MWB MAGAZINE OCTOBER ISSUE 207

ISSUE 207 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | £6.95 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

ON THE STREETS PROFILING SOME OF THE KEY NAMES IN EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED STREETWEAR TALENT — BACK WITH A VENGEANCE NIGEL HALL AND ITS RETURN TO THE UK MARKET

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | CONTENTS | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 03

R E T A I L 10

Online Insider Advice, news and issues online

12

Retail Insider

14

Q&A with Richard Hobbs

The latest in-store news MWB discovers the concept behind Hong Kong trade show The HUB, and the growing Chinese market

16

The Grimsey Report Bill Grimsey’s view on the British high street

G E N T 22

Product news

24

In-season stock

Rounding up the key stories this month Taking flight

26

Hall on the rebound Profiling returning label Nigel Hall

28

Cut from a different cloth

30

The finer details

The story behind fabric supplier Crescent Trading Accessories and add-ons from the gent sector

D E N I M 34

&

S T R E E T

Product news What’s happening in denim and street

36

In-season stock Team spirit

38

Accessorise all areas

40

Street language

46

Happy hour

48

Retail solutions

Finishing touches from the denim market The key names in emerging and established streetwear talent Happy Socks celebrates its fifth anniversary Product highlights from the key names in retail interiors

R E G U L A R S 5 6 18

Comment News Interview

51 52 55 58

Society Collective The Bottomley Line Last Orders With…

José Neves

Shadim Hussain

Front cover

Two Angle 07513 950345 —

UK / IRELAND SALES ENQUIRIES: JUST CONSULTANCIES juls@justconsultancies.co.uk +44(0)207 739 7620 +44(0)7712 522874 INTERNATIONAL SALES: BELLFIELD HQ (MANCHESTER) ben@stylewise-ltd.co.uk +44(0)7736 448177

@ www.bellfieldclothing.com

/bellfieldclothing

@bellfieldclo

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 05

EDITOR

Comment

Victoria Jackson victoria@ras-publishing.com — DEPUT Y

EDITOR

Tom Bottomley tom.bottomley@btinternet.com — CONTRIBUTORS Isabella Griffiths isabella@ras-publishing.com Laura Turner laura@ras-publishing.com Christina Williams christina@ras-publishing.com — SUB

EDITOR

Amanda Batley amanda@ras-publishing.com — DESIGNERS Michael Podger michael@ras-publishing.com James Lindley james@ras-publishing.com Clive Holloway clive@ras-publishing.com Richard Boyle richard@ras-publishing.com — SALES

MANAGER

Sharon Le Goff sharon@ras-publishing.com — SUB SCRIPTIONS Lydia Bennett lydia.bennett@ite-exhibitions.com — HEAD

OF

MENSWEAR

Jamie Harden jamie@moda-uk.co.uk — PRODUCTION

DIRECTOR

Gill Brabham gill@ras-publishing.com — COMMERCIAL

DIRECTOR

Nick Cook nick@ras-publishing.com — MARKETING

DIRECTOR

Stephanie Parker stephanie@moda-uk.co.uk — MANAGING

DIRECTOR

Colette Tebbutt colette@ras-publishing.com —

MWB is published 11 times per year by RAS Publishing Ltd, The Old Town Hall, Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5AL. Call 01484 846069 Fax 01484 846232 Copyright © 2013 MWB Magazine Limited. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of any written material or illustration in any form for any purpose, other than short extracts for review purposes, is strictly forbidden. Neither RAS Publishing Ltd nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage to transparencies and any other material submitted for publication.

Reprographics/printing Image Colourprint Ltd 01482 652323 —

With US retail initiative Small Business Saturday helping to drive sales totalling $5.5bn (£3.5bn) last year, independent retailers will be glad to hear the support for the debut UK version is growing fast, with backing across the board, from the Federation of Small Businesses to David Cameron.

— In the US, Small Business Saturday – launched in 2010 – takes place on the first Saturday after thanksgiving, and was originally designed as an initiative to encourage people to shop and support independent retailers. Founded

by American express, the one-day event not only helped boost sales in small businesses across the country to $5.5bn, but also led to longer-term customer loyalty.

Crossing the pond, the concept has now hit British shores and will take place on 7 December, one of the country’s busiest shopping days of the year.

With support from the Federation of Small Businesses, the Forum of Private Business, the Association of Convenience Stores, the British Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Town & City Management, Prime Minister David Cameron and entrepreneur James Caan among many others, the inaugural Small Business Saturday will hopefully open consumers’ eyes to those retailers at the heart of local communities who continue to provide the best service they can – be it in fashion, food or floristry.

Since the campaign launched in the UK earlier this year, a number of councils have integrated free parking into their plans to support the initiative, although there are a still a large proportion who continue to keep charges in place, subsequently discouraging consumers from shopping locally.

As a result, The Forum of Private Business has taken the decision to write to all local authorities, asking them to consider removing parking fees on 7 December, helping to provide an added incentive to shoppers to hit their local high streets. For further details on the Small Business Saturday UK event, visit the group’s Facebook page.

Finally, remember to follow MWB online for the latest news, profiles and interviews at mwb-online.co.uk, where you can also sign up for our weekly newsletter.

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.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | NEWS | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 06

N E W S

ANGEL A AHR EN DTS TO LEAVE BU R BER RY

CON VENIENCE AND R ELEVA N CE A R E CON SU M ER “ M U ST HAVES” Instant engagement with target consumers in-store and online, locally or globally, is becoming vital in securing sales in an increasingly difficult retail environment where shoppers have extensive fashion choice, less money and little time for shopping around. This was the unanimous verdict of speakers – including representatives from Kantar Worldpanel, Asos, M&S, Fits.me and the Ethical Trading Initiative – at the recent ASBCI conference Fashion Impossible? What consumers really want – on trend, on time, in budget… guilt free!

With one in three garments bought in sales, consumers still want value for money and quality, but they also want “easy lives” and a shopping experience that engages with them on a personal level. The speakers, chaired by Dr Julie King, head of fashion & textiles at De Montfort University, agreed.

“What consumers really want are easy lives and a deal,” said Ian Mitchell, business unit director at Kantar Worldpanel. According to Mitchell, some 46 per cent of Kantar’s 15,000-strong consumer panel said price was the most important factor, followed by 32 per cent quality, 15 per cent look, four per cent brand and three per cent on trend, and that with increasingly stretched financial resources, consumers gravitate to buying cheaper items, with one in three fashion purchases bought in a promotion. Mitchell concluded that consumers are no longer loyal, so the challenge for retailers is to engage with their target consumer, even when they are spending less time in any store.

Matt Batty, international sales manager at Asos, agreed, “It’s all about a relentless focus on our consumers [the 20-somethings].” Batty said that this focus has led Asos away from premium and designer brands “that our average twentysomethings would struggle to afford” towards more accessible labels, and attributed the success of the company – which is expected to achieve sales of £1bn by 2015 – to “getting close” to its consumers, through social media, employment of 20-somethings, and having offices in local markets to tailor the business to local language, currency, payment and delivery requirements. The aim of this being to serve its customers on “any device, in any language, by any payment method and anywhere in the world.”

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Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts will step down from her position by mid-2014 and will be succeeded by current chief creative officer Christopher Bailey.

Ahrendts is leaving the luxury brand after nearly a decade to take up a new position at Apple. Bailey, who has been at Burberry since 2001, will become joint chief creative and chief executive officer.

Commenting on her departure, Ahrendts says, “Burberry is in brilliant shape, having built the industry’s most powerful management team, converted the business to a dynamic digital global retailer, created a world class supply chain, state of the art technology infrastructure, sensational brand momentum and one of the most closely connected creative cultures in the world today.”

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PROFITS U P AT TED BAKER Ted Baker continued its strong performance across all sales channels, with interim results for the 28 weeks ending 10 August showing a group revenue increase of 30.9 per cent to £155.2m and profit before tax of £12.5m, up by 33 per cent.

Retail sales including e-commerce were up 30.2 per cent on a 12.4 per cent increase in average square footage. Retail sales in the UK and Europe were up by 22.6 per cent to £91.6m, while the US and Canada sales grew by 56.8 per cent to £25.4m and Asia saw a sales hike of 78.6 per cent to £5m.

