearby Whalley. Both businesses are members of the Fashion Association of Britain (FAB).
OPEN FOR BU SIN ESS New British menswear retailer Open is set to launch both online and through bricks-and-mortar stores from autumn. Focusing on the key trends for the season and essential wardrobe staples, this new fascia from JD Sports is designed to appeal to a wide demographic. With plans to launch 12 retail stores across the uK, including the Arndale Centre in Manchester and Trinity in Leeds, prices will range from £5 for T-shirts to £40 for parkas. “We aim to deliver a simple, no-nonsense approach to menswear – premium quality at affordable prices in a clean, modern, easy-to-shop environment,” says Stephen Galea, MD. “We’re excited to see how our customer responds to us.” Open’s store concept, designed in collaboration with retail design specialist Checklace Kindleysides, reflects the brand’s ethos with an interior featuring a neutral colour scheme and raw materials such as metal and wood. This “no fuss” approach is also carried through the branding and packaging. —
IN BRIEF ARCHER ADAMS LOOKS TO CROWDFUNDING FOR WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT Premium retailer Archer Adams is looking to grow its e-commerce channel through crowdfunding channel Crowdcube. Looking to raise £125,000, the retailer, which produces bespoke made-to-measure clothing and umbrellas, says that the funds will be used to “create a valuable e-commerce business, a business that will be helped by the visibility of our prime location retail shop and top international stockists that will continue to grow.”
COVENT GARDEN STORE OPENING FOR WALKER SLATER Scottish tweed specialist Walker Slater is set to open a London flagship store in Covent Garden later this year. Located at 38 Queen Street, the shop will measure 1,500 sq ft and offer both menswear and womenswear. The brand, which was originally founded in Edinburgh, already has a presence in London, with a small store on Fulham Road, as well two other shops in its home city.
I became involved with J R Taylor five years ago as a consultant, charged with the tasking of restoring it to its former glory. J R Taylor is a legendary store in St Anne’s on Sea and an institution in the world of independent full-line department stores. I am often asked why I chose to work for someone else as well as running my own women’s fashion store. The answer is I loved the challenge it presented. It brought out all of the skills I have learned over the years such as team building, budgeting, marketing and customer service. My business at Maureen Cookson runs like a well-oiled machine, so to actually get “down and dirty” at the coal face was a really energising and exciting exercise. Henry Shepherd brings all his financial skills to the store and looks after all the buyers, while Lindsay Newton was charged with HR and staffing and I cover everything else. Having never dealt with perfumery concessions, home and textiles or menswear, it was a steep learning curve. One of the first jobs we did was to make them a member of Bira and FAB. In particular we wanted the legal cover that Bira provides, but we also use Bira direct for the homeware department. Eighteen months ago, the menswear buyer left so I stepped into the breach. I am delighted to be able to say that menswear is now enjoying a 55 per cent increase on last year, which was 22 per cent up on the previous year. Working on the principle that I knew absolutely nothing about menswear buying other than that observed from boyfriends, husbands and fathers, the contacts I had developed in FAB and in turn the introduction to the IMC has been a hugely important factor in my buying choices. www.fashionassociationofbritain.co.uk
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AUGUST 2014 | RETAIL | NEWS & OPINION | 15
SHOPPED: ELEmENTS How are you approaching buying for s/s 15? I’m approaching the s/s 15 buy cautiously. Buying for summer is becoming trickier every year. I'll be cutting back on the amount of brands we stock, but investing more budget into the labels that have performed this season. I'll be focusing on “brands” rather than “looks”, as these can be reproduced easily on the high street. — How has this season been for you? The season started very positively for us both in the store and online, with sales up by 15-20 per cent on the previous year. However, the last couple of months have been a lot JONNy gEORgE, BUYER, ELEMENTS, slower. Brands such as Luke, Weekend Offender and NORWICH Fila Vintage have performed well throughout the season with very good sell-throughs. — Are you investing in higher price point pieces? For the forward-order s/s 15 buy I'll be focusing on brands with an affordable price ticket. I'm not confident that the consumer has the spending power to warrant investing in high price point items – especially for high summer, which is predominately all about tees, vests and shorts. — Do you buy into the mid-season lines available from so many brands? I buy into only a few mid-season collections, from the likes of Elvine, Minimum and Luke. These labels consistently offer a good capsule range that freshens up the store. However, I mainly focus on bringing in short-order collections to fill in any gaps, as and when trade dictates. —
IN FOCuS: muRRAy 142 CROuCH HILL, LONDON N8 9DX
ESTABLISHED: 2012 BRANDS: WOLSEY, SANDQVIST, BARBOUR, SUIT, PALLADIUM, LA PAZ, MURDOCK LONDON, JOHN WHITE, BURLINGTON, TRIWA, PECKHAM RYE, TOOTAL, DASMARCA HATS
DENHAM OPENS FIRST STOR E Dutch denim label Denham has opened its first standalone shop in collaboration with Bread & Butter president Karl-Heinz Müller. The 125 sq m store – located in the heart of Berlin Mitte – is a joint venture between Denham and The Blue yard, the retail concept area curated by Müller. As a special feature within the store, Denham is offering a quick wash service inspired by handwashing services pioneered in Denham’s Amsterdam and Tokyo locations. The Quick Wash is an extension of the brand’s established, signature, on-site sewing repair concept. The opening of the label’s first permanent store follows a series of successful pop-up presentations in Berlin. —
IN BRIEF
Crouch End is a great place for independent shops but, as a local, murray shop owner murray Clark always moaned to his wife katrina about how little there was for men. He says, “My wife basically got fed up with me and took the lease on a beautiful Victorian-fronted shop. I’d never done anything vaguely like retail before; I was previously a music producer and DJ.” Their aim was to create “a beautiful space” that people would enjoy being in. “The amount of love we get is phenomenal,” he says. “The idea was to make a men’s store that was women-friendly. I used to say, “Look at all these women shopping, they must have men to buy for,” and I reckon 35 per cent of our customers are women.” The other factor that drove Clark was to be “a one-stop shop,” whereby you can just turn up with a passport and get completely decked out for a holiday. As well as clothing, they sell grooming products, bags, underwear and even toothbrushes, “just in case you’ve forgotten yours.” Clark especially likes his range of quirky accessories and gifts. “My wife does at least half of the buying, and she has great taste and a flair for what’s right for Crouch End,” he says. —
CLOTHING SECTOR BOOSTS JUNE SALES Overall retail sales dropped by 0.8 per cent during June in direct comparison with the same time period last year. The decrease in sales, however, was mainly attributed to the food sector, with nonfood sales showing growth of 3.7 per cent over the past three months. “Could it be that consumers are feeling more confident and have bought into fashion at full price, which in turn has encouraged some retailers to delay their summer sales?” says Helen Dickinson, the BRC’s director general. “In this case, retailers may find that their margins are less affected than figures would suggest.”
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AUGUST 2014 | RETAIL | BUSINESS SENSE | 17
IN THE kNOW From negotiating the minefield of franchising your brand through to managing customer expectations in-store, mWB looks to four key experts in the industry to answer questions that may be affecting your business. —
HOW WOuLD A
LIkE LONDON BuSES –
REFuSAL FOR FLEXIBLE
CONSumER LAW
WORkINg TImE
CHANgES COmE IN
AFFECT mE?
THREES
The changes to flexible working brought in by the Children and Families Act 2014 has extended the right to request flexible working to all employees (who have 26 weeks’ service). The previous statutory procedure for considering such requests has been removed and employers will instead be required to consider all such requests in a “reasonable manner” and within a time frame of three months (unless a further period is agreed with the employer). Flexible working in this context may take various forms, including job-sharing, part-time working or working from home. Employees will still be restricted to only making one request for flexible working within any 12-month period. Employers will, however, retain the right to refuse requests on permitted business grounds. In practice, if there is a dispute about an employee’s flexible working request, an employment tribunal can only order the employer to reconsider the application and award compensation – capped at just eight weeks’ pay at the statutory rate (currently £464 a week). Tribunals cannot question the permitted business reasons behind an employer’s decision to refuse a request, or order that the request be granted. This severely restricts the scrutiny to which an employer’s decision may be subjected. But employers should be aware of the risks of a potential discrimination claim if they refuse a flexible working request. This typically occurs where such requests relate to childcare commitments or religious requirements. For those types of discrimination claims, compensation is potentially uncapped. A code of practice has been drawn up by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to assist both employers and employees with this new duty and this can be downloaded – along with further guidance regarding the legislation – from the ACAS website at www.acas.org.uk. The guidance details how an employer should handle a request, how to prioritise conflicting requests received at the same time and how employers can handle temporary changes to working patterns. Employers are also advised to update their employee handbooks to reflect these upcoming changes, following consultation with their employees. — Mark Shulman is a consultant solicitor at employment and business law specialist Keystone Law
Hopefully you caught the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013? A bit of a mouthful for sure. But in order to comply with the Regulations, retailers – particularly those using the online channel – should have implemented by 13 June the following changes: Information – providing the full pre-contract information in a clear and comprehensible manner and the correct form. money – making it clear as to when clicking a button online will amount to payment and when there is a charge for additional services. Delivery – within 30 days unless the consumer agrees otherwise. Cancellation and returns – the cooling-off period is extended to 14 calendar days and there are additional information requirements. Refunds – must be for the total price, including delivery, and processed within 14 days. Whether or not you caught that “bus”, the next one is on 1 October 2014 when the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (CPRs) come into force. The purpose of these Regulations is to protect consumers against businesses using misleading actions or aggressive practices. They improve the existing framework by bringing a right of redress that can be brought by consumers themselves. The CPRs provide three remedies for the aggrieved consumer: 1. A right to end the contract and receive a full refund of the price in certain circumstances; 2. A right to a discount of 25-100 per cent of the payment made by the consumer to the infringing business; an entitlement to seek damages for consequential financial loss, or alarm or distress resulting from the infringing business’s action or practice; 3. Or both. Although intended to protect consumers, it can be expected that in some situations, businesses may take advantage of the new CPRs if there is the possibility of significantly damaging a competitor. This could be by friends of employees of company A morphing into aggrieved “consumers” of company B. Whichever way action is brought, the best way for businesses to avoid liability under the CPRs is not to engage in unfair practices in the first place. The final “bus” has not yet reached the Statute Book. But, barring an early general election, given that it has all-party support, the Consumer Rights Bill (CRB) is likely to receive Royal Assent in the second quarter of 2015. The CRB will consolidate and modernise consumer law from over 100 pieces of legislation to a framework that should be less of a compliance burden on businesses. It starts by introducing consistent definitions including defining who is a “trader” and a “consumer”, and goes on to provide clearer and more extensive rights and remedies for consumers. — Stephen Sidkin is a partner at Fox Williams LLP (www.fashionlaw.co.uk; www.foxwilliams.com) >>>
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AUGUST 2014 | RETAIL | BUSINESS SENSE | 18
FRANCHISINg AND
THE “NEW RuLES”
ONLINE SALES:
OF RETAIL SELLINg
NEgOTIATINg THE mINEFIELD Franchising is an increasingly popular way for fashion brands to dip their toes into the water of a new territory. Recently, there have been a flurry of brands (including some big hitters) that have announced aggressive international expansion plans via new franchise stores. However, bricks and mortar is one thing, and online is quite another. One issue faced by many brands expanding into new territories is what to do concerning their online offering. Do you give the franchise partner control over the online offering on the basis that it is best suited to know what works with consumers in that territory? Or do you retain control over your brand’s online presence on a global basis, with a “one size fits all” approach? The most significant risk you face when franchising your brand is that you will lose control over your image. While brand consistency is the key to successful franchising, its importance in the online channel cannot be overstated. The risk for a brand of sending mixed messages in different territories is an overall loss of focus. Many brands approach the issue of online sales by keeping open the possibility of letting a franchise partner operate its own website, but only under the watchful eye of the brand. Brands will also often issue each franchise partner with online sales guidelines – the brand’s manual as to what is expected of online operations. In addition, brands must ensure that they have considered the ownership of the domain name of the franchise partner’s website, and what is to happen to it on termination of the franchise agreement. The last thing a brand wants is for an ex-franchise partner to have ownership of a domain name incorporating the brand’s trading name. Finally, there is the issue of how far the brand can prevent a franchise partner from selling (actively or “passively”) into another country via its website. For example, can a brand stop its franchise partner from selling a piece to a consumer outside the franchise partner’s territory? In the EEA, such issues are subject to Eu competition law restraints. In non-EEA territories, national competition laws will come into play and must be considered carefully so that the brand can control sales by a franchise partner outside its territory as far as possible. ultimately, big rewards can await the brand that decides to work with franchise partners to expand its reach. However, it is vital that the brand considers how it wants to deal with online sales in the new territory. — Emma Roake is a senior associate at Fox Williams LLP www.fashionlaw.co.uk, www.foxwilliams.com
The recession has undoubtedly changed the way people spend their money. The way they look at buying, the amount they’re willing to spend and how they scrutinise each purchase are changing the customer buying landscape for retail outlets, yet many of those outlets have failed to change and adapt accordingly. Some retailers are aware customer buying behaviour has changed, but either don’t know what to do, aren’t sure what to do, or are sticking their heads in the sand, hoping it will all go away. The ones that have taken action have taken it more at the strategic level, around the branding, straplines or strategy, and precious little has filtered down to the staff in the stores – so therefore the only thing that has changed at ground level is that there are less people buying. As the recession hit people’s pockets, they started to scrutinise their purchases more. This meant they are now starting to consider more closely the purchases they would make previously without thinking too much. This means they’re not only scrutinising “what” they purchase, and “how much”, but also “where” they buy. So customers that may have used certain retailers for years are now reconsidering their loyalty and where they buy. Therefore, the successful retailers will put things in place at a “ground floor” level that not only retain their existing loyal customers, but also “pinch” customers from rival stores. Do it well and you’ll get great results. Do it badly (or not at all) and rival stores will take your customers. The savvy retailers are switching on to the fact that customers will still spend money with them, but only if they focus on the experience. This means all members of staff need to be focused on providing each customer with a great experience each time they are in the store – when they enter the shop, while looking for something and when paying and leave the store. Think about all the times customers interact with your staff – is it always a great, positive experience? In many cases the answer is “no”. How well are you and your staff managing the customer buying experience? The majority of retailers tend to default to making it difficult to buy from them, rather than easy. If customers are now being more “choosy” about where they buy from, and you don’t make it easy to buy from you, you’re driving your potential customers to your competition. — Andy Preston is a leading sales expert at Andy Preston Ltd www.andypreston.com
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AUGUST 2014 | INTERVIEW | 20
INTERVIEW
ANDREAS mELBOSTAD Andreas melbostad’s first menswear collection for Diesel Black gold was for a/w 14, and this summer has seen the launch of Diesel Black gold’s first global concept store on London’s Conduit Street – housing both the men’s and women’s collection. Tom Bottomley gets the lowdown. — Tom Bottomley: What’s special about the new store? Andreas Melbostad: It’s the first store to be created for the new, bigger vision for the brand. It also represents my first venture into men’s, in addition to the Diesel Black Gold women’s line. The new shop is around 2,800 sq ft over two floors. It’s quite a statement. — TB: How long has Diesel Black gold been around? AM: It launched in 2008, though I only joined the company just over two years ago. It has always been men’s and women’s but, prior to me, there was a design team working on both collections. I think we have now given it a more distinctive handwriting. It’s still very much a brand in its infancy. Diesel is obviously a giant, and we are like the little start-up project within it – even though we have been around for a few years. How we are proceeding right now is very clear, so we think we have set the groundwork to start to build Diesel Black Gold. The shop launch coincides with my first-ever men’s collection. It helps to create more of a cohesive vision for the brand as a whole, and it’s also exciting to do a men’s collection for the first time. It’s a very masculine label, so it makes sense, and it’s been instant gratification to do the men’s line. — TB: Was the initial idea to launch it at the most premium of Diesel’s offers? AM: I think it’s evolved through different stages
CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIESEL BLACk gOLD
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before becoming more clearly defined. Our goal is to be what we call advanced, contemporary design. The core offer in the collections is still denim and leather – which is the strength of Diesel as a brand. But Diesel Black Gold very much stands on its own as a label. The job for me now is to expand on this, and bring in all the other product classifications. For men, we will be introducing some tailoring and more formal looks, as well as accessories. Footwear is also a growing area for us, and it’s performing very well, along with the denim. Diesel Black Gold is a big job. For now it’s not necessarily viewed as a premium project, but it’s definitely a higher tier within the Diesel offer. — TB: Why has London’s Conduit Street been chosen for the flagship shop? AM: It’s a great central location and there’s a lot of stores surrounding us that complement what we do, and we like to sit next to. On the street there are labels such as Martin Margiela and Kenzo, so it feels right for us. It’s not a massive store; more of a boutique-style shop, and those are the kind of buildings you get in that area. It’s just a good fit for us. It’s a destination shopping area and there’s plenty of traffic and people walking through. The store has instantly attracted a male consumer, maybe because there is more men’s product in there right now because of the way deliveries have worked out. — TB: It is part of a global retail roll-out for Diesel Black Gold? AM: Not quite, but we are talking about other locations as well. London came about as top of the list, but also the Conduit Street venue was found very quickly. We’ve talked about Milan and Paris, and possibly some others. It’s not defined yet, but we’re looking at it. London was important because it’s the first study of what a retail space should look like for Diesel Black Gold. It also encompasses architecture and creates the right environment to fit with the DNA of the brand, and all that we are doing from a design perspective. It’s like a first step for us. A very important step. It gives us the opportunity to create the window for the brand. —
august 2014 | interview | 21
TB: So you don’t have any Diesel Black Gold shops anywhere else? AM: We have one on New York’s Green Street. But that was never opened with the intention of it being a permanent store. It just kind of lingered. It’s still there, and it’s been in existence for a few years, but the London shop is all about the direction we’re taking the brand. At some point I think we will revisit what the New York store looks like too because of the way the brand has evolved. We need to bring it in line with what we’ve created with the London store, which is effectively a great showcase for the product – and also something that is unique to Diesel Black Gold, as opposed to Diesel. Though Diesel Black Gold does sit inside several key and important Diesel stores as well. — TB: Where did you launch the s/s 15 men’s collection? AM: We did a show in Milan on an old train station platform – outside. It went down very well. Nobody had used it to do a show before, but it felt right for us with that kind of industrial feel. The first men’s collection was launched with a show during Pitti last time – also at an old train station – in Florence. — TB: What’s the new men’s s/s 15 collection all about? AM: I’ve been concerned with building the men’s wardrobe. For me that building block is really based on the iconic pieces and very expressive menswear. For example last season we did the rocker jackets with metal patches. I’m interested in those pieces that are embellished but maintain a real masculine sense. This time I was looking at the work of the late English stylist, Ray Petri, and that whole “buffalo” movement he created in the 80s. Obviously that look is very particular to that period in terms of aesthetic, so I’ve been more influenced in that kind of eclectic mix of elements and design references. So it’s taking the iconic things and putting them all together. It felt very much right in terms of what I’m looking at in menswear now. I like the idea of taking
things that don’t necessarily belong together. — TB: What’s your background? AM: I’ve been in New York for almost 14 years. I am Norwegian, but I also lived in London when I was a student at the Royal College of Art. I did a masters in womenswear design for two years, and I began my career with Nicole Farhi in London before moving to Paris to work with Alber Elbaz – when he first arrived in Paris, first for Guy Laroche and then for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. — TB: Who else have you worked for in the past? AM: I’ve also worked for Nina Ricci, and then I met Calvin Klein and moved to New York, and I’ve been there ever since. I designed for Calvin Klein, then Donna Karen and following that I was the creative director at Phi, a start-up high-end designer womenswear brand that was owned by the Dell family – as in Dell computers. I worked on that for seven years, and I think that was the project that got Diesel owner Renzo Rosso’s attention. It’s what he looked at when he was searching for the way to evolve Diesel Black Gold, and I subsequently came on board. I was contacted a little over two years ago and everything happened very quickly. It works well because my creative research and design work is done in New York, in my apartment, then I go to Italy for the product development. — TB: What’s happening in terms of building the UK wholesale business? AM: We’re just starting out with it really. It’s about building very carefully, and we want to find the right partners. Harvey Nichols sells the Diesel Black Gold menswear, and the women’s launches in Selfridges this autumn, and we have some select international independents. Now we feel we are ready to move forward. We’re hitting a comfort zone in terms of creating the right product that fits with Diesel Black Gold. The right quality and positioning is starting to happen as well. We’re getting quite confident and are ready to expand.
“Our goal is to be what we call advanced, contemporary design. The core offer in the collections is still denim and leather – which is the strength of Diesel as a brand”
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august 2014 | gent | contents | 23
G E N T
PerfeCTLy PoLISheD Created by British designer Alice Walsh, Alice Made This is a collection of polished tie and lapel pins, dress shirt studs and cufflinks with countersunk detailing to reflect the sparkle of embedded gems. The s/s 15 collection – which was discovered by MWB at this season’s London Collections: Men – is aptly named Reflection and utilises a series of processes to create its signature industrial finish. Precision Turner Metal, for example, is used for making high-tolerance parts for use in engineering and aerospace industries, using solid steel and brass, while Investment Casting is used to produce ratchets, turbine blades, gears and complex machinery components – in fact, one of the oldest known metal-forming techniques dating back 5,000 years. The Alice Made This collection illustrates the skills, craftsmanship and process behind the term “manufacturing”, with all pieces made on British shores. —
24
Product news
30
Taking the mac back
34
Smart turnout
Rounding up the key stories this month
26
In-season stock
28
Skope for growth
Grey area The substantial growth of British label Skopes
Aquascutum’s return to fashion MWB shoots the key products to invest in for s/s 15
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august 2014 | gent | product | 24
raDar
ProDUCT neWS
Spotlighting style.
Inside menswear.