Sales through Ted Baker’s e-commerce arm also showed a strong performance, up by 51.6 per cent to £9.4m, with the wholesale business continuing in this vein with a 33.4 per cent increase to £33.2m.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | NEWS | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 07

IN BRIEF

THE HUB

BU SIN ESS RATES TO RISE BY £ 2 4 2 M N EX T Y EA R

CHIC-YOUNG BLOOD AND THE HUB JOIN FORCES

Retailers will be hit with a further £242m rise in business rates next year, as September’s retail price index (RPI) – which is used to calculate the rates – rose by 3.2 per cent.

The British Retail Consortium estimates that for every £1 in corporation tax paid by retailers, they will pay £3.44 in business rates – a jump of nearly a pound since 2005. According to the BRC, this puts 19,670 full-time jobs at risk due to potential shop closures and reduced investment.

Helen Dickinson, British Retail Consortium director general, says, "New analysis by the BRC shows that because of this increase, retailers are going to be paying £3.44 in business rates for every £1 they pay in corporation tax in 2014. That’s a rise from £2.48 in 2005 and demonstrates just how radically our tax system has changed and how hard our high streets are being hit.”

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Fashion and lifestyle events Chic-Young Blood and The HUB Hong Kong have joined forces to promote multi-label retail in Greater China.

Despite the growth of branded fashion in the Far East, the multi-label retail store channel is virtually non-existent, with the majority of sales being through mono-brand stores or brand-operated concessions.

Initiatives agreed through the partnership will include The HUB erecting a mock-up of a multi-label store within the Chic-Young Blood Beijing show on 25-27 October, featuring international brands who showed at the last edition of The HUB in Hong Kong.

Chic-Young Blood and Mercedes Benz China Fashion Week, supported by The HUB, will hold a seminar alongside Chic-Young Blood, featuring a lineup of domestic and international fashion insiders who will explore the challenges and opportunities of multi-retail.

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EBAY T EA M S U P W ITH ARGOS

FREE PARKING APPEAL FOR SMA LL BUSINESS SATURDAY

Online marketplace eBay and high-street retailer Argos have joined forces to offer a new Click & Collect service, allowing shoppers to purchase products from selected eBay merchants and pick them up in Argos stores nationwide.

Initially, around 50 eBay merchants will participate in the trial, with 150 Argos stores in primary locations across the UK offering the collection service.

“The distinction between offline and online shopping continues to blur," says Devin Wenig, president, eBay. "At eBay we continue to find new ways to connect buyers and sellers. Our mission is connecting people with the things they need and love. Traditional retail isn’t going away; it is transforming. Smart retailers are innovating, reimagining the store and what it means to shop.”

—

The Forum of Private Business is calling on councils across the UK to lend support to small businesses by waiving parking charges on the first Small Business Saturday UK on 7 December.

The inaugural Small Business Saturday UK will celebrate small businesses across the UK, and is the culmination of a campaign to encourage communities to shop local and support their small businesses.

In the spirit of the event, The Forum has written to all local authorities to ask them to consider removing parking charges on the day and help provide an added incentive to shoppers to hit their local high streets. Parking charges discourage many consumers from shopping on the high street, diminishing small businesses’ customer bases. The Forum believes removing these charges on 7 December will help generate the conditions needed to make Small Business Saturday UK a great success.

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STRONGEST ONLINE SALES GROWTH IN 13 YEARS Latest research from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index has revealed that online sales rose by 13 per cent between August and September, the highest growth for this period in the 13-year history of the Index. The clothing sector in particular was a key driver of this growth and recorded a sharp 18 per cent rise compared to this time last year, and the highest growth rate for this sector since June.

This is in stark contrast to the negative online growth of two per cent, which was recorded in June and July, though this was mainly caused by the prolonged heat wave in the UK at the time. Overall, the Index was up 20 per cent year-on-year for September, as online sales continue to outperform forecasts. Furthermore, the average basket value reached its highest point since June 2012, which IMRG sees as a positive indicator for the coming Christmas period.

— CHRISTMAS SPEND TO BE HIGHEST SINCE RECESSION Market analyst Verdict has predicted spending growth to £88bn (£52bn on nonfood and £36bn on food & grocery) for the last quarter of this year, constituting an increase of £2bn on 2012 as non-food sectors recover. The Christmas trading period this year is therefore set to see its strongest performance since the recession hit.

Online will remain the star performer, set to produce £11.6bn and growth of 12 per cent, with improved deliveries and the rise of Click & Collect contributing to the rise. According to Verdict, consumers will leave spending to the last minute knowing they are in control of collecting their online purchases leading to the holidays.

— 20TH CENTURY FOX SPONSORS REGENT STREET CHRISTMAS LIGHTS This year’s Christmas lights on London’s Regent Street will depict the brand new DreamWorks animated film Mr Peabody & Sherman. Released in cinemas by 20th Century Fox on 7 February 2014, the family adventure comedy sees Mr Peabody, the world’s smartest talking dog, and his adopted human son, Sherman, embark upon an adventure through the most iconic moments in world history. Switch on, which takes place on 9 November and will start at 3pm running throughout the afternoon, will see Regent Street traffic-free and playing host to a catwalk fashion show featuring many of the famous Regent Street fashion brands including Jaeger, Austin Reed, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Juicy Couture, Hawes & Curtis, Brooks Brothers, Sebago and Camper.

— ALAN CAMLIN Menswear industry figure Alan Camlin sadly passed away last month, aged 88, at his home in Spain following a short spell in hospital.

Camlin spent his career as a menswear sales representative, initially with Welch Margetson, which was followed by his RAF service with bomber command. He then returned to Van Heuson as the brand’s London representative until his retirement. Camlin was held in high esteem by customers, colleagues and competitors alike and was, for many years, a popular member of The 39 Club.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | NEWS | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 08

IN BRIEF

ATELIER GARDEUR BOU GHT BY CEO

FARRELL CEASES T R A DIN G

Atelier Gardeur’s CEO, Gerhard Kränzle, has acquired the German trouser brand from Capcellence for an undisclosed sum.

The Kränzle Beteiligungs GmbH has taken a 51 per cent stake in the company, while the other 49 per cent is held by NRW Bank Investment fund, the development bank for the state of North RhineWestphalia, where Gardeur is based.

In addition, €8m of equity capital will be ploughed into the company, ensuring that the strategic restructure initiated by Kränzle in 2011 will be continued, with a focus on product development, verticalisation and in-house production.

The two co-managing directors at Gardeur, Frank Schulte-Kellinghaus and Marcus Kraft, will each hold a seven per cent share in the Kränzle Beteiligungs GmbH. —

Farrell, the menswear label founded by singer Robbie Williams, ceased trading with immediate effect earlier this month.

The brand, which was stocked in House of Fraser and Selfridges, had recently opened its first standalone store on London’s Earlham Street. It has been revealed that all members of staff have been made redundant, including former Burberry design director Ben Dickens, who was appointed the brand’s head of design in 2011.

“The support of the men’s press and retailers internationally since we started has been incredible and I want to thank them,” says Williams. “I have also been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with the talented Ben Dickens and will miss creating and working with and wish him every luck for the future.”

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BOSIDENG ACQUIRES GREEN WOODS MENSWEAR

FOOTFALL DROPS 2 . 4 PER CEN T

Premium Chinese label Bosideng has acquired struggling UK retailer Greenwoods Menswear for £4m.

With retail plots nationwide including Liverpool, York and Newcastle, Greenwoods currently has a retail store portfolio of 88 locations, and has reportedly seen its losses increase from £0.78m to £2.8m over the past two years.

“The management of Bosideng believes that the acquisition will, on one hand, improve the group’s market share and business scale in the menswear industry in the UK, and help it absorb talents with rich experience in the industry,” says a spokesperson for Bosideng. “On the other hand, the acquisition will enable the group to quickly open a stable, reliable and low-cost retail channel for its down apparel brands, which have positioning and target customer base similar to those of Greenwoods.”

—

Footfall in September fell 2.4 per cent, down on the 0.9 per cent drop through August, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Footfall Monitor.

Like-for-like records show footfall during September 2013 was 2.7 per cent lower than 2012, while shopping centre footfall also took a drop, decreasing by 2.9 per cent on last September.