E PI TO M E O F BR I T I SH E LE GANC E
CAMPIONE established: 1989 — signature style: Offering a complete wardrobe collection, the brand’s core DNA lies in its semi-casual shirting, knitwear and outerwear with nautical influences. — history: International lifestyle label Campione was founded by Hans Davidts in 1989, starting life as a menswear offer solely, until it expanded into womenswear in 1993 with the launch of Lisa Campione. Returning to the halls of Moda Gent this month with its biggest stand since its debut show, lifestyle brand Campione is preparing for its strongest and most comprehensive season to date. Continuing with its signature nautical-inspired range, the label offers a modern, casual look with a strong focus on quality and attention to detail. Although primarily known in the UK market for its shirting category, Campione has a strong following throughout Europe for its trouser, knitwear and outerwear offer. Following a number of seasons at Moda, the German label will introduce its own stand concept – reflective of its drive to penetrate a larger proportion of the UK independent retail landscape. With four collections a year and ten delivery dates, the brand is ideal for retailers looking to top-up in-season – especially with the unpredictable British market. With more than 200 shop-in-shops in its native Germany, as well as 40 mono-label stores and stockists in markets such as Europe, Asia, China, North Africa, Australia and North America, it’s clear to see the potential in Campione. www.campione.de/en
Taking a look back to its heritage, British label Ede & Ravenscroft’s s/s 15 offering features softened traditional tailoring silhouettes with unstructured jackets, relaxed linen suits and textured waistcoats – bridging the gap between smart and casual to create a contemporary yet authentic British look. Subtle references to the brand’s sartorial roots are echoed through the collection, with cuff details inspired by a Royal Livery uniform and a collarless shirt worn by the judiciary. Sourced from the finest mills in England, Scotland and Italy, fabrics include slub-effect linens, lightweight wool blends and an exclusive botanical print. —
WATC H AND LE AR N British label Ben Sherman is relaunching its licensed watch category for a/w 14 – with a collection now in line with the current Ben Sherman aesthetic. The new range emulates the brand’s contemporary modernist look, grouped into families named after Ben Sherman’s London store locations. The Islington (pictured) has a minimal Scandinavian feel to the face, featuring stainless steel indicators and slimline hour and minute hands. The Spitalfield timepiece has a sleek classic look with a single chronograph and bold numbering on the central numeral indicators, while the Portobello is a sports watch featuring a trilogy of chronographs and 24-hour driving bezel. —
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august 2014 | gent | product | 25
ON TREND Seasonal extras: Leather goods
R E BE LLI O N I N A SU I T A new name to the UK menswear market, Business Punks is entering British shores with its collection of eclectic linings. Under the direction of The Measure Agency – the UK agent for Ermenegildo Zegna – the brand has seen success across Europe with its lining designs, which are manufactured in Austria. Utilising the work of up-and-coming artists from all over the world, it is then transferred onto fabrics sourced from the UK and Italy to create unique limited-edition printed linings for bespoke, made-to-measure and ready-to-wear tailoring. Purely a lining design house, the brand has collaborated with a number of leading British tailors and independents including Bespoke HQ and Charlie Caseley-Hayford. Moving forward, the vision of The Mirror Agency is to target bespoke and made-to-measure specialists, independent menswear retailers and premium department stores such as Liberty, Harvey Nichols and Harrods. —
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2
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4 1: RICHARD JAMES price on request 020 7434 0605 2: BOOMERANG £37 020 7603 4500 3: CAMEL ACTIVE €39-€120 020 7736 0230 4: MERC £9 020 7495 8538 5: SANDQVIST price on request 020 3411 7341
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Unless stated otherwise all prices are wholesale
BranD To WaTCh
ANGELO vAN MOL Launching his first range at the s/s 15 edition of London Collections: men, angelo Van mol, although starting life as a concise capsule collection, has the ultimate objective of creating a complete footwear offer for the modern man. With the brand’s roots stemming from haute couture, the debut collection from van Mol is “beautifully crafted tailoring for the sartorial man’s feet”, as described by the designer himself. Inspired by the streets of Baltimore, it’s dirt bike sub-culture and the myriad of hues they boast, the colour palette and fabric offer for s/s 15 comprises canary coloured anaconda with hand-painted ink spots, as well as petrol blue accented with dusky silvered snakeskin. The collection’s buoyant palette is complemented by sumptuous rose gold, metallic and earth shades. The focal point of the range is the Sahara (pictured), which marries innovative technology into the tyre tread-like soles, with a classic upper in sanguine shades embodied in suede. With RRP prices starting from £325, this collection is definitely one for the investment shopper. www.angelovanmol.com
established: 2013 — signature style: An avant-garde take on footwear classics, the eponymous label is a bold fusion of traditional design and modernity. — history: Designer Angelo Van Mol attended the Royal Academy in Antwerp before moving to London to study the art of English tailoring on Savile Row.
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august 2014 | gent | product | 26
duchamp rrp £650 020 8746 4003
antony morato €139.90 www.morato.it
peregrine £79 tom@peregrineclothing.co.uk
eden park £42 020 3432 6387
skopes £45.50 0113 240 2211
atelier scotch £158.50 020 3137 3901
sand price on request 020 7608 9100
Grey area no longer a colour for the conservative, grey dominated the catwalk this season, and blazers – in both two-button single and double-breasted models – are designed to be worn not as a suit, but as an alternative to navy and stone with denim and khaki. —
notch london £50 020 7636 9313
samsøe & samsøe £104 020 3137 3901
Unless stated otherwise all prices are wholesale
scotch & soda £79 020 3137 3901
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AUGUST 2014 | GENT | PROFILE | 28
SkOPE FOR FuRTHER gROWTH Skopes is going from strength to strength, with growing retail presence in House of Fraser, a healthy forward-order book – despite the brand being best known for its stock service – and the kind of forward thinking and hard work that managing director Simon Cope and his team have established to grow the brand and realise its true potential, as Tom Bottomley discovers. —
Third-generation Leeds family business Skopes is undergoing something of a sharp rise in growth. There is a concerted effort to target all market areas, be it stock service – for which it is best known – forward order, which is a vastly growing sector for the brand, mail order or ecommerce – through other retailers’ websites as opposed to its own. Managing director Simon Cope, 47, whose grandfather Sydney started the business as Scopes Sportswear in 1948 and whose father Geoffrey ran it before him, has been leading the growth drive with some venom. It was around 40 years ago that Cope’s grandfather changed the name to Skopes, swapping the “c” for a “k”, when he decided the business should focus on tailoring and not sportswear. Simon Cope only got involved in the family business when his brother was killed in a car crash. He says, “At that time I was doing my own thing, but then I had to come in and decide what to do
with the business – to keep it or to sell it. We had management running the business – a managing director and a financial director. That was 20 years ago. “When I came into the business it was doing £3.4m,” he continues. “I decided to keep it, as I had an idea of what to do with it and how to grow it. Twenty years on we’re still here. We’ve always made a profit, never a loss, and next year we’ll be hitting more like £20m.” Cope says it’s all from a lot of hard work from everybody involved in the business. “If you’re a lawyer, a dentist or a doctor you can achieve success by yourself; other than that it’s a team effort from everybody to grow a business.” He also doesn’t just mean from a turnover perspective. “When I was young, my father used to say, ‘Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity and cash flow is king.’” For that reason, the company runs a very tight cash flow to make sure it’s always in a strong position, and doesn’t do turnover for
turnover’s sake. “Some of these big companies do £100m, but make losses,” he says. “That’s not the game we’re in. We have to make a profit and, when we do, we plough it back into the company. As long as we invest in product, design, stock service brochures, supporting other websites, sales representatives and so on, hopefully the customers will keep on buying from us. Just because you’re the third generation of a family business, that doesn’t give you any right to expect the customers to buy from you. So as long as we’re relevant, we’re winning.” What has massively impacted on Skopes’ success in recent seasons is showing at Moda at the NEC in Birmingham. It’s often said it’s an event where business is done, and orders are actually taken – as opposed to it just being a showcase vanity project like many other exhibitions these days. And Cope can’t stress that enough. He says, “We pulled out of Moda a while ago because we became over-exposed and we were
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going in a different direction. But we’ve been back at Moda for around three years, and it’s definitely been an important factor in our growth. We’ve seen forward orders from the show grow substantially each season. Each show has got stronger for us, and each show we’ve gone to a bigger stand, and we’ve been very pleased with our forward-order book because we’re primarily a stock service house.” Skopes carries £3m worth of stock (landed duty paid cost price not retail) in its 40,000 sq ft warehouse in Leeds at any one time. But it has been pushing its forward-order business, which now represents around 40 per cent of its turnover for retail. “Our customers get forward order, with a stock service as well,” he says. He cites House of Fraser, where Skopes has had concessions for three years, as giving it much greater brand exposure, and a higher profile as a result. So much so that it is now apparently the store’s biggest-selling tailoring brand. That’s some feat. “We have substantially increased our turnover over the past couple of years, and we are planning to try and double the growth again, says Cope. “This year, if you account for all our various divisions put together – wholesale, retail, e-commerce, mail order and corporate contracts – it’s circa £17m, and next year will be around £20m.” Just on the House of Fraser website alone, Cope says they will do £1m this year, and that will be £3m within two and a half years. He says they are not pushing their own website because that would be a conflict of interest with their independent wholesale accounts. “We’re trying to put more emphasis on our customers’ websites,” says Cope. “Also, for mail order, we do direct dispatch. They take the orders, and we send them directly to the consumer for them. So they don’t have to stock anything. All they have to do is put our product on their website. We do the rest for them. And any returns
august 2014 | gent | profile | 29
“This year, if you account for all our various divisions put together – wholesale, retail, e-commerce, mail order and corporate contracts – it’s circa £17m, and next year will be around £20m”
come back to us. We’re now trying to encourage independent retailers to take advantage of this through their own websites.” House of Fraser has recently been bought by a Chinese conglomerate for £450m, and they have plans to open many stores within China. They have asked if Skopes would be happy to be sold within the House of Fraser stores in China, and naturally Cope has said they are happy to discuss such an exciting opportunity, which can only aid further growth. “Europe is also on our radar,” he says. “We currently have several accounts throughout Europe, but we do not go out looking for them. They tend to find us through the website and UK trade shows. Once we believe we have secured up to 70 per cent of the potential UK business, we will start to look at our export business more closely. For now, we need to stay focused.” That’s a lot of initiatives they are trying to put in place to take a larger share of a shrinking market, as Cope believes it is a shrinking market but one still with plenty of opportunity – if you play your cards right. The independents mainly buy from Skopes what they’ve been buying for many years – which is suits and separate jackets and trousers, though coats have now become very strong for them. They are only forward order, but suits, jackets and trousers are split into two – stock service lines that are there all year round and go from sizes 38 to 62, and forward order. “Outsizes on our stock lines is a big area for us, no pun intended,” says Cope. “We probably do around 60-70 per cent of High ’n’ Mighty’s tailoring. And, of that, around 70 per cent is under
our brand, and 30 per cent is under their brand name, as we do own label for them, too. We can offer both the more traditional and the more contemporary looks, depending on what the customer wants.” Skopes’ success in recent years has also been reflected in the Irish market, both Southern and Northern Ireland. The company had worked there for a number of years, but hadn’t done much turnover. Then it decided to go for growth, even though it was a crowded marketplace. “We then came across Jonathan Gosson, from Gosson Agencies. He liked us, and we liked him, and probably in around two and a half years we’ve gone from zero – starting from scratch – to around £900,000 this year. We’re now in around 100 accounts in Ireland. That’s all come because we’ve got the right product and the right presentation at the right price with the right people selling it. There’s plenty of growth available, even in a crowded market, if you have those things in place.” Quite right. The main message Cope would like to get across is that they respect the independent accounts. “We need them as much as they need us,” he says. “The company has been trading within this sector for over 50 years, and still feels very strongly about the division. It is very difficult to sustain a business just from the independent accounts these days, so we do have to trade in other sectors, but our heart still lies 100 per cent in the independent shops.” Covering all bases is something Cope is certainly thriving on, and all the hard work seems to be paying dividends.