“Negative numbers across the UK are clearly a concern this close to Christmas, but there are a few factors at play,” says Helen Dickinson, director general, BRC. “We’re comparing against a strong September in 2012, when the post-Olympic period coupled with a cold snap unleashed pent-up demand for shopping trips to stock up on warmer clothing and back-to-school items. In contrast, this year’s milder September has slowed the uptake of autumn ranges, a trend reflected in our sales figures last week.”

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RED WING SHOES HAS OPENED FIRST STANDALONE STORE US footwear label Red Wing Shoes opened its first standalone store in the UK on 24 October. Located on Newburgh Street in London’s Soho, the shop offers a wide range of the Red Wing Heritage line. The launch is designed to coincide with the opening of the brand’s sister store in Munich. Founded in 1883 by Charles Beckman, the label started life as a shoe store in Red Wing, Minnesota. It was in 1905 that Beckman founded the Red Wing Shoe Company, which continues to manufacture its boots in the US to this day.

— OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS BOOST UK RETAIL SPEND UK retailers need to do more to cash in on the influx of international customers with high spending power, a new report by payment processing provider WorldPay claims. According to The Rules of Attraction: How Retailers Can Win More Revenue from Overseas Consumers, Britain continues to be a magnet for overseas shoppers, particularly at the luxury end of the market, but many retailers are not equipped enough to process payments appropriately and make the shopping experience a smooth one. The World Tourism Organisation says the number of Chinese tourists travelling abroad increased from 10 million in 2000 to 83 million in 2012. Around half of them spend more than £3,000 a trip and account for 25 per cent of sales of luxury goods around the world, giving them considerable economic power.

Together with high-spending shoppers from Qatar, UAE and Russia, they spend up to four times as much as domestic customers. To capitalise on this growing demand, retailers need to make it easy for international shoppers to buy.

— OHW? X KITH COLLABORATION UNVEILED British contemporary footwear label ohw? (pronounced who) has collaborated with New York retailer Kith to create a capsule collection to mark the brand’s launch into the store’s carefully selected footwear offer. The collection comprises ohw’s signature pared-down design ethos, in super-soft washed full-grain leather and silk suede.

Two styles are on offer: Hiro, a single-eyelet stitch down shoe; and Roc, a two-eyelet stitch-down chukka boot. Colours, meanwhile, range from cool blue through coral red to forest green, chalk white and charcoal.

Details include hand-stitching, allleather laces, linings and socks, each hand-signed by the person doing the final check.

— ACCESSORY EXPANSION FOR DAKS British brand Daks will expand its offer to include accessories in a new deal with Italian licensing company Borbonese. The brand, which will celebrate its 120th anniversary next year, will offer both men’s and women’s accessories across Europe, Russia and the Middle East from January 2014.

Earlier this year, Daks announced the departure of its head of design Sheila McKain-Waid, who is stepping down from her role after three years with the brand.

—

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | ADVICE | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 10

ONLINE INSIDER Advice, news and issues online.

ADVICE: MAXIMISE THE SPENDING POWER OF OVERSEAS VISITORS

GEOFFREY BARRACLOUGH is the head of corporate propositions at WorldPay and is available through fieldworksmarketing.co.uk

The UK is a brand bazaar for global consumers, and British product and brands are very popular. Critical to success for retailers is how they manage this valuable source of revenue for both themselves and their customers.

Britain continues to be a magnet for international shoppers looking to enjoy tax-free shopping and offering a welcome income injection for UK retailers. According to international shopping service provider Global Blue, Chinese visitors to the UK spend on average £712 in shops, while WorldPay is seeing average transaction values of £1,000 for purchases with Union Pay, China’s leading payment card. These consumers, together with other highspending shoppers from Qatar, UAE and Russia, are providing a valuable boost to retail revenues, spending up to four times as much as local customers*.

An option for struggling UK high streets is to look beyond their immediate boundaries and explore international opportunities. If Bicester Village can be a hub for overseas visitors, why not other towns, too?

But to capitalise on this growing demand, retailers need to make it easy for international shoppers to buy. One positive initiative is the creation of the UK China Visa Alliance – a lobby group dedicated to making it easier for tourists and business people to visit the UK – which WorldPay has joined.

After all, the Chinese alone account for almost 20 per cent of non-EU international spending in the UK**.

While some retailers offer tax-free shopping to attract lucrative global consumers into their stores, most are still not offering the full range of valueadded services, such as Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), that will attract higher footfall and higher spend. This is especially true of those customers who want to take advantage of paying in their local currency rates.

Arcadia and Selfridges are two examples of retailers benefiting from innovative payment options. And, by having DCC and other services such as China Union Pay or tax-free shopping available in-store, they can reduce the hassle for customers and get them spending more. *Global Blue based on transactions since 1980.** VisitBritain

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WEB WATCH

WWW.PREZI.COM Following in the footsteps of online scrapbook Pinterest, Prezi is a brand new website that enables its users to create moving, interactive mood boards, or “move boards”. Users start by mapping out boards with text, images and graphics, as well as incorporating programmes such as Illustrator, InDesign and so on. With the inclusion of videos, Prezi enables its audience to create brand presentations, inspiration boards, design plans for store interiors and rebranding – ideal for the forward-thinking retailer, designer or sales manager.

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NEWS

ZALANDO RECEIVES CAPITAL INJECTION German e-tailer Zalando has received a capital injection from global investment firm Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), which has acquired a two per cent stake in the business.

The additional capital is set to aid the company’s growth, with further capital increases likely to follow as part of the financing round.

This follows the announcement of Anders Holch Povlsen, the owner of Danish Bestseller Group, as a new investor in August. Anders Holch Povlsen acquired 10 per cent of the shares in Zalando, and thereby became the company’s third largest shareholder after AB Kinnevik with 36.5 per cent and European Founders Fund with 17 per cent.

OTPP is the largest singleprofession pension plan in Canada, providing long-term investment for Ontario’s teachers.

“We are very happy to welcome OTPP on board as a strong long-term investor,” says managing director Rubin Ritter. “We all share a positive common vision of the online fashion business and want to further strengthen our position as the market leader in European fashion e-commerce.

To continue to build this position and our growth, it is a significant strategic advantage to be well-equipped with capital.”

— KERING LAUNCHES DIGITAL MAGAZINE Kering, the luxury brand conglomerate which was formerly PPR, has launched its first digital-only publication, K. As part of the company’s continuing rebrand and refocus of two of its key areas – luxury and sport and lifestyle – the launch of K has been designed to help communicate Kering’s new identity.

As well as featuring interviews with luxury labels including Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane, the magazine will also offer lifestyle features, covering subjects such as the arts, sports and creativity.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | RETAIL | NEWS & OPINION | 12

reTaIL InSIDer The latest news and opinion from the menswear retail industry.

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vIeWpOINT Bruce McLaren is the owner of Dalziel Kingsize Menswear, Woking, and is a member of the Fashion association of Britain (FaB).

SOU LL A N D POPS U P AT THE SHOP AT BLU EBIR D Scandinavian label Soulland has opened its first pop-up concept store in one of London’s key independent retailers, The Shop at Bluebird.

With a strong brand aesthetic running throughout the shop-in-shop interior, including large logo placement and a handpicked selection of key seasonal pieces, the pop-up store will run until 10 November.

“The typical Soulland customer is a gentleman, but also a guy with an easy-going attitude,” says creative director Silas Adler. “He wears a suit one day and a printed T-shirt the next. The Shop at Bluebird knows that guy pretty well. The Shop at Bluebird’s universe is ‘honest’, and that is exactly what Soulland strives to be.”

Offering an eclectic portfolio of lifestyle labels across fashion, interiors and beauty, The Shop at Bluebird is renowned for its brand mix both domestically and internationally. Located on Kings Road, the store is housed within a vast 10,000 sq ft space that once occupied a car garage in the 30s.

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In BrIeF HACKNEY FASHION HUB GETS GO AHEAD Hackney is set to welcome the launch of what has been dubbed a Bicester Villagestyle fashion outlet. With plans to build a £100m fashion outlet approved by Hackney Council, the design itself will include two seven-storey buildings that will replace the temporary structures currently housed by Pringle, Aquascutum and The Hackney Shop. The Hackney Fashion Hub will feature a mix of high-end designers with local emerging talent. The new 75,000 sq ft outlet is designed by Adjaye Associates and will also convert the disused railway arches in the Morning Lane area of Hackney.

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FIRST UK CONCEPT STORE OPENING FOR JACK & JONES Menswear label Jack & Jones will open its first UK concept store in Manchester’s Arndale Centre next month. The new shop will integrate the Danish brand’s four sub-lines – Originals, Core, Vintage and Premium – with four shop-in-shop concepts within one space. With each brand area clearly communicating its own DNA, and working as independent “in-shops”, this is the first UK shop that fully encapsulates the new Jack & Jones store concept.

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In-season buying and stock replenishment have become increasingly important for me at Kingsize Menswear. This September, it has been 25 degrees outside while parkas are arriving in-store. It’s this disjunction between the rigidity of strict buying seasons and the desire of consumers to have access to allseason fashion all year round that has made me value the flexibility and reliability of in-season suppliers more and more each year.

Recently, I’ve been working with some never-out-of-stock (NOS) suppliers, who are increasingly important to my business. To be able to deliver any seasonal product throughout the year is – I believe – one of the defining hallmarks of being a small niche indie today. For instance, one of my regular customers bought a couple of shirts and wanted to order six more of the same. I could guarantee they would be delivered four days later. Notwithstanding the sale (£50 x 6), this enabled me to deliver a level of service which, as a niche indie, I need to be able to offer my customers.

One of the big changes over the past few years has been how the world has become smaller; people can travel further, faster and more frequently and yet the industry still sticks religiously in the main to hard and fast seasons.

Am I still saying that I want winter coats in August and shorts in January? It’s as though I want to move my stock on for some arbitrary reason and it feels intrinsically wrong.

As an independent retailer, I need a good, solid supplier to back me up and offer me what my customers want (with reasonable carriage and minimums). These are the types of firms I want to deal with especially given recent unpredictable weather patterns. If the customer wants to be able to buy shorts in December; the customer must be able to buy shorts in December. Flexible, supportive and efficient suppliers are critical for a store such as mine, and it is these details that I believe may enable indies to win against the multiples. www.fashionassociationofbritain.co.uk —

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | RETAIL | NEWS & OPINION | 13

SHOPPED: JOHN DOUGLAS How are you thinking the run-up to Christmas will be?

I think it’s going to be late again – following a similar pattern to last year. A lot of people will hold off and see which multiples crash into Sale early. But I think it will go crazy in the last two and a half weeks, where every day becomes a Saturday, I hope!

— Which brands are performing for you?

This autumn/winter we’re very pleased with Henri Lloyd’s outerwear and knitwear. On footwear, we’ve moved forward with Fred Perry, and I bought into the Bradley DAVID JOHNSON OWNER, JOHN Wiggins collaboration clothing range, which flew DOUGLAS, out. It’s an absolute stunner. Ted Baker is still strong MACCLESFIELD for me, too, and I’ve just re-ordered some Camel Active shirts.

— Are there any frustrations for you this season?

We’ve been let down again on deliveries from Barbour – they can’t seem to deliver a size scale. They’re the most frustrating brand I’ve dealt with in 40 years in the trade. But the product still sells and, rather than cancel it, it is worth waiting for.

— Are you looking forward to getting anything new in?

I’m looking at Pretty Green for a more niche offer to slot in with Fred Perry. I’ve gone forward with Replay Jeans. It’s due to hit in November, and the brand has done a fabulous collaboration range with Barcelona Football Club. I think it’s going to be an absolute stormer and I’m excited at the prospect.

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IN FOCuS: TRIADS 54-56 ALBERT ROAD, MIDDLESBROUGH TS1 1QD

ESTABLISHED: 1988 BRANDS ON OFFER: STONE ISLAND, CP COMPANY, PAUL SMITH, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, TRICKER'S, STÜSSY, CARHARTT WIP, OBEY, PATAGONIA, THE NORTH FACE, OUR LEGACY, NORSE PROJECTS, NIKE, ADIDAS ORIGINALS, LEVI'S VINTAGE CLOTHING

LYLE & SCOT T BECOMES L ATEST CARNABY STREET OPEN ING British heritage label Lyle & Scott has opened a new flagship store positioned on the corner of Carnaby and Beak Street in London’s Soho.

The brand has designed an environment that seamlessly incorporates Lyle & Scott’s unique DNA, which will also serve as the blueprint to its global retail expansion, including store openings in Russia and Asia in the New Year.

“With a refreshed brand focus and 140 years of trading to celebrate next year, it is important to have visually enticing platform from which to showcase our newly segmented collections,” says Richard Martin, brand director.

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IN BRIEF

Triads reached its 25th anniversary this year, having been founded by brothers Garry and Collin Donaldson in 1988 in Middlesbrough.

They are local lads with local knowledge at a time when fashion was perhaps more about breaking new ground. Stüssy and Vivienne Westwood could not be more polar opposites, but it’s such labels that have stood the test of time for Triads’ loyal customer base. Brands such as Stone Island and CP Company have also satisfied a tough North East crowd through the decades. Born in a period well before e-tail, Triads is very much a retailer that aims to translate its in-store service to e-commerce. It is loyal to its brands and customers, something the brothers say is reciprocated.

Being proactive is also key to the business, as is “being cult rather than following one,” hence the Albert Road shop is now stocking the likes of Obey, Carhartt WIP, Odd Future and Fjallraven, while the Triads 2 shop on Linthorpe Road caters to a slightly older crowd. From streetwear giants to technical outerwear, the mix is set to get even richer and, along with the Donaldsons, Triads is a close-knit team that helps keep the shop integral to the Middlesbrough retail menswear landscape.

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REASON CLOTHING HITS BOXPARK Reason Clothing is the latest brand to open its doors in Shoreditch’s Boxpark – the world’s first pop-up mall. Housing the label’s complete women’s and menswear offer, the label sits alongside names such as New Era, Puma, Abuze and Smiley Company. “We are excited to give UK customers the full Reason experience – view the entire collection, shop storeexclusive products, and learn about the company’s story and lifestyle,” says Reason co-founder Phil Bassis. “Our goal was to bring our uniquely New York aesthetic to East London.”

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | INTERVIEW | 14

RICHARd HoBBs Co-FoUndER And dIRECToR, THE HUB Launched in Hong Kong in August this year, The HUB is Asia’s first trade event to be dedicated exclusively to branded fashion. MWB caught up with co-founder Richard Hobbs to find out more about The HUB’s concept, as well as the growing opportunities for menswear brands in China and the surrounding regions.

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MWB: Where did the concept for The HUB originally come from?

Richard Hobbs: Both myself and Peter Caplowe, my partner in The HUB, have spent years working with brands on expansion into the Asian market, going right back to the 90s. The idea of launching a trade show for branded fashion in Hong Kong is something we’d been talking to each other about for years. Every year that passed, interest in Hong Kong, China and other Asian markets such as Korea and Indonesia was getting stronger and stronger. So two years ago we decided to take the plunge and began working on the concept, which became The HUB. — MWB: How does The HUB differ from other trade shows taking part in the region?

RH: Obviously the fashion industry is no stranger to the Asian region in terms of sourcing and manufacturing but, like the best shows in Europe, we wanted The HUB to be exclusively dedicated to branded fashion. There are other trade shows taking place in the region, but the emphasis has primarily been on manufacturing capacity, and that’s certainly true of other shows taking place in Hong Kong. Asian consumers have developed a real interest in branded fashion, and they’re looking to the West as home to the best brands in the business.

— MWB: Why did you launch The HUB in Hong Kong, rather than mainland China?

RH: We wanted The HUB to be just that – a hub for the whole Asian region. Buyers and retailers from mainland China make up a large proportion of our target audience, but so do buyers from elsewhere in the region. Hong Kong has been an international hub for centuries. As well as easy to get to from anywhere in the world, it has all of the necessary infrastructure to support this kind of international event. By locating the show in Hong Kong, we’re offering exhibitors the opportunity to show to the widest possible audience. And, to be frank, China is not quite ready to host an event that would be of a sophisticated standard that international brands would expect.

— MWB: How was the reaction to the debut show?

RH: We had a great reaction to the debut edition, and hugely positive feedback in the months since.