WWW.mWB-onLIne.Co.UK
august 2014 | gent | profile | 30
TaKInG The maC BaCK World-renowned British brand aquascutum is feeling the benefits of being brought out of administration by yGm Trading in may 2012, with a new flagship shop on London’s Jermyn Street and a more contemporary design direction courtesy of head of design Thomas harvey. Tom Bottomley gets his take on the all-new aquascutum. —
It’s a brand that has been around since 1851, therefore clearly able to stand the test of time. So it was a sad day when aquascutum went into administration under the ownership of entrepreneur harold Tillman in april 2012, with the closure of the factory in Corby perhaps the most upsetting – especially to its long-standing workforce. But if Tillman couldn’t save it, who could? Well, it seems under new Hong Kong listed owner YGM Trading, which already owned the brand in Asia and has over 200 Aquascutum stores in China and Hong Kong alone, that it is on a path back to its former glory here, too. A stunning new 1,800 sq ft store at 78-79 Jermyn Street, which corners Duke Street and is opposite Alfred Dunhill, is a statement to be sure. And even the factory is back up and running, with the original skilled craftsmen put back into work, even if it is now owned by Swaine Adeney Brigg. Most of the production is Aquascutum once again. There’s a new campaign for a/w 14, shot by Alasdair McLennan and featuring award-winning British actor Damian Lewis and enigmatic British supermodel Eliza Cummings. Perhaps the label is finally learning a thing or two from Burberry, as it was those great ads featuring Kate Moss that raised the brand’s profile a few years back. Thomas Harvey, who came in as head of design for a/w 14, returning to the label after a stint with Reiss, is charged with leading the
renaissance of a brand very worthy of a comeback. He says, “The Jermyn Street location is a great spot to show off what we’re doing right now. And we’ve had a lot of American and Japanese customers coming in, as well as local hedge fund guys, and loving it since we opened a few weeks back. We had a lot of young British actors who came down to the launch of the shop, which was an excellent evening. We also collaborated with Aston Martin, which brought some cars down and put them outside the shop.” Harvey has worked in the shop for a few days, too, to get a real feel for it. Along with Aquascutum’s chief operating officer, Mark Taylor, the new shop was under his direction as to its design and look. In terms of designing the collections, he appears to be giving the product more of an edge as well – across all product categories including shoes and accessories, though the classic outerwear pieces remain at the heart of it. There’s a completely deconstructed trench coat framed on the wall, so you can see exactly how many different pieces go into making one. The Broadgate mac, worn perhaps most famously by Michael Caine in his role as Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File, is also still included in the range. But Harvey’s penchant for introducing freshness to the collections, including a short mac done in orange that apparently the Italians love, is going to be an important factor in terms of
building the UK wholesale business up once more. Says Harvey, “Relaunching at Pitti last season was very important to us to get the brand back out there, and this time around we had over 300 visitors to the stand – including buyers from all over, as well as a lot of press.” He says his brief when he came back into Aquascutum was to re-visit the label as a whole, and to re-look at what wasn’t quite right to modernise it. “It felt a bit unloved, and as though it needed refreshing,” says Harvey. “The market has changed a lot over the last five years, and you have to be on top of your game.” The Jermyn Street shop adds to the other Aquascutum shops on London’s Great Marlborough Street, Canary Wharf and Westfield – which is about to go under a re-fit, as well as one in Windsor. “We also hoping to launch another five stores in the UK within the next year,” says Harvey. “Possibly one or two more in London, though we are looking further afield as well.” The North of England and possibly Scotland are on the radar for shop launches, too, providing the right spaces and locations can be found. “As Jermyn Street is proving, location is key, and the shop openings are really what is going to drive the business. Wholesale growth is also massively important to us,” says Harvey. Harrods is back on board for this autumn, as is Barneys in New York. So, it seems, Aquascutum is finally being put firmly back on the map, where it belongs.
Moda Menswear, August 10th - 12th 2014 Stand MG16 Email: sales@skiandsport.co.uk Tel: 01902 604110
SMART TURNOUT TAKING A TAILORED APPROACH TO THE NEW SEASON, MWB BRINGS TOGETHER THE KEY PRODUCTS TO INvEST IN FOR S/S 15, WITH NEWNESS COMING FROM UNExPECTED PRINTS AND COLOUR COMBINATIONS, AS WELL AS INTERESTING TExTURAL MIxES AND SLIMLINE SILHOUETTES. —
unless stated otherwise all prices are wholesale
PRETTY GREEN LEATHER JACKET £180 07903 255298 / JOHN SMEDLEY JUMPER £50.40 01629 534691 CHAPMAN BAG £99 DAVID@GENERALCLASSIFICATION.CO.UK / HENRI LLOYD TROUSERS £33.29 LSEGALE@HENRILLOYD.CO.UK BOOMERANG SCARF £18 020 7603 4500
BOOMERANG SHORTS £30 020 7603 4500 / SIMON CARTER SHIRT £33.50 020 8683 4475 / ROY ROBSON JACKET £85 020 7323 0478 LOAKE LOAFERS £64.50 01536 415411 / QUAY SUNGLASSES £10 01612 729381
HENRI LLOYD SHORTS £27.42 LSEGALE@HENRILLOYD.CO.UK / BEN SHERMAN SHIRT £25.65 020 7812 5300 REALM & EMPIRE WAISTCOAT £34 01858 466607 / MARWOOD POCKET SQUARE £26 020 7729 5696 / LOAKE SHOE £64.50 01536 415411
MAGEE JACKET £77.50 0035 3749724839 / MAGEE SHIRT £34.50 0035 3749724839 / MAGEE TROUSERS £27.50 0035 3749724839 ROY ROBSON SHOES £74.50 020 7323 0478 / ATELIER SCOTCH SCARF £48 020 3137 3901
CAMPIONE SHIRT £39 07905 366309 / FYNCH HATTON JUMPER £70 0116 236 2304 / D555 SHORTS £8 0115 977 0009 ROY ROBSON BELT £16.80 020 7323 0478 / ROY ROBSON SHOES £49 020 7323 0478
PARKA LONDON JACKET £69 01484 846069 / ATELIER SCOTCH SHIRT £51 020 3137 3901 CHAPMAN LAPTOP CASE £19.50 DAVID@GENERALCLASSIFICATION.CO.UK / QUAY SUNGLASSES £10 01612 729381 / BEN SHERMAN TROUSERS £35.20 020 7812 5300 PRETTY GREEN SCARF £38 07903 255298
BERTONI JUMPER PRICE ON REQUEST 020 3432 6387 / REALM & EMPIRE COAT £90 01858 466607 / REALM & EMPIRE SHORTS £30 01858 466607 ROY ROBSON SCARF £29 020 7323 0478 / QUAY SUNGLASSES £10 01612 729381
SKOPES JACKET £47 0113 240 2211 / PRETTY GREEN SHIRT £44 07903 255298 / ROY ROBSON SHOES £74.50 020 7323 0478 PRETTY GREEN JEANS £34 07903 255298 / MARWOOD BOW TIE £44 020 7729 5696 / QUAY SUNGLASSES £10 01612 729381
ATELIER SCOTCH JACKET £139.50 020 3137 3901 / D555 T-SHIRT £7 0115 977 0009 / CHAPMAN BAG £79 DAVID@GENERALCLASSIFICATION.CO.UK ROY ROBSON SHOES £49 020 7323 0478 / ROY ROBSON SHORTS £20.10 020 7323 0478
PHOTOGRAPHS: CHRIS HARVEY WWW.CHRISHARVEYPHOTO.COM STYLIST: VICTORIA JACKSON
1 LIKE NO OTHER SHIRT £52 020 7637 7654 / ELVINE JACKET £61 / ELVINE TROUSERS £36 020 7725 5700 ALAN PAINE JUMPER £79 KINGOFCASHMERE@ALANPAINE.CO.UK / CHAPMAN BAG £79 DAVID@GENERALCLASSIFICATION.CO.UK BOOMERANG SOCKS PRICE ON REQUEST 020 7603 4500
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AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 47
MoDA SprInG/SuMMEr 2015 10-12 August 2014, nEc birmingham —
DIGEL STAnD MD30
48
Lifestyle
56
Footwear
58
Select
60
What’s on
The best in casual menswear
50
Tailoring
52
Shirts & trousers
Bringing together the biggest names in men’s footwear
Key names to catch in Moda Gent Presenting the core products for s/s 15
54
Accessories Essential extras for in-store
New season’s fashion from contemporary and young brands What to expect from this edition of Moda
WWW.MWb-onLInE.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 48
MoDA LIFESTyLE recognising the growing demand for sports-inspired casualwear, with functionality and comfort paramount to today’s consumer, Moda has increased its lifestyle offer to include some of biggest names in mainstream menswear. —
bEnch STAnD MG24
bLEnD STAnD Mh17
jupITEr STAnD Mb09
MorLEy STAnD MG11
GuIDE STAnD Mh27
bLEnD Moda is set to welcome a host of denim labels to its s/s 15 edition, including Danish label Blend. Staying true to its signature “rugged and worn” design ethos, the new collection takes its inspiration from travelling through the desert on an old motorcycle. Buyers can expect to see sun-bleached denims, vintage-finish hoodies and checked lumberjack shirting with tonal denim panelling. bEnch A new signing for Moda Gent, British label Bench continues to drive further forward with its wholesale expansion plans in the UK. Showcasing its Multipurpose Life and Multipurpose Performance collections, the brand focuses on functional and innovative fabrics, while safety features in outerwear are integral, such as fully reflective garments, WR windproof and breathable fabrics and anatomical constructions. jupITEr Split into three categories – Club, ActivePlus Trekking and Navy Club – Jupiter presents a strong range of outerwear essentials. Club focuses on colourstitched buttons and contrasting buttonholes, with a fitted silhouette and on-trend short blouson models. ActivePlus Trekking, meanwhile, looks to rugged and natural fabrics to imply a vintage feel, while Navy Club plays on the Maritime influence with chambray lining and RainControl functionality. GuIDE The new s/s 15 collection from Guide covers all product areas, from shirts and jersey to tailoring and knitwear, as well as the brand’s latest development into footwear. Prints are key to the label’s latest collection, with vintage pin-up prints, small geo prints with taping detail, collage prints and mini-crest type prints. Spring floral prints once again form an important part of the range, with the addition of more experimental bleached paisley print shirting adding a definite fashion edge.
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rAGInG buLL STAnD MF21
cAMEL AcTIvE STAnD Mb18
crEW cLoThInG STAnD MG18
MorLEy Returning to Moda for s/s 15, British label Morley presents two lines this season – Modern Maritime and Summer Road Trip. Modern Maritime has a fresh, clean look with fabrics in crisp cottons and fine-knit constructions. In terms of colour, classic navy is teamed with signal red, with highlights of citrus and aqua set against white and silver birch. Summer Road Trip, meanwhile, features acid-wash knits with seersucker, soft palm printed shirts, cotton linen tonal stripe knits and deconstructed cotton canvas blazers. cAMEL AcTIvE Stripping back and simplifying is the central design ethos to Camel Active’s latest collection, producing a range that is clean, low-key and focusing on subtler details. Summer duffle coats come with genuine leather collars, bomber and field jackets are untypically made of functional fabrics, while blazers reveal surprising camouflage-inspired patterns and coarse-grained canvas material to the outside. rAGInG buLL Sports and casualwear label Raging Bull will return to the halls of Moda this season, showcasing its latest collection RWC. Designed for the Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted in England in 2015, the capsule collection utilises rugby elements and the brand’s own specially designed crest, featuring all the home-nation flags. crEW cLoThInG Following a successful debut edition, Crew Clothing makes its return to Moda for s/s 15. A key focus of the brand this season has been to synchronise both its men’s and women’s ranges, with the importance on how well they sit together in-store while being able to present a cohesive narrative that draws upon Crew Clothing’s original design inspiration. The brand has also retained its pricing structure for the new season, without compromising on its premium quality.
WWW.MWb-onLInE.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 50
MoDA TAILorInG Following seasons of taking a relaxed approach to tailoring, there is a definite movement towards a more sartorial, snappier style of dressing for spring/summer 2015. MWb presents some of the key names to catch this edition. —
DIGEL STAnD MD30
rEMuS uoMo STAnD Mh21
MADDox STrEET STAnD MD18
DouGLAS & GrAhAM STAnD ME29
SkopES STAnD MF20
rEMuS uoMo The new season sees Remus Uomo offer a range of sharp tailoring and slimline silhouettes, designed for the more fashionconscious shopper. Shades of blue dominate the s/s 15 collection, with detailing coming from contrast button stitching and pocket-square placement, while the soft shouldered, single-breasted blazer is juxtaposed with block-colour three-piece suit options. DIGEL The trend for suits at Digel remains close-to-the-body, with a modern, shortened jacket length and narrow trousers. Only two-button jacket silhouettes are represented among suits, in some cases with understated AMF decorative stitching. In terms of colour, the s/s 15 offering takes its inspiration from tropical climates – expect summer darks, soft blues, jade green and Bordeaux reds. MADDox STrEET As part of the Gabicci stable, Maddox Street returns to Moda with a collection that combines Italian elegance with the quirky stylishness of the English gentleman. The emphasis is focused on fibre and quality of fabric, with genuine Liberty Art fabrics featuring throughout – both as shirting and in subtle detailing and trims. Buyers can expect to find a co-ordinating range of cotton knitwear, polos and woven prints and stripes to enhance the main body of the collection. DouGLAS & GrAhAME With a vivid injection of colour this season, British tailoring label Douglas & Grahame continues to do what it does best and offer classic, well-made suits and casualwear. The three-piece is prominent throughout the brand’s s/s 15 offer, in the returning popular shade of blue, as well as grey and charcoal. Knitwear, meanwhile, is still a strong category for the summer months in the UK market, with fine-knit crew-neck and polo shirt options sitting comfortably next to the label’s more tailored line.