The brands that took part in the show in August are serious about developing their businesses in Asia and, as with all exhibitions, the ones who did the

RICHARD HOBBS (LEFT) AND PARTNER PETER CAPLOWE

“Asian consumers have developed a real interest in branded fashion, and they’re looking to the West as home to the best brands in the business” best were those who had also put in the spade work before the show. This is something we helped them with as organisers, and something we’ll be doing more of going forward. Because of our knowledge and experience of doing business in the region, we’re able to recommend key contacts, and in some instances set up meetings before or outside of The HUB. Ideally we want our exhibitors to treat The HUB as the focus for their activity, but also make time before or after the show to explore the market and the opportunities it offers.

— MWB: You recently announced a partnership with Beijing trade show Chic-Young Blood to promote multi-label retail in Greater China. How will it work, and why is it important right now?

RH: Branded fashion sales in China have grown enormously over recent years, but it’s been primarily through mono-brand stores or brand-operated concessions. The concept of multi-brand retail is still in its infancy, and it’s a gap in the retail landscape that China is keen to fill. The first stage of the partnership has already taken place, when we created a mock-up of a multi-label store featuring brands that took part in The HUB at this month’s edition of Chic-Young Blood in Beijing. At the

request of Chic, we also organised and hosted a seminar during the show, looking at the huge opportunities for multi-brand retail in the region, and will be doing the same alongside the next edition of The HUB in Hong Kong in February next year. Chic-Young Blood will also be bringing a delegation of current and potential multi-brand retailers from China to The HUB, where they’ll be able to start buying for the launch of new multilabel stores in autumn 2014.

— MWB: There was a strong British contingent at The HUB in August. Is this something you’re looking at developing in 2014?

RH. There is a strong appetite for British brands in Asia – particularly labels with real heritage. UKFT (UK Fashion & Textiles Association) recognised it from the off, and made grants available to British brands taking part in the debut show. It’s been confirmed that grants will again be available for the February edition and, while the line-up will be fully international, we’re committed to making The HUB the show of choice for the best British brands.

The next edition of The HUB takes place on 25-27 February 2014 at Asia World Expo, Hong Kong. www.thehub.hk

SOUTH EAST - Phil Swan - Tel: 07957136053 SOUTH WEST - Steve Barter - Tel: 07860288374 NORTH - David Agar - Tel: 07885376469 MIDLANDS - Phil Donovan - Tel: 07801231054 N.IRELAND - Martin Kerr - Tel: 07775575668 EIRE - Kevin Moynihan - Tel: 087 9906172 SCOTLAND - Benny Hull - Tel: 0141 5508335

T: 01677 424020 F: 01677 424080 E: darren@knightsbridgeneckwear.co.uk www.knightsbridgeneckwear.co.uk

It’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | REPORT | GRIMSEY REVIEW | 16

Brave neW WOrld nearly two years on from the controversial Portas review, businessman and former Iceland, Wickes and Focus dIY boss Bill Grimsey has presented an alternative assessment of the high street, offering up 31 recommendations of how town centres can be transformed and saved for the future.

Isabella Griffiths spoke to Grimsey and outlines his suggestions below.

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“Without wanting to sound patronising, Mary Portas’ review was an O-level report, whereas our review is a degree – just a BA degree, because we didn’t have time to turn it into an MA or PHD, but it goes far deeper than the Portas Review,” says Bill Grimsey, the man leading the eponymous alternative review of the high street, when MWB caught up with him just a few days before the official launch of his paper, which was presented during a parliamentary reception in the House of Commons earlier last month.

Grimsey has gathered a team of retail experts – including independent retailer and industry commentator Paul Turner-Mitchell; Chris Shellard, public sector regeneration expert; Eva Pascoe, technology expert; Sid Vasili, entrepreneur and financial expert; Matthew Hopkinson, research expert and MD of the Local Data Company; and Nick Hood, risk analyst – to present a different set of propositions to the government and the other political parties than Mary Portas, whose review two years ago he blasts as “a lot of fluff and superficial stuff” and as having given people “false hope”. “The government wanted to be seen to be doing something, so they appointed a celebrity such as Mary Portas, but she’s not a retailer and she just wanted a TV series out of it. This has completely

made light of a serious issue,” he says. “There are opportunities to invigorate the high street, but it needs a proper framework, which is something the Portas Review failed to deliver. It’s all well and good having town teams, and many of them have enthusiastic people, but you can’t run this without a structure and long-term strategy. And it certainly won’t be achieved by wheeling out Chas ’n’ Dave ,” he quips in reference to the Portas series, which featured the crooners in an episode about the regeneration of Margate. It’s needless to say that his outspokenness has lead to a public slanging match between himself and Portas, who retaliated by saying Grimsey should “stop playing politics” and that she stood by her findings.

Grimsey clearly feels well placed to be giving advice on retail issues, having started out in retail aged 15 and having worked for the likes of Bishops, Budgens, Tesco, ParknShop in Hong Kong, Wickes, Iceland and Focus DIY. “I’ve had a 45-year career in retail,” says Grimsey, who funded the report and research, which was conducted over the last three months, himself. “I’m 62, and I want to keep my brain stimulated rather than just playing golf three times a week. I want to use my time meaningfully and give something back.”

The Grimsey Review puts a rethinking of the high street at its core, arguing that there are too

many shops and that 20,000 more are teetering on the brink of collapse. His suggestion is that high streets need to become community hubs that encompass housing, leisure, education, arts and crafts, as well as “some shops”, with technology at the core, responding to the changed consumer habits due to the rise of online. It also tackles issues such as business rates, parking and towncentre planning, and suggests the appointment of a high-street minister, recruited from the retail sector, to make the high-street issue a priority on the political agenda.

Asked how shops can adapt to survive in a “networked high street”, Grimsey says, “What makes shops successful is and has always been the same – you need to have the right product at the right price at the right time, this has never changed and never will. What needs to be changing and what we are suggesting in our report is the methodology and channel of how retailers sell.”

It remains to be seen whether the Grimsey Review will make a significant impact, but Grimsey himself is determined to keep up the pace. “I can’t predict whether the government will listen, but at least I have done my bit,” he says. “What happens from here, I don’t know, but I’m happy to offer my expertise and continue to raise the issues.”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | REPORT | GRIMSEY REVIEW | 17

THE 31 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GRIMSEY REVIEW:

MARKING THE TRANSITION 1. Accept that there is too much retail space in the UK and that bricks-and-mortar retailing can no longer be the anchor to create thriving high streets and town centres.

2. Set an objective to repopulate high streets and town centres as community hubs encompassing more housing, education, arts, entertainment, business/office space, health and leisure – and some shops.

3. Establish a Town Centre Commission for each town with a defined skill base and structure to build a 20-year vision for each town supported by a broad business plan in five-year chunks.

4. Require local authorities to hold a public meeting annually to present the 20-year vision, town-centre plans and progress made in the year, supported by an annual progress report.

5. Prepare for a “wired town” or “networked high streets” that puts libraries and other public spaces at the centre of each community based on the technology that exists today and will develop in the future.

6. Establish a Digital Maturity Demographic Profile for each town to prepare for networked high street, and tailor connection and communication strategies accordingly.

CREATING A FAIRER, MORE ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE HIGH STREET 7. Reintroduce immediately the 2015 business rates revaluation to realign property values and freeze business rates from 2014.

8. Once revaluations have taken place, any future increases should be an annualised CPI rate rather than a one-month snapshot.

9. From 2017, revaluations must be conducted annually.

10. Any business occupying a retail property in the retail core of a town centre that has been vacant for 12 months should receive 50 per cent rate relief for two years.

11. There must be a political will and determination to reduce property taxation once the government’s fiscal debt consolidation plans have been fully implemented.

12. The business rates system needs a root and branch review to establish a flexible system that will reflect changes in economic conditions as they occur.

13. Local authorities to use a proportion of their reserves to offer loans to qualifying small businesses.

14. Understand the success of the Bank of Dave set-up and establish a process, including local

local traders and market stall pitches.

23. Evaluate the future of out-of-town shopping parks, and prepare a plan to bring unwanted space back into use to benefit the community.

24. The Community Infrastructure Levy should be used to support the delivery of a town-centre plan.

BETTER MANAGED HIGH STREETS

crowdfunding, for local people to collectively invest in the local community and start-up businesses.

15. Connect planning applications to the business plan for each town and ensure that developments fit within the criteria set.