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AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 51
bEnvEnuTo STAnD MA26
MAGEE STAnD Mh17
ATELIEr TorIno STAnD ME31
SkopES Although blue remains an important colour for British label Skopes this season, especially in suiting, grey is coming through as a dominant shade with pastels in linen and lightweight wool blends. Key fabrics remain cotton, 100 per cent linen and linen blends and lightweight wool, while silhouettes see shorter length blazers, slim fit with ticket pockets and peak lapel one-button models. bEnvEnuTo Returning Moda favourite Benvenuto showcases its Purple and Black lines at the s/s 15 edition of the show with Michael Spriggs Agencies. A more casual take on tailoring than previous seasons, buyers can expect to see jersey and waffle blazers from Benvenuto Black, while mixand-match blazer and waistcoat combinations can be seen with loose-fit denims and tailored shorts. MAGEE Colour is paramount to the s/s 15 collection from Irish label Magee, with a strong focus on shades of pink, yellow and green. Although relaxed tailoring is central to the latest offering, with softened shoulders and lightweight fabrics, there are still statement suits such as the oversized checked suit jacket, trousers and waistcoat in navy and pink. Buyers can also expect a comprehensive collection of shirting, summer-appropriate outerwear and casual trousers. ATELIEr TorIno Mix-and-match is a key focus for Atelier Torino this season, with the collection offered in both basic and slimline styles, in high-quality fabric and a large variety of sizes. The casual jacket segment of the s/s 15 collection combines sportive influences and classic Italian style.
WWW.MWb-onLInE.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 52
MoDA ShIrTS & TrouSErS From top to bottom, Moda Gent has it covered with its selection of the industry’s essential shirt and trouser brands for the new spring season. —
cASAMoDA STAnD Mc18
MEyEr-hoSEn STAnD Mb30
brAx STAnD Mb19
cASAMoDA Featuring novel space dye variations and new summer colour combinations, the Casual collection is characterised by sportive elements of the Italian coastal region. New washing effects and intricate details such as patches, tapes and pipings provide sweatshirts and polo shirts with an updated look. MEyEr-hoSEn Denim features as a key theme for s/s, with an expanded collection offering stretch qualities and two-tone fabric for an over-dyed effect. New styles and cuts bring modernity and a fresh look to the range, while silhouettes appear slim. brAx Inspired by Barcelona, the collection presents a harmonious mix of modernity and tradition. Summary looks set the tone this season, with garment-dyed polo shirts creating a casual look. Over-dyed stripes, subtle prints and mixes of material such as cotton and linen also feature. A special ice-washed finish in denim creates a super-bleached look. DoubLE TWo A fresh and light feel comes to the collection through the tones of aqua, lilac, mauve and lemon, while a sharp, cutaway collar debuts for s/s. Different trims combine and classic black and white satin stripes are an impressive addition to the collection.
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AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 53
hILTL STAnD ME02
oLyMp STAnD MD31
DoubLE TWo STAnD ME19
brÜhL STAnD Mb29
ETErnA STAnD Mb21
brÜhL Featuring new interpretations of classic lines, key s/s styles include scoop and five-pocket jeans, classic chinos and slimmer fits. New Pima cotton and canvas are offered in muted neutral tones of khaki and sand. The Coolmax collection has been extended to include denim, in addition to poplin, to cope with changes in temperature. hILTL Presenting a reduced and more subtle colour scheme, the signature style remains focused around slim silhouettes and sophisticated structuring. Fabric blends include wool with linen or wool with cotton, creating weave designs and summary colour schemes characteristic of the season. oLyMp Smart-casual looks fuse with everyday and active sportswear to create an overall fresh, uncluttered appearance. Colours are toned down this season and have a gradation effect to create a sun-bleached look. Collar shapes are smaller and more distinct, while contrasting looks such as clean denim complemented by cut-thread effects are the highlight. ETErnA With an emphasis on simplicity this season, contrast adornments take a backseat. Piping on button tabs and ribbon banding in collars adds a stylish touch to garments, making them not as loud as in previous collections. Indigo denim updates the Slim Fit Casual range, while lightweight fabrics enhance the collection.
WWW.MWb-onLInE.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 54
MoDA AccESSorIES Moda Accessories offers the perfect complement to Moda Gent, bringing together labels across the sock, underwear, neckwear and small leather goods sectors. —
ASDruMArk STAnD MF04
DEnTS STAnD M11
FALkE STAnD Mh19 cuDWorTh coLLEcTIon STAnD MG01
hj hALL STAnD ME01
jEEp STAnD MG02
bLAckSpADE STAnD MF28
FALkE Hosiery label Falke incorporates a unique air-channel system into its range of men’s formal socks, offering a cooling effect for comfortable all-day wear designed specifically for summer months. hj hALL The UK’s largest sock manufacture, HJ Hall is still family run, and offers a diverse range of hosiery collections including its signature no-elastic socks. DEnTS Iconic British accessories label Dents returns to Moda Accessories with its range of men’s and women’s accessories. Belts and hats are offered alongside the brand’s signature collection of fine leather gloves, which have been made in Britain since 1777. jEEp Jeep has been producing socks and underwear since 1941 in line with its philosophy of designing essentials for an active life without limits. This season sees the brand introduce a new range of prints across its extensive range of men’s underwear silhouettes. ASDruMArk Asdrumark men’s underwear features a unique construction feature designed to offer maximum support for active lifestyles. The latest collection comprises styles across boxer shorts, briefs, tanga and longleg silhouettes. cuDWorTh coLLEcTIon Offering men’s jewellery in stainless steel alongside its small leather goods, Australian label Cudworth Collection is a global leader in the men’s accessories sector. The brand reveals its latest offer at Moda, designed to blend timeless designs with contemporary style. bLAckSpADE Presenting a range of men’s underwear, nightwear, swimwear and socks, Blackspade focuses on carefully selected materials for optimum comfort. This season’s boxers are constructed from microfibre, pyjamas feature a cool silk blend, and socks are made from the thinnest cotton fabrics for a breathable range of summer essentials.
WWW.MWb-onLInE.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 56
MoDA FooTWEAr The uk’s largest footwear exhibition, Moda Footwear brings together the industry’s leading shoe labels, and its adjacency to Moda Gent makes it accessible to footwear-specific and menswear buyers alike. —
brAkEburn STAnD S10
bArkEr STAnD p11
rEEF STAnD T1
Ikon STAnD x5
john WhITE STAnD v2
MuSTAnG STAnD v11
Ikon Ikon continues to focus on semi-formal fashion wear with its latest collection of men’s shoes. The brand’s key silhouettes are reinvigorated for the new season with colourful and relaxed styling, while maintaining the label’s hallmarks of wearability for a wide range of occasions. brAkEburn Brakeburn unveils its most comprehensive collection to date this season, drawing on its British design heritage for inspiration. Sandals and flip-flops are key shapes for the summer, as the brand diversifies for its third year as a burgeoning British footwear label. john WhITE Continuing with its philosophy of producing timeless designs with faultless precision, John White presents its all-new collection for spring, comprising elegant styles for the business world and a new sports range for the more casual sector. bArkEr Classic British men’s footwear label Barker returns to Moda Footwear with its latest range of stylish shoes targeting gentlemen of all ages. As always, the brand unveils several directional styles in striking colours and two-tone finishes, as well as its core range of contemporary men’s styles in classic silhouettes. MuSTAnG Designed in Germany from concept through to production, Mustang’s footwear collection arrives hot on the heels of the brand’s autumn offer, which saw UK sales double in one season alone. The brand has established over 250 stockists since its arrival in the UK and builds upon its nationwide presence with the launch of its latest, American-inspired designs.
WWW.MWb-onLInE.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 57
r.M WILLIAMS STAnD S1
AIGLE STAnD S6
Dr MArTEnS STAnD y7
pArADIGMA STAnD v4
rEEF Surf label Reef introduces its first full footwear collection for s/s 15, incorporating a new, three-layer technology and a range of new upper designs created with comfort, support and durability in mind. r.M WILLIAMS Making its Moda debut and brought to the UK by Cocoon Agencies, Australian label R.M Williams presents a range of footwear originally designed for men and women living in the Outback. Eight decades on from its inception, the brand combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design influences for a distinct range of footwear. Dr MArTEnS Completely new for Dr Martens’ s/s 15 collection, Cruise is all about lightweight and seasonal footwear. The 2-eye desert boot sits on an air-cushioned sole with a refined last, while the twill canvas upper, in a seasonal sand colour with matching eyelets, is in line with the product’s summer styling. AIGLE Aigle defines its collection with modernity, simplicity and authenticity this season with a range of developed colour themes that have become more sophisticated with the arrival of spring. Burnt orange, sober greys and green accents are key, while details are – as always – inspired by the French label’s extensive heritage, which stretches back over 160 years. pArADIGMA Blending traditional craftsmanship with the latest footwear technology, Paradigma arrives at Moda Footwear with a collection of men’s shoes that breathes new life into traditional leather styles. Colour is key across the range, with suede and polished uppers benefitting from a palette of bright spring hues.
WWW.MWb-onLInE.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 58
SELEcT Moda’s contemporary and urban area, Select brings together directional labels across the menswear and footwear sectors. —
bErTonI STAnD SE12
FArAh 1920 STAnD SE02
björn borG STAnD SE22
hoT Sox STAnD SE10
bErTonI Presenting a range of functioning tailoring, Bertoni brings together a palette of crisp white, weathered grey and sea-inspired blue for gentlemen with travelling spirits. Classic stripes, both horizontal and vertical, are key across the range, which is designed to be cool and wearable during a long hot summer. FArAh 1920 For s/s 15, Farah 1920 fuses city life inspiration with influences from the great outdoors for an eclectically styled edit. The collection takes the brand into new territory, while maintaining elements of its own rich heritage through its style hallmarks. hoT Sox Innovator of fashion socks Hot Sox returns for the spring season with a new range of styles in block colours and eye-catching patterns. Established over 40 years ago, the brand has consistently reinvented itself with the arrival of each new decade to combine its traditional values and craftsmanship with contemporary style. björn borG The fictional ancient Greek island of Atlantis provides the spring inspiration for Björn Borg, with prints and colours throughout the latest collection inspired by water, coral reefs and ancient temples. For men, the new long trunk silhouette makes its debut for s/s 15, offering fewer seams for enhanced comfort and an added crotch panel for support.
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AUGUST 2014 | GENT | MODA | 59
GArcIA STAnD SE16
1 LIkE no oThEr STAnD SE06
GLovErALL STAnD SE04
GAbIccI vInTAGE STAnD SE01
1 LIkE no oThEr Inspired by the freedom of flight, 1 Like No other builds upon its print themes for the new season, introducing florals, geometrics and spirographic jacquards across its range of contemporary menswear. Colours are equally light and optimistic, with a palette of lilac, teal, aqua and zest lemon making for a suitably spring-esque summer collection. GLovErALL Gloverall introduces a range of modern, wearable staple pieces for s/s 15, designed with influences of utilitarianism and sportswear in mind. Made in Britain, the brand’s outerwear celebrates London style with the introduction of a wallpaper print found in the capital’s Victoria & Albert Museum archive. Elsewhere in the range, shades of navy, azure blue, grey, orange, tan, khaki, stone, red and emerald green are key. GArcIA Garcia takes a virtual trip to New York for the new spring season, blending the influences of the fast-paced city with its own Italian heritage of passion and character. The result is classic silhouettes with a cool denim edge across the brand’s extensive collection of men’s jeans. GAbIccI vInTAGE Gabicci Vintage introduces three designs themes this season – Riviera Collection, Retro Chic and Festival Floral. Presenting a poolside preppy feel, nostalgic Mod styling and traditional dark floral prints respectively, the new stories are the latest evolution of the brand’s authenticity, which is firmly rooted in its East London origins.
AUGUST 2014 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 60
WHAT’S ON AT mOdA
C AT WALK SC HE DULE
Brands join together with expert business advice, trend inspiration and networking events at moda this season and, to make sure you don’t miss out on all the show has to offer, we bring you the essential what’s on.
HALL 20
Sunday 10 August 10.00-10.30 11.15-11.45 12.00-12.30 12.45-13.15 13.30-14.00 14.15-14.45 15.00-15.30 16.00-16.30 18.00-18.30
urban & Contemporary catwalk Tailoring & Lifestyle catwalk Jonny Ross – Blog to basket Footwear & Accessories catwalk urban & Contemporary catwalk Kate Hills – Make it British Tailoring & Lifestyle catwalk Footwear & Accessories catwalk urban & Contemporary catwalk & drinks
monday 11 August Moda Gent is celebrating its 25th season this August and, to celebrate, the show invites you to make new Moda memories, with an instaprint photo booth available for all visitors to use throughout the three-day show. Moda also welcomes you to toast to this milestone season with a happy hour on the Moda Gent plaza. Join the team for a complimentary drink at 5.00pm-6.00pm on Sunday 10 August. Proud to still be the uK’s key destination for many of the original Moda Gent line-up, the following brands that have emerged as heavyweights over the years are among this season’s roster: • Ashwood Leather • Duke • Douglas & Grahame • Gibson • Gabicci • Gurteen • HJ Hall • Invicta
10.00-10.30 11.00-11.30 12.00-12.30
T HE E - ZO NE LI VE
Moda is embracing all things e-commerce and technology focused this season, as talk about retail’s evolving market place continue’s to intensify. Offering a solution to in-store, online, e-marketing and logistical services, the show has assembled a host of key companies set to reveal the latest developments in the retail technologies sector. Topics include blogging, online marketing, how best to describe your products online, Epos, delivery and logistics, omni-channel and stock management systems. See the full list of speakers and exhibitors at moda-uk.co.uk. Meet the teams behind 360 Resourcing, Brightpearl, Esperus, Retail Technology, Top To Toe and Zipdelivery.
13.00-13.30 14.00-14.30 15.00-15.30 16.00-16.30 17.00-17.30
Tailoring & Lifestyle catwalk Footwear & Accessories catwalk Eve Reid – Turning a good brand into a successful one urban & Contemporary catwalk Tailoring & Lifestyle catwalk Tony Scott – Taking stock Footwear & Accessories catwalk urban & Contemporary catwalk
Tuesday 12 August 10.00-10.30 12.00-12.30 13.45-14.15
urban & Contemporary catwalk Tailoring & Lifestyle catwalk Footwear & Accessories catwalk
HALL 17
Sunday 10 August 10.00-10.30 11.15-11.45 12.00-12.30 12.45-13.15 13.30-14.00 14.15-14.45 15.00-15.30 16.00-16.30 16.45- 17.30 18.00-18.30
Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk Fashion catwalk Jon Tromans – Secrets of SEO Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk Fashion catwalk FAB – 30 mins: 30 questions Evening & Occasionwear catwalk Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk Kate Hills – Make it British Fashion catwalk & drinks
monday 11 August 10.00-10.30 10.45 - 11.15
VISIT EACH E STANd IN TH BE TO E V LI E E-ZON ANCE H C A H IT IN W g OF WINNIN . d A IP AN
BAC K TO BE E C HE S & SU NDAY DR I NK S PART I E S
Get together with your peers to toast to a new season of business with both the Sunday drinks reception, starting from 6.00pm in the NEC grounds, and a premium BBQ at the Beeches Bar & Grill on Monday. Everyone is welcome to the Sunday night reception, but tickets are selling out fast for the Beeches BBQ – to secure yours, email nicole.yates@modauk.co.uk or call +44 (0)1484 846069.
T HE T HR I LL O F T HE R AC E
Be in with the chance to win a signed racing suit worth in excess of £1,000 with men’s footwear specialist Chatham at this season’s show. Also celebrating its 25th anniversary, the brand, which sponsors the Sahara Force India Formula One team, will be celebrating by giving visitors to its stand the chance to win the suit, signed by Adrian Suthill.
11.30-12.00 12.15-12.45 13.00-13.30 14.00-14.30 15.00-15.30 16.00-16.30 17.00-17.30
Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk Eve Reid – Turning a good brand into a successful one Fashion catwalk Jon Tromans – Writing your way to online sales Evening & Occasionwear catwalk Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk Martin O’Toole – Online marketing and you Fashion catwalk Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk
Tuesday 12 August 10.00-10.30 11.15-11.45 12.00-12.30 13.00-13.30 13.45-14.15 14.30-15.00
Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk Michael Bloom – Tale of two stores: Bricks and clicks Fashion catwalk Portsmouth university – The science of bras Evening & Occasionwear catwalk Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk
Register online and see the full list of exhibitors and speakers destined for this season’s show at moda-uk.co.uk.
www.mwb-oNlINe.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | DENIM & STREET | CONTENTS | 63
D E N I M
&
S T R E E T
lookINg back movINg forward Designed to bridge the gap between sports luxe and British streetwear, Boxfresh introduces its latest concept collection – EightyNine – for s/s 15. Heralding a new chapter for the British label, which is currently celebrating is 25th anniversary, the new capsule collection cements its commitment to streetwear, directional design and quality in innovation. Using a colour palette comprising mint green, metallics and fabrics such as neoprene (pictured), with a new technique of 3D embossing, EightyNine exudes futuristic and technical qualities. The range also explores a new interpretation of sportswear, demonstrated with the all over denim basketball kit. —
64
Product News
66
In-season stock
69
Tuktuk rides into town
72
Streetwise
Rounding up the key stories this month Graphic content A label to watch for the new season Trends from Bread & Butter
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AUGUST 2014 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 64
radar
ProducT NewS
Spotlighting style.
Inside menswear.
AR M Y O F O NE Conceived in 2013 in Manchester, a/w 14 sees the arrival of new menswear label The Army of One. Targeting the 18-28 year-old market, the brand comprises a capsule T-shirt collection – with the debut range named Monochrome. Using premium yarns, the label takes its inspiration from darkness and light using the simplicity of black and white. From monochrome photographic prints, stitch detailing and contrast panels, through to letter spaced graphics, The Army of One dubs itself as “not just another T-shirt brand”. The brand will initially target selective independent stores before rolling out an increased offer for s/s 15. —
STUTTERHEIM RAINCOATS ESTABLISHED: 2010 — HISTORY: Following the death of his late grandfather, an avid wearer of the raincoat as he fished at sea, founder and creative director Alexander Stutterheim realised there was a niche in the market in his native Sweden for a protective yet contemporary rain jacket. — SIGNATURE STYLE: The brand’s Arholma Svart style is its signature piece, featuring a matt rubber finish, organic cotton lining, iPhone pocket and hemp strings. Created from the need for functional yet stylish rainwear, former copywriter Alexander Stutterheim launched his namesake label four years ago, gaining a cult following since with stockists including Barneys, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Dover Street Market and Holt Renfrew, among others. In terms of design, the brand embodies a simple, clean ethos. “I like a lot of Swedish brands, but also Japanese classics such as Commes des Garçons and Yamamoto. I think we share a certain minimal aesthetic which I like and that’s also what constitutes my own personal style I would say – simple,” says Stutterheim. The new season sees the launch of a brand new product – the Stockholm Opal jacket – for the brand. Featuring a high-gloss, lightdiffracting surface that reacts to the wearer’s surrounds and climate, the latest offering is made from durable, waterproof materials which incorporate welded seams to maintain the brand’s functional versatility. The introduction of the Opal, along with several new colourways and styles for s/s 15, will also further expand the women’s offering within the collection and strengthen Stutterheim’s unisex appeal. www.stutterheim.com
F LYI NG AHE AD Innovation is key for iconic outerwear label Alpha Industries this s/s 15 season, with the combination of the biker jacket with the classic nylon MA-1. Special emphasis is placed on fabric mixes, such as lightweight flight nylon juxtaposed with PU leather. X-Fit is also a strong focus for the brand, where functionality means style. Buyers can expect to see sweatpants, shorts, long-sleeved tops and hoodies – all in both classic and bright colourways. —
www.mwb-oNlINe.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 65
ON TREND Seasonal extras: Swim shorts
1
2
3
4
BR I T I SH SU M M E R ST YLING Sophisticated luxury is a key theme for British label Luke Roper this season, with slim, clean and almost clinical shapes featuring throughout, while the colour palette remains unfussy in navy and monochrome. Signature Luke styling can be seen with mixed fabrics and subtle detailing. The brand’s denim category, meanwhile, welcomes bold patterns and striking colour combinations, while classic indigo dip-dye fabrics still play an important role. —
5
Unless stated otherwise all prices are wholesale
braNd To waTch
LES BENJAMINS established just over three years ago in Turkey by fashion designer bunyamin aydin, luxe streetwear label les benjamins is growing at a rapid pace with 250 stockists worldwide since its inception. Placed strategically in high-end retailers only, the brand can be found in the likes of harvey Nichols, bloomingdales, galeries lafayette, la rinascente, beymen, Jades 24, browns and Saks to name a few. The brand was keen to offer commercial viability as well as high-end fashion, which saw the collection split into two – Les is More, which is a more accessible and playful range, and Black Line, catering for the more luxury end of the market. Designed for the “young man who travels a lot and likes to be comfortable but adds a twist in his style”, the collection draws its inspiration from streetwear and the brand’s native city of Istanbul. Key pieces for s/s 15 include a short and jacket set in khaki with a streamlined silhouette, bold printed bomber jackets and graphic print tees. www.lesbenjamins.com
ESTABLISHED: 2011 — HISTORY: Founded by Turkish entrepreneur Bunyamin Aydin, the premium sportswear label is based in Istanbul. — SIGNATURE STYLE: Luxe fabrics, printing and embroidery techniques, as well as tailored cuts and attention to detail, create the core DNA of Les Benjamins.
1: ASCEND £11 Info@apparelkings.co.uk 2: BJORN BORG £16 020 7637 1395 3: ANIMAL price on request 0845 026 7267 4: WEEKEND OFFENDER £30 01332 342068 5: THOMAS ROYAL £34 07947 196127
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AUGUST 2014 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 66
ASHLEY MARC HOVELLE £22 07425 848454
VOLCOM £10 020 7729 2744
PUMA £15.65 01924 425555
featuring bold abstract shapes through to reptile and bird motifs, the graphic tee – although certainly not a new addition to menswear – returns in a series of monochrome and subdued colour palettes, where prints take on more of vintage finish for a grown-up approach to this casual classic. —
BELLFIELD £6 020 7739 7620
SUPREMEBEING £12 01223 873359
GARCIA £5.90 020 3432 6387
DUCK AND COVER £25 020 8453 1668
WAVEN £8.33 0161 312 6878 KNOWN £11.50 07877 430811
Unless stated otherwise all prices are wholesale
graPhIc coNTeNT
www.gucinari.co.uk
Showing at Moda Footwear Stand R11, NEC Birmingham, 10-12 August 2014
Garments that won’t hang about. The steamer that will.