16. Enable the change of use process to be used to convert entire sub high streets to residential or other uses within the agreed high-street plan and relocate the successful independent retailers into the main commercial centre.

17. Make it easier for motorists to shop by building in a two-hour free high-street and towncentre car-parking system to the overall business plan for the location.

18. Local authorities to freeze car-parking charges for a minimum of 12 months.

COMMUNITY FIRST 19. Reduce mandatory rate relief for charities from 80 per cent to 70 per cent and of the remaining 30 per cent payable in business rates apportion a third to a ring-fenced local authority pot for projects that benefit the community.

20. Establish greater clarity on the mandatory rate-relief criteria for charities, social enterprises and Community Interest Companies.

Organisations whose primary function is to exist for the benefit of the local community – ie hospice shops – should be given priority status for top-up relief from local authorities.

21. Landlords of empty shop units should be required to apply for a change of use and make the asset productive in the community as housing, health, leisure, culture or education facilities in line with the town plan.

22. Make it compulsory for all Mega Mall developments to create a percentage of affordable space within the developments for

25. Put in place common key performance indicators to measure the economic health of each town, and link the reporting through a data dashboard to provide independent, objective and current data on performance.

26. Create a full-time high streets minister to replace the current part-time position that is tagged on to the duties of housing minister.

Encourage greater cross-departmental work between BIS and DCLG to fully understand shared government responsibilities for helping improve local high streets.

27. Establish a comprehensive evidence base that tracks the change in retail and leisure locations from a local, regional and national perspective. Actively encourage and fund research based on this data by academic institutions in partnership with the private sector in order to ensure ongoing thought leadership into the nature and reasons behind changes taking place.

28. Ensure that the economic blueprints produced by Town Commissions are sustainable and environmentally practical by understanding and emulating innovation from Transition Town trials, for example.

29. Make it compulsory for national retail and leisure chains to invest 0.25 per cent of one year’s sales (2014) into a local economic development fund to sponsor local start-up businesses in a similar way to the Prince’s Trust. This would be a one-off levy.

30. Implement the Town Centre Commission process through five trials to test the methodology, information requirements, modeling techniques and viability of the whole process including public consultation.

31. A timetable should be set to conduct the trials by March 2014 and aim to exit 2014 with plans, measures and central technology in place for all town centres for implementation from 2015 onwards.

— What do you think of the Grimsey Review? Do you agree or disagree with the points and recommendations raised? E-mail victoria@raspublishing.com with your opinions.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | INTERVIEW | 18

INTERVIEW

JOSÉ NEVES Farfetch is a website that has given some of the best higher-end boutiques in the UK and Europe a platform to widen their reach and raise their chances of successful online trading to truly complement their bricks-and-mortar businesses.

Tom Bottomley finds out more from founder José Neves.

— Tom Bottomley: You’re perhaps better known in the footwear business, so what’s your background?

José Neves: I am originally from Portugal. I started my first company when I was 19 and still at university. I started to develop software for the fashion industry. It was about supply chain management, inventory and point of sale – business-to-business software to help shops. I started to design the Swear shoe collection in 1995 and showed at trade shows in Italy and Germany. I came out of those exhibitions with an international shoe business – selling to the likes of Office. I was also selling to stores in France, Dubai and Japan, and it was a real eye opener in terms of having a “global” business, and being able to escape Portugal! I always wanted to live in London – my favourite city. I came here and opened a tiny shoe store on Neal Street in Covent Garden under the Swear name. That was in 1996, when Neal Street was the street to be on for a shoe business. Swear was the first brand of a portfolio of shoe labels. In 2001, I opened the B Store shop on Conduit Street, selling B Store shoes and other emerging designers’ clothes. And we started doing shoes under global licence for Opening Ceremony from New York and Surface2Air from Paris, followed by Markus Lupfer and a cool Japanese label called Poga. All shoes are made in Portugal. My wholesale and licensing business is called Six London.

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CEO AND FOUNDER FARFETCH

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | INTERVIEW | 19

TB: Did that background lead you to start up Farfetch?

JN: Yes, because I knew all of the boutiques and independent businesses around the world from either selling to them or trying to sell to them. It gave me a good insight into retail and how important the internet is for retailers these days.

Also, how difficult it is to get an internet business off the ground, because they don’t have a technology background, as I do. So it appeared to me that all these small independent boutiques, if they didn’t find a platform to reach a global market, would get weaker and weaker and eventually disappear. I thought something needed to be done, and also something that would be fantastic for consumers who like to see diversity in fashion, and different viewpoints.

— TB: So when did you launch Farfetch?

JN: It launched in October 2008, five years ago.

It was, and is, a platform to integrate retailers and provide what is effectively a one-stop shop but featuring many different boutiques. We launched with around 25 boutiques from four different countries, including five or six from the UK, such as Diverse in Islington, who supported the project from day one. It was amazing because from the beginning we had traction – people coming to the site and buying. The early days were tough, because we are a marketplace in essence, and marketplaces have a chicken and egg problem. If you don’t have amazing suppliers, you don’t get customers, because why the hell would they visit your marketplace if you don’t have the right product? And you don’t get the sales if you don’t get the traffic. It’s about supply and demand. But we have been able to build it organically, and we’ve always used online marketing, Google AdWords and social networks. Other UK boutiques who do well with us are Browns, Giulio, Start and Hostem.

— TB: How has the business developed?

JN: We now have boutiques from around 20 countries in Europe, as well as shops in the US and Brazil. The boutiques sell to customers from all around the world, but America is our biggest market, representing 30 per cent of sales.

E-commerce is a complex business these days.

It’s very easy to start a website. Services such as TB: Are you a profitable business?

Shopify mean anyone can open their own online JN: We will be very soon, but we are still investing shop in next to no time, so it’s never been easier in the business – in the technology, people and to set up an e-commerce-enabled website. But marketing. I would say by the beginning of it’s also never been so difficult to get traction and 2014 we will start to be in profit. It’s growing make it work because, suddenly, in fashion alone, fast, and next year I foresee certainly another 100 you’re competing with thousands of websites. per cent growth. It’s a huge growth, but the truth For you to get visibility and world-class customer is, it’s a global market that we’re tapping in to service levels is a different thing. For example, so really we’re still just scratching the surface. we have 24-hour customer service in five The online global market is worth something in different languages. We now have five offices – in the region of $50bn, so we’re just a little fraction London, New York, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and of it. But we’re a very agile business, because we Portugal. We started out with 12 people, now we don’t need to buy the stock, we just need to find the right boutiques. They have the stock risk, we have 300. have the overheads risk. Some of the more mature — TB: Why do you need to employ so many businesses we’ve been working with for a few years now buy specifically for their presence people?

JN: It’s a very complex machine, from getting on Farfetch. the product photographed professionally and — descriptions written and tariff codes applied so TB: How much of the business done through you can export internationally, to negotiating with Farfetch is menswear?

DHL and other carriers for the most competitive JN: It’s 25 per cent, which is very healthy because prices. Then there’s extensive online marketing it is representative of the product available and the fraud team. We’ve heard horror stories through us. Womenswear is 75 per cent of sales, from boutiques who come to us thinking their and is 75 per cent of the product. Per product, website was doing really well, but actually they menswear is as successful as womenswear. The had £20,000-£30,000 worth of fraudulent women’s fashion market is larger than the men’s transactions. Even though the bank approved it, if at this luxury high-end level because, quite simply, it’s a fraudulent transaction the merchant is viable. women buy more.

As a customer, if your card has been stolen the — money is returned to you, but the bank still TB: Is “luxury” the remit in order to be able to charges the shop. We have the burden of the risk, come in under the Farfetch umbrella?

JN: Yes, I would say so, but it’s more about the so we fraud check every single transaction. retailer’s viewpoint in fashion. If a store is — TB: How would you best describe the Farfetch interested and sends us an email saying they sell the likes of Givenchy, Dior, Balenciaga and business? so on, it doesn’t necessarily JN: It’s a digital cooperative mean anything to us. We need for boutiques. They do the to go and see the store, and most important part, which is “If you don’t have buying and curating amazing amazing suppliers, you see how they buy. It’s great they buy luxury labels, but fashion, and we provide the don’t get customers, they need to buy them in a platform for them to be able cool way, because if they buy to tap the online channel on a because why the hell them in the old-fashioned global level. We get a way, with just the brand’s percentage of each sale and would they visit your classic pieces, it’s not we obviously need to leave an marketplace if you interesting. We’re a curator attractive profit margin for the of curators. boutiques. don’t have the right —

product? And you don’t get the sales if you don’t get the traffic.

It’s about supply and demand”

www.vanbuck.com Tel: 01787 462012

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | CONTENTS | 21

G E N T

sTeePed In HerITage British luxury leather brand Tusting is synonymous with quality and craftsmanship, and this season is no different. Celebrating 135 years since its inception, the accessories label continues to go from strength to strength, with stockists including Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason.

With the brand’s original workshop in Lavendon, Buckinghamshire, continuing to be fully operational today, the label’s key to success lies in the skills developed by the local workforce over the years.

Key styles for the new season include the Clipper satchel and the Kimbolton – a classic tote bag – which is updated for spring/summer 2014 in a series of new colourways. Many pieces at Tusting are often made-to-order, with the brand also offering a personalisation service, including custom colours and initials for that extra touch. www.tusting.co.uk —

22

Product news

28

Cut from a different cloth

30

The finer details

Rounding up the key stories this month

24

In-season stock

26

Hall on the rebound

Taking flight Profiling returning label Nigel Hall

The story behind fabric supplier Crescent Trading Accessories and add-ons from the gent sector

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | PRODUCT | 22

RADAR

PRODUCT NEWS

Spotlighting style.

Inside menswear.

M ADE TO WO R K Having launched its first formal shirt in America in the early 80s, Lands End has now drawn on over 30 years of tailoring expertise to create a brand new collection for the UK market.

The Made to Work range features traditional, tailored and new slim-fit options as well as a choice of straight, spread and button-down collars.

With an easy iron finish, each design is guaranteed for 30 washes, while 14 miles of premium Supima® cotton in every shirt means a softer, smoother and more durable fabric finish. Other high-quality detailing includes single-needle seams, which take extra time in construction, but lie neatly without “puckering”.

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ArrOW ESTABLISHED: 1851 — SIGNATURE STYLE: Classic American style, split into two collections – Dress and Casual.

— HISTORY: The oldest shirt label in the world, Arrow comes under the Seidensticker Group stable and is available in 15 countries worldwide.

There are not many brands that can boast over 160 years in business, but shirt specialist Arrow is one that can. Over the last season, however, its popularity within the retail industry has started to develop at a rapid rate – gaining a number of new accounts, as well as showing doubledigit growth over the last financial year.

Developing from shirts through to knitwear, polos, ties, bow ties and pocket squares, the collection draws its inspiration from California for spring/summer 2014. In terms of the brand’s Casual collection, the colour range is split between bright and pastel tones, while boasting a colourful Oxford story that is soft garment washed. Mint, pink, orange and light blue sit next to navy, brown and white, while fabrics in the collection include solid poplin, light summer twill, cotton with slub yarn effects, light cotton and linen mix and jacquard.

In terms of detailing, collars are paramount to the latest Arrow collection. The Kent and button-down found in the Casual and Dress lines have both been modified with a higher collar stay. The classic shark collar, meanwhile, will be released once again.

In regards to The Dress collection, the white shirt program is one of the most important parts of the range, fitted with plastron, bibi collars, covered panels or interesting fabric mixes. www.arrowlife.com —

BR I T I SH I NVASIO N In conjunction with Bloomingdales’ celebration of the British invasion of the US, accessories label Laslett & Stocker has designed an exclusive range of printed pocket squares.

A collection comprising distinctive and original designs, the brand’s signature style synthesizes traditional painting techniques with on-screen digital manipulation. Designs are digitally printed onto a selection of luxe silks and other natural fabrics made in the UK, with plans to expand the line to include wool scarves, cravats and ties.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | PRODUCT | 23

on TrenD Seasonal extras: Bold finishes

ALL- W E AT HE R DRESSI NG Combining contemporary styling with all-weather protective fabrics, Craghoppers presents a comprehensive collection of outerwear and accessories this season.

The Minori Waterproof Jacket, for example, includes the brand’s signature waterproof and breathable fabrics, which have been incorporated into a stylish flannel-look outer.

The jacket also features bellowed pocks with a metal trim, while a quilted wadded lining and knitted inner collar provide extra warmth and comfort.

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3

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1: ETON price on request 020 7495 7988 2: LEO JOSEPH £15 07733 004407 3: RORY HUTTON £25 07933 032973 4: TATEOSSIAN £25 020 7384 8300 5: TYLER & TYLER price on request 0121 360 4279

BRAND TO WATCH

iTeM M6 One of the leading legwear brands in Germany, Item M6 stems from the medical group Medi, which specialises in healthcare products. The move into fashion, albeit an unusual one, utilises the label’s innovation in compression technology, which is designed to improve blood circulation and oxygen supply around the body.

The legwear, including ankle and knee-high socks, also features silver ions – known for their anti-odour and antibacterial properties – as well as being designed so they do not slip down or cut in, providing heat and moisture management throughout the day.

With stockists across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the group now has plans to launch into the UK, US, Japanese and Scandinavian markets by the end of this year, followed by France, italy and Korea in 2014.

While traditionally brands seek to open standalone stores and concessions when expanding, item M6 prefers to invest in premium retailers (currently including KaDeWe, Apropos concept store, Manor and Kaster & Öhler), providing staff with a thorough education in the technology that goes behind the product. www.item-m6.com —

ESTABLISHED: 2011 — SIGNATURE STYLE: Hosiery and shapewear for both the women’s and menswear market, incorporating more trend-led elements than traditional designs.

— HISTORY: Item M6 is the fashion brand of Medi, a high-tech German healthcare products manufacturer.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | PRODUCT | 24

PUFFA £30 020 8959 3200

SCOTT NYC £135.15 020 7481 2418

PARKA LONDON £100 020 7424 6887

CAMEL ACTIVE PRICE ON REQUEST 0161 234 0999

ELEVEN PARIS £70 WWW.ELEVENPARIS.COM

CROMBIE £893 020 7659 9046

GLOVERALL PRICE ON REQUEST 01604 812812

TAKING FLIGHT Drawing inspiration from the classic aviator jacket, shearling lining and fur collars add interest to military inspired outerwear for autumn/winter 2013.

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7 FOR ALL MANKIND £315 020 7608 9100

CP COMPANY £714 020 7608 9100

Unless stated otherwise, all prices are wholesale

LOT78 £578 07595 479659

www.gucinari.co.uk

DEDICATED TO STYLE

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | PROFILE | 26

HALL ON THE REBOUND Taking a big step back into wholesale for the first time in five years, and opening another shop a stone’s throw from Selfridges, where its long-standing concession was pulled, Nigel Hall is a brand striking back. Tom Bottomley speaks to the man himself.

—

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | PROFILE | 27

Showing at Pitti for the first time last summer, Nigel Hall is finally taking its wholesale business seriously again. It comes off the back of a kick in the teeth with regards to Selfridges no longer wanting the brand as one of its concessions after several successful years.

“Selfridges asked us to leave last year,” says Hall. “We had a £2.2m turnover in the London store alone, so we still don’t know the reason why.

We asked them to write it down on paper, but they wouldn’t do it.” Hall obviously wanted to go to another big retailer with some solid proof of the business they were doing with Selfridges, but he says they wouldn’t give that information out.

Although he could obviously prove such figures himself, it would have been nice to have it in writing from them. “They gave us a termination date and we had to leave,” says Hall. “They cited it as not enough growth but, as anyone knows, our figures were stronger than many brands in there.”

Selfridges has, of course, since opened the biggest men’s footwear department in the world, and creating additional space was obviously going to be a factor, though Hall is not sure if it really has anything to do with them being out of favour.

“I don’t know if that had something to do with it,” he says. “But I still came away from there not really knowing why they got rid of us. It was awful because we lost £3m from them that year if you count the business from Selfridges in the Trafford Centre in Manchester as well. To lose that sort of money out of your business is going to hurt. It’s certainly taken its toll on us.”

A bitter blow indeed, but Hall says some of the regular customers they built up a following with through Selfridges are coming back to them via online, or through their own retail stores.

“But what we’ve missed with Selfridges are the foreign tourists and the day-trippers coming to London. The footfall is undoubtedly fantastic, and a lot of people picked up the Nigel Hall brand at Selfridges who might not have done otherwise.”

Nigel Hall also had a concession in Selfridges in Birmingham, and the department store did invite the brand to stay there, but Hall declined the offer. “It wasn’t a big business in Birmingham anyway to be honest,” he says.

In reaction to losing the Selfridges London business, Hall opened a shop at 25 Duke Street at the tail end of the summer, which is adjacent to the department store. “It’s a small shop housing

“If a new opportunity came along, and we liked the area, we’d certainly seriously consider it” the full collection, and it’s not like our other shops – it’s a new concept,” says Hall.

The concession business is the reason Hall says they originally pulled out of wholesale. So the Selfridges shun could now be to independents’ advantage. “We stopped because we were concentrating on our concession business,” says Hall. “With concessions, you’re always bringing in new stock and, at the time, it didn’t suit us running the two things together, what with the lead times required for a full wholesale collection and so on.

Harvey Nichols is now the only concession we have, so we’re running more with the wholesale side as we can accommodate it better. It was difficult before.”

A small-scale dip in the water regarding wholesale was tried at Jacket Required last January, but it’s now gaining much more momentum as there does appear to be a demand.

Lizard in Richmond is one independent happy to take it back on board as it always sold it well in the past, and others receiving drops this season include Pie in Kingston, Maze in Liverpool and Arnotts in Dublin.

It’s in a handful of accounts for now to kickstart things. Forkbeard Agency which is handling Nigel Hall's new wholesale push, is owned by Tony Kutner, who is also the UK agent for Musto Lifestyle and Matinique. Hall says they only came on board late summer, so there’ll be a bigger wholesale launch for autumn/winter 2014. With knitwear now playing such a big part in the Nigel Hall offer (and there’s even talk of opening a knitwear-specific shop in London’s West End in the near future), and coats and blazers also strong, it makes sense for the brand to take it to another level in a winter season. “Knitwear is one of our strongest lines,” says Hall. “It’s easy to fold and it’s

easy to put a lot of knitwear into a small space. A good 80-90 per cent of the yarn we use is Italian, as is all our tailoring. A knitwear-only concept shop is something we’d like to try as a pop-up concept first, perhaps.” Hall also says they are looking at the reintroduction of footwear for autumn/winter 2014, some of which is likely to be made in England.

A showing at Pitti will hopefully be on the cards once again come January. They have applied to do the show, but the positioning will have to be better to get them back.

“Unfortunately, the positioning last time was not very good,” says Hall. “Did you see us there? No? Well nor did anyone else!”

In terms of other existing standalone retail space, Nigel Hall still has two shops on Floral Street in Covent Garden, one of which is a Sale store. Then there’s the shop on Broadwick Street in Soho, and another on Upper Street in Islington.

“The Soho store is the best performing,” says Hall.

“It’s a good menswear area and there are lots of media types. It’s also growing in terms of good brands and retailers moving in.”

Regarding further retail shops, Hall is open-minded. “If a new opportunity came along, and we liked the area, we’d certainly seriously consider it,” he says. Among other major UK cities he would consider are Manchester and Leeds.

“But we’d like to get our wholesale side sorted out first – and sell in those sort of towns – and see how we develop from there. Wholesale is a good inroad for us, so it’s of utmost importance again.

We’re also looking for partners to develop internationally.” It seems there’s nothing quite like a knock-back to kick-start a renaissance, and the Selfridges shun might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Nigel Hall.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | PROFILE | 28

CUT FROM A DIFFERENT CLOTH When 70-year-old Philip Pittack and 82-year-old Martin White had an electrical fault that set their long-standing fabric supply business, Crescent Trading in Spitalfields, ablaze in September 2012, few would have bet on them being back in business less than a year later – if at all. Tom Bottomley finds out how they did it.

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Crescent Trading is the last cloth warehouse in Spitalfields, an area once at the heart of London’s cloth and fabric trade. It’s run by two guys with over 125 years of knowledge between them, housing some of the finest British fabrics.

And, because of their long-standing relationship with some of the finest mills in Britain, they can get it at a great price, and subsequently keep their own prices down.

Once fabric suppliers to some of the big guns on the high street, as well as buying the surplus from them to sell on elsewhere, the pair take great pride in being able to offer young upand-coming designers smaller cuts and plenty of advice on what fabrics will or won’t work for specific garments. They even sponsor students for their shows, and therefore play a pivotal role in

getting their careers kick-started.

They have photos of designs by the likes of Christopher Raeburn and Georgia Hardinge fashioned from cloth they’ve supplied. Timothy Everest, in fact, got the pink cloth for Mick Jagger’s suit that he wore to his daughter’s wedding from their Quaker Street premises. Kevin Rowland, from Dexys Midnight Runners fame, and a man known for his dapper style, was picking up some fabric for one of his own new creations recently, too.

But it was all nearly over in September of last year, when a fire literally took most of their stock with it. In fact, over 200,000 metres of fabric went up in smoke. It was devastation beyond belief, though the structure of the building miraculously remained intact. It was lucky indeed that they

specialise in British wools and the best of ends of lines from the likes of Abraham Moon, among others, because had it been a warehouse full of polyester and other manmade fabrics the blaze would have been more like an explosion that would have taken half the street with it.

Philip Pittack has been in the cloth business for 56 years. He was 14 when he started in the rag business – textile waste – with his father. He was the third generation of his family to go into the rag business. He moved into cloth, or remnants, and moved up to buying parcels of fabric and clearing lines. Crescent Trading has been going since June 1978. The company has always been in Hackney or the Brick Lane area, though his partner Martin White cut his trade, so to speak, in the West End during the 50s. “We’ve been in these premises for

© All photographs, Jeremy Freedman

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | PROFILE | 29

three years, and we were in premises across the road for 22 years,” says Pittack. “We’re only just here, mind you – hanging on by our fingernails.

But, being the last people in this sort of business, there’s nowhere else for us to go. So we supply all the small designers and students, and also do a hell of a lot with costume departments of film companies.”

Martin White started working in 1946 as a tea boy and “sweeper upper” for two uncles he had in the business. They sold all types of fabric, according to White, who says, “Anything you could get in those days you could sell. It was very hard to get fabric because all the mills were commissioned by the government to make goods for the army.”

White developed his own business in the 50s, and he used to deal with Philip’s father when Philip was still young. “One day, when he was older, he showed me a few things, and I bought some goods from him,” says White. “He showed me some samples, and I said, “Come on, take me to the place where it comes from.” We did the deal, and we’ve been in business together ever since. He understands – his father taught him very well!”

Pittack explains that it used to be more of a volume business. “Even in the East End we used to supply 20 big factories – 25 years ago,” he says.

“They’ve all gone, so we now get the smaller designers coming in for some of the top-end, mostly British fabrics, and we do a cut-to-length service. It’s completely different, because for 20 years we never cut a roll of cloth. We wouldn’t, because that wasn’t our business.”

They even used to have a sign saying, “£100 minimum order – we don’t cut rolls.” But when the

factories all started going around them, bearing in mind they’d had lots of people who they’d sent elsewhere – where they could get fabric cut to their requirements – they thought they had better start cutting, too. “The thinking was, our traditional business was shrinking, but these people could fill up the void, and they did – our business evolved,” says Pittack, who has always maintained a very strong bond with their suppliers and a no fuss, pay now attitude. You wouldn’t get much past these two, and you wouldn’t get any more old-school.

Pittack says, “Our suppliers know we do what we say, and say what we do. We pay proforma for 99 per cent of the goods we buy in. We say to our suppliers, ‘We pay less than anybody else, but we pay.’ We also don’t cherry-pick. If they’ve got 500 metres or 10,000 metres, small lengths or big lengths, we don’t say we only want the blues, the reds and the greens, we buy the whole lot – we take a chance on it.”

Unfortunately, the fire burnt some great stuff. Pittack describes the day he took the call to say the warehouse was ablaze, “The fire happened on 26 September. I remember it vividly. I got a call at eight o’clock from a neighbour saying our place was alight. I was getting ready to go to the synagogue for Yom Kippur – our holiest day of the year. But I shot down to the warehouse. I don’t like talking about it – I