For more information Tel: 020 8417 0660
www.propress.co.uk
www.mwb-oNlINe.co.uk
AUGUST 2014 | DENIM & STREET | PROFILE | 69
TukTuk rIdeS INTo TowN Tuktuk is a tale of two brothers from manchester – mark Scholes, the founder who is now designing and living in Sri lanka, and chris Scholes, who has the uk distribution base – and a shop called Thread menswear, in brighton, with uk sales now being handled by brand Progression. It could be a combination made in menswear heaven, writes Tom bottomley. —
founded at the end of 2009, while mark Scholes was working in Sri lanka, it’s not until now that Tuktuk – named after the three-wheeled motorised vehicles that are a symbol of asia and in which Scholes has spent much time – has found a smoother road into the uk market. This has largely been down to Mark’s brother, Chris, who owns the Thread shop in Brighton’s South Lanes, coming on board in January of this year to look after UK distribution and generally be the point of contact here. And now Brand Progression has taken it on to grow the UK wholesale accounts for s/s 15. Mark says, “Up until January of this year I had pretty much been a one-man show. When Chris and I talked about the opportunity to join forces with Thread, it just made sense. It now allows me to do the things that I enjoy the most, mainly
concentrating on design, product development and the branding and marketing side of things.” Mark originally started up Tuktuk as a basic website doing limited runs of shirts and shipping them directly from Sri Lanka. Five years on and things are looking very different, with both a UK and Sri Lanka office and a much larger range of products. “We have a very loyal online customer base, and we also now stock in around 30 stores globally,” he says. Brother Chris says he thinks it’s important to have a European point of contact for a growing list of customers and stockists. He says, “We will be working alongside Brand Progression for the s/s 15 collection, so all new accounts will allow me to assist Brand Progression build up our rapport with current and new stockists, as well as getting on the road and visiting the stores.” Mark Scholes graduated from Manchester
Metropolitan University with a fashion degree in 2006, and it was not long after that he relocated to Sri Lanka where he had been offered a job. “I worked for a department store as an e-commerce and marketing manager. After a year or so of terribly dull work, I decided to start Tuktuk up as a side project to keep the creative juices flowing, working in the evenings to get the brand going.” Prior to Chris’ association with Tuktuk, he started Thread Menswear (www.threadbrighton.com) in sunny Brighton. “Located down in the South Lanes, we have been open for 18 months,” he says. “We are a multi-branded store, with our home brand, Tuktuk, the bestseller. I am a big fan of heritage brands, and wanted to showcase some of the finest, so you will find Mackintosh, John Smedley, Lavenham and Pendleton hanging on our rails. Alongside these brands we like to look-out for up-and-coming >>>
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brands, so have bought collections from our Portuguese favourites – La Paz, UK newcomer Son of Wild, and one of my favourite US brands, MAKR.” With regard to Tuktuk, Chris believes it has reached a point where growth of the brand and getting it properly known and “out there” can be achieved. “Our presence in the UK and Europe has been pretty low key for the past four years, so we feel it’s time to push the brand to the next level,” he says. “With our new UK office, distribution and additional staff, it will be much easier to get the orders out there.” Mark says Brand Progression did express some interest in the label a few years back, but he didn’t feel ready for a big wholesale push then. “Whereas now, we most definitely are,” he says. “We have been holding out for the right sales agent, and we feel Brand Progression is certainly that. To be shown alongside the likes of Duffer Japan, Lee, Suit and Sandqvist is definitely where we want to be.” In terms of design direction, Mark describes it as “British design; inspired by the tropics.” “That is our tag line, and I feel it is quite unique in its own right,” he says. “Working with a mixture of vibrant palettes and a nod to yesteryear, we aim to make classic menswear with a dash of colour and nostalgia.” Mark says they believe in garments that are well-made, have a strong emphasis on detail and an air of fine tailoring. “As for our target market, I’d say we appeal to 20-35 year olds who
AUGUST 2014 | DENIM & STREET | PROFILE | 70
are looking for something different without having to break the bank; the chaps who like classic menswear, and who can sometimes veer towards a more Mod aesthetic.” Initially, they want to sit in boutiques and online stores that have a fresh mix of brands that fit nicely alongside Tuktuk. Though long-term, once the product range grows even more, they see Tuktuk as sitting in some of the higher-end department stores. On the design front, Mark says, “We are known for our shirts, and I’d say that’s what makes this collection stand out. We’ve got a great range of prints, stripes, checks, linens and chambrays, and all at very reasonable prices.” The collection itself is called Brighton Tropical. Taking inspiration from the “balmy” surroundings of England’s tropical hot-spot (and their new-found UK home) Brighton, this collection takes a tongue-in-cheek look at Britain’s seaside culture. Among the collection is the influence of various landmarks, sights and insignia used for fabric prints and design, along with seaside-inspired graphic tees and a “sunshinefriendly” colour palette. “The s/s 15 collection is different in the fact that it is much bigger in terms of range and options,” says Scholes. “The collection is by far our largest to date, consisting of over 60 shirts, a large range of T-shirts, sweatshirts, chinos, shorts – both tailored and ‘beach’ varieties, and new lines like socks, bucket hats and a small selection of outerwear – for the first time. As always, our garments are made with the finest fabrics and all are finished off with genuine corozo, coconut or mother-of-pearl buttons.” So what will be the real appeal for UK retailers to pick up on the brand? Chris says,
“Good-quality menswear that has that something a bit different, at a very good price point. Plus the option to tap into a loyal customer following that is no doubt going to increase as we expose the brand to the right customers.” Mark does all the designing himself, with a small sample room in the Sri Lanka office, where he develops the collections. From there they use various factories throughout Sri Lanka. “At the moment all our products are manufactured in Sri Lanka,” he says. “But we will be starting to source from other locations soon.” The Sri Lanka factories they use are all BOI (Board Of Industries) approved, meaning they are certified export factories and have therefore passed all the necessary quality requirements to export. Included under the BOI status is the Garments Without Guilt certificate, meaning the workers get paid a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. “Before we agree to work with any factory, we like to visit and have a good look around,” says Mark. “Throughout the production of our goods, we regularly make impromptu factory visits to check everything is in order. To give you an idea of the expertise and quality of these factories, our shirt factory is the oldest shirt factory on the island. They have been producing shirts for over 60 years, and are recognised as the best at doing so.” The shirts retail at £55-£75, so the price compared to quality is something that is bound to appeal on these shores. For that reason, Tuktuk could be riding into a town near you soon.
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AUGUST 2014 | DENIM & STREET | REVIEW | 72
STreeTwISe The last edition of bread & butter berlin, before its imminent move to barcelona next season, presented a plethora of trends across denim, street and contemporary menswear. mwb was on hand to discover the standout stories of s/s 15. —
DIGITAL CAMO Moving on from the typical leaf print, camo took a digital turn for s/s 15, with geometric shapes and intricate prints. French label Aigle utilised barely seen foliage on khaki green to create a sophisticated take on camouflage, while streetwear label WeSC produced a paint-by-numbers effect for a clean, simplistic look. Intricate detailing in shades of blue were spotted at Suit, while angular shapes in signature camo colours created a highlight for Herschel. —
AIGLE
WESC
SUIT
HERSCHEL
DE NI M O N DE NI M
CASUAL FRIDAY
BLEND
BERTONI
CAMEL ACTIVE
Denim was prevalent throughout the halls of Bread & Butter, from outerwear through footwear to accessories. Double denim was a popular option for the new season, seen on bleach-splashed blazers and short suits at Bertoni and urban city jeans and shirt styling at Camel Active. Danish label Casual Friday, meanwhile, presented a grungier feel with denim waistcoats and loose-fit jeans, while footwear from Blend saw tonal denim panels, designed to create a patchwork effect. —
F E AT HE RW E I GHT C HAM PI O N Outerwear presented a raft of lightweight quilted options for s/s 15. Ideal for the unpredictable British weather, the likes of lifestyle label Eleven Paris and Blend presented quilted jackets, adding a tactile dimension to their s/s 15 collections. Meanwhile, brands such as Aigle and Timberland moved away from the classic quilted field jacket with shorter bomber styles. —
TIMBERLAND
AIGLE
BLEND
ELEVEN PARIS
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AUGUST 2014 | DENIM & STREET | REVIEW | 73
HAWAI I F I VE
NEUW
ORIGINAL PENGUIN
HUMOR
ANERKJENDT
The Hawaiian shirt, whether you’re a fan or not, was spotted everywhere last season, and summer 2015 is set to be no different. Spanning tailoring, beachwear and casual shirting, tropical prints and bold floral prints were spotted at the likes of Original Penguin and Humor, while tonal palm tree prints could be found on blazers on Anerkjendt. Finally, 50s-inspired hula girl illustrations added a fun element to Scandinavian label Neuw’s s/s 15 offering. —
SE E ING SPOTS Falling in and out of vogue on a regular basis, polka dots are back for another season, from all-over placement to spot panelling. Spots were a popular surface print at this season’s Bread & Butter, with WeSC utilising them on its knitwear offer. At Ben Sherman, shirting was covered with dots. Polka-dot panelling, meanwhile, gave this trend a fresh twist, with both Suit and Antony Morato using central torso panelling on shirting and tees respectively. —
WESC
SUIT
ANTHONY MORATO
BEN SHERMAN
E AR N YO U R ST R I PE S
ANTHONY MORATO
ELEVEN PARIS
NATIVE YOUTH
ARMOR LUXE
From nautical influences with the timeless Breton tee, through to brighter regatta options, stripes were key at Bread & Butter. Eleven Paris presented a classic red and white striped cotton long-sleeved top, while Anthony Morato utilised stripes to add a more casual feel to its tailoring offer. Native Youth and Armor-Lux added interest to blue and white horizontal stripe T-shirts, incorporating a vintage wash, splashes of lime green and ombre-effect stripes. —
C O NT R AST I NG T E XT U R E One trend that refuses to take a step back is the bomber jacket. Texture added newness to the trend, with contrasting sleeves, panelling and piping spotted throughout the show. Leather sleeves juxtaposed with suede were seen at Anthony Morato, while flannel and nylon made for an interesting combination at Anerkjendt. More casual options were seen at the likes of Humor, while herringbone sat next to black silk at The Ragged Priest. —
THE RAGGED PRIEST
ANERKJENDT
HUMOR
ANTHONY MORATO
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AUGUST 2014 | PEOPLE | 76
collecTIve The people, the places, the products.
LITTLE BLACK BOOK goodS ØSTerbrogade 44, coPeNhageN
SIMON SAYS I recently lost a bet in Toronto. my friend with whom I was staying bet that his local fish and chip shop would beat anything london had to offer. “are you insane?” was my response. “we invented the stuff. It’ll be cooked in maple syrup batter or have canadian bacon mushy peas.” So I thought I was safe. How foolish; such hubris. For anyone travelling to Toronto, I insist you take a little time out of your schedule to try Olde Yorke. It’s in the Lesleyville district; a pleasant suburb in the East of the city, but by no means central, and situated opposite a run-of-themill shopping mall. Blink, and you’d miss it. Inside, it’s all make believe Ye English Tavern, but homely. We went at lunchtime and the place was over half full, and was noticeable by the absence of the smell of fried food. “Hmm,” I thought. “That’s intriguing.” A friendly waitress showed us to our table, and a quick browse of the menu convinced me to go for the classic Cod and Chips. “We’ll see who’s the daddy,” I thought. It was delivered in a short space of time with another genuine smile and, at first glance, my emotions were conflicted. On the one hand, I was openly drooling like a geriatric spaniel at the perfectly cooked vision in front of me. On the other hand I was cursing the perfectly cooked vision in front of me. “Damn and delicious.” As you’ve gathered by now, it was superb. The batter was the thinnest, lightest and driest I’ve ever had. The cod was done to perfection and sea-spray fresh. The chips, hand cut from actual potato on the premises, were the Sistine Chapel ceiling of fries. To cap it all, the tartar sauce was homemade. I was speechless, largely because my mouth was full. I could not look up at my friend as I can’t bear a gloater. The point of this narrative is not a plug for Olde Yorke, though a free haddock and chips would be nice, thank you. It occurred to me that in fashion, too, overseas operators are better at being British than the Brits themselves. I’m thinking of Ralph Lauren, who perfected the English Country House look and then sold it back to us. It will be interesting to see how the current crop of Chinese owned British change under their new owners. Will they be another Olde Yorke? We’ll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, I want their tartar sauce recipe... Simon carter is the ceo of the eponymous brand and retail stores. —
Since its launch in 2008, goods has maintained a focus on craftsmanship, promoting handmade garments upholding strong attention to detail and plenty of charm. Despite its simple design and the overall light, airy space in-store, the store is well-known for stocking a wide variety of products, reflected in its ability to attract a diverse range of customers. There’s something for everyone; a real mix of brands, fabrics and garments on offer. Home to both classic garments with timeless appeal and garments channelling innovation, owner Kasper Hostrup keeps the design contemporary meets classic, with the overall vibe focused around clothes for the modern gentleman. Stocking a vast range of products from T-shirts to suits, brands on offer include Arc’teryx Veilance, Garbstore, Han, Filson, Folk, Porter, Moscot, Common Projects and the store’s own-brand, Capital Goods. — PlaN b
adam keyTe Owner, Four-Six-Four Agencies (agent for Luke and Weekend Offender)
I’d have probably followed my father into landscape gardening. he was never out of work, and it’s creative, outdoors and social. — Alongside the rag trade, I’ve done a lot of DJing. Nightclubs and raves are fine in your 20s and 30s, but the hours are pants and it’s not healthy – as my ears and back will testify! I also like the idea of having an antique/lifestyle shop, and to source the stock from flea markets and car boot sales – Baileys Home & Garden in Ross-On-Wye being the inspiration. Compiling DJ mix compilations and retail shop playlists on iPods for shops has always been a hobby. It would be the dream career, and one that could be done from a sunnier climate. —
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AUGUST 2014 | PEOPLE | 77
TOP TWEETS Michael Grimes @dailygrime #FF @TheChapMag The perfect antidote to shellsuits and leggings. Join the Tweed Revolution! #Style #Vintage
cloSeT coNfIdeNTIal maTTe fIeldS owNer, doPe I live in Socal, where the weather is always great, so jeans and a simple tee is my basic uniform. I recently started to pick up John Elliot + Co. Tees at American Rag. I would argue that these are the best basic tees on the market right now. They’re 50/50 Supima cotton and micro modal. — In order to improve the simple jeans and tee combo, I believe that you have to have the perfect pair of jeans to achieve that simple but elevated look. For me, that comes from Saint Laurent and Balmain. Before he came back to Saint Laurent, I was buying Hedi Slimane-era Dior denim off eBay. When he came back to fashion, I was extremely excited and I have been investing in his denim pieces ever since. — my dope flannel shirts from a/w 13 are the only two flannels that exist in my closet. Although wearing a flannel is trendy and a statement, I don’t need a dozen of them when I already have the perfect two. They work extremely well with just about anything I wear them with. —
ASOS @ASOS Imagine how bad Wednesdays would be before they invented weekends. Hang on, who invented weekends? We need to send a fruit basket. Lazy Oaf @lazyoaf It looks like @lilyallen is feeling fruity at Glastonbury wearing our Watermelon Shorts TheGentlemansJournal @thegentsjournal Forget the loafers and ditch the flip flops, espadrilles are the perfect sunshine accessory Matthew Walwyn @DaleStores Bratwurst on the menu today. We could do a World Cup semifinal promotion. Buy seven Bratwurst and get a free Brazilian? What do you think? Lucy Verasamy @LucyWeather @FoxUmbrellas James Bond style brolly to the rescue today! Richard Shorney @retailmentoring #IndieRetail is for LIFE not just July and Xmas!!:) #sharethelove Hope you had a great day Timberland @Timberland Life’s complicated, your shoes shouldn't be. #relax #lifesabeach #timberland
SOCIETY The ParTIeS aNd eveNTS from IN aNd arouNd The meNSwear INduSTry.
ANDREAS KOST, BOXFRESH GERMAN SALES MANAGER, AND CORY BURKE, BOXFRESH HEAD OF SALES FOR THE FINAL WEEK OF SPERRY TOP-SIDER'S RECENT POP-UP RETAIL SPACE, THE BRAND EMPLOYED THE SERVICES OF TATTOO ARTIST NICK HORN TO CREATE A UNIQUE COLLECTION OF CUSTOMISED FOOTWEAR, INDIVIDUALLY ADORNED 12 PAIRS OF THE ICONIC SPERRY TOP-SIDER AO BOAT SHOE FOR THE NEAL STREET SPACE.
THE UK FASHION & TEXTILE ASSOCIATION TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE YORKSHIRE’S COMPREHENSIVE TEXTILE INDUSTRY LAST MONTH, WHEN THE COUNTY PLAYED HOST TO THE GRAND DEPART OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE. DURING A DAY-LONG EVENT AT THE CARRIAGEWORKS IN LEEDS, HUNDREDS OF VISITORS TURNED OUT TO SEE TWO CATWALK SHOWS DISPLAYING DESIGNS CRAFTED FROM YORKSHIRE YARNS.
ON WEDNESDAY 9 JULY, BRITISH STREETWEAR BRAND BOXFRESH CONTINUED ITS 25TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN BERLIN AT THE HUMBOLDTHAIN CLUB, HOSTING AN AFTER PARTY IN HONOUR OF PRESENTING INNOVATIVE S/S 15 CAPSULE COLLECTION EIGHTYNINE AT SEEK.
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AUGUST 2014 | 79
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
Ideal meNSwear exhIbITIoN? A new four-day menswear show called Off the Rails – with over 70 brands selling to the public – is launching this winter, between 30 October and 2 November at The Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. Apparently full-price autumn/ winter 2014 lines will be sold, as well as discounted products, offers and exclusives. But will an Ideal Home Exhibition type show work for menswear? Event director Charlie Gardiner seems to think so. He says, “We have seen a huge shift in menswear as it has become more and more prevalent, and we feel that the timing now is most definitely right to go to the market with this concept.” Gardiner says he came up with the idea when he was visiting London Collections: Men. “I just thought it would make a great consumer show,” he says. “The brands were showcasing great collections. There were so many things you don’t see every day and I wanted to buy it all – that’s when it struck me to do something about it.” Brands that have apparently signed up for the first one include By Way of Natural Selection, House of Nines, OHW?, J Lindeberg, Supremebeing, Pretty Green, Oliver Sweeney, Rains, Mr Start, Parka London and Brutus. So it’s a right old mix. Says Gardiner, “Obviously getting the backing of the brands was the key to make it work, so we put together a low-risk package and showed them that we can deliver an audience that is keen to shop.” Each brand will get a “store”, which is 9 sq m. All “stores” are the same size so that all brands appear equal. The spaces are 3m x 3m and there will be art fair walling for visual effect. The walls are 2.4m high and there will be 1m side walls, so it looks like a small gallery space. Depending on what they are retailing, they will give brands either rails or a free-standing shelving unit made out of iron. “It looks quite industrial so it’s in-keeping with the venue and branding,” says Gardiner. They are also going to be charging
OFF THE RAILS ARRIVES IN BRICK LANE THIS AUTUMN
TATTOOED SHOES AT SPERRY TOP-SIDER
customers to enter, presumably to keep out the riff-raff. Tickets to the public are now on sale and are priced at £10 per person (that might keep out more than just the riff-raff), or £12 for two people. No doubt people will be going in twos then, a bit like a Noah’s Ark for menswear. For the full line-up, visit www.offtherailsldn.com. If you’re wondering what the picture of the guy in the mac with the face drawn on the back is all about, it’s apparently a promotional image for the event. Maybe he’s asking a mini-cab which way it is to the show?
ruN ouT of INk SPace? you caN alwayS TaTToo your ShoeS The recent craze for multiple tattoos and full “sleeves” on arms a la David Beckham, as well as on legs (so many girls are going for the leg tatts now it’s frightening), necks, backs, chests, bums and so on, could be leading to a problem for some people running out of space to showcase their new inky creations. The Yakuza, the Japanese mafia that favours all-over body artwork, may be particularly in need of some assistance. No worry, help is as hand, or on your feet more like it, as Sperry Top-Sider showed us the way forward by
getting in the services of Nick Horn, of Good Times tattoo shop in London's Shoreditch, to customise their boat shoes with unique artwork. It was at a recent event at the brand’s pop-up shop on Neal Street, Covent Garden. Tattooing’s relationship with the sea is undeniable, but this was surely taking it a boat too far.
bread & buTTer SeT To reTurN To barceloNa The next Bread & Butter trade show sees a return to the Fira de Barcelona on 8-10 January 2015. It seems they now want to get in on the round of shows before anyone else. Fair enough. The tagline for the show is Always the Sun, which is a bit curious for a show in January. It would surely have been more suited to a summer show. But next summer’s event will still be in Berlin, and there is to be a third show added in September (35) in Seoul, South Korea, for the first time. “We chose the three most important cities in the world for youth culture and street and urban wear. Though one city is still missing to complete the Grand Slam,” says Bread & Butter’s founder, KarlHeinz Müller, perhaps hinting at the American continent as possible home to a fourth show.
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LAST ORdERS WITH... WAYNE HEmINgWAY MBE Having recently become a non-executive director of the Best of Britannia event – held on 2-4 October 2014 in London’s Clerkenwell – Wayne Hemingway mBE spoke to mWB to discuss the future of the show, where his style influence comes from and the brands flying the flag for British design and manufacturing. — DOB: 19/01/1961 Place of birth: Morecambe Lives now: London Twitter: @Hemingwaydesign Website: www.hemingwaydesign.co.uk
Victoria Jackson: You recently came on board as a non-executive director at the Best of Britannia (BoB) event, which brings together a collective of made in Britain talent, spanning food, fashion, technology and much more. How did this partnership come about? Wayne Hemingway: I have been a fan of the event since its inaugural edition in 2012. BoB has caught on to a moment, with British manufacturing seeing a resurgence. After showcasing some of the sofa range that HemingwayDesign has collaborated on with G Plan Vintage, I knew I wanted to be involved with the event moving forward. We are at a time where security of suppliers and the realisation of quality are become key issues in manufacturing, and a growing number of consumers here in the uK like the idea of their product being made on British shores. VJ: What does your role entail? WH: I’ve come on board in an ambassador role for the event, if you like. I want to work with the team to plan a vision for the future of BoB, and my political and economic views mean that I’m a huge supporter of British manufacturing and am passionate about the concept of the show and where I see it heading. I also hosted an event last month in conjunction with BoB at the House of Commons to welcome the launch of Buy British Day, which will take place on 3 October 2014 and is designed to encourage consumers to support brands and businesses that design and manufacture their products in Britain. VJ: What can people expect from this edition? WH: The obvious change is growth, which is great for the third edition. We’re welcoming a host of new names, and the fact that BoB is a public and trade event gives it a strong purpose – something that can sometimes be missing from trade shows. The attention to detail is great, with a venue worthy of drawing the crowds in at The Farmiloe Building in London’s Clerkenwell. There’s almost a party atmosphere, with great food and drink... with a British provenance, of course. VJ: Which made in Britain labels are you a fan of? WH: Brompton Bicycles is amazing at what it does,
but there are so many bicycle manufactures in the uK that are creating great urban designs and that are seeing a resurgence thanks to the popularity in cycling among the masses once again. Obviously, G Plan Vintage is a great brand, and I’m a big fan of Graham & Brown from Blackburn. VJ: Your career spans fashion, lifestyle and architecture among many other areas. Which would you say was your first love? WH: Well, my first love was fashion. Myself and my wife Gerardine formed Red or Dead and are incredibly proud of the iconic brand it turned into. My love now, however, would have to be with the regeneration projects I work with such as Dreamland Margate, and improving design on low-cost housing estates. It’s about knowing that we are putting something back and using our talents, knowledge and experience to help others. VJ: With regard to your personal style, where do you draw your inspiration from? WH: I love timeless fashion; I don’t like my clothes to scream a designer or an era. I don’t think anyone “cool” looks to trends; it’s not good for your pocket or the environment when you have to clear your wardrobe out every six months. For example, today I’m wearing a 60s four-pocket safari shirt, a pair of 40s-inspired knee-length forces shorts and classic Loake brogues.
QuICk-FIRE ROuNd... — Who is your mentor? My wife Gerardine. We have been together since we were teens and we feed off each other. — Favourite film? Iconic David Lynch films such as Blue Velvet and Eraserhead. But you can’t beat Oliver for a classic family film. — What advice would you give your 16-year-old self? To keep doing what you’re doing. To keep going out. To keep listening to music. — Biggest vice? Anything sweet – although I’m a keen runner, so I don’t have to worry too much. www.bestofbritannia.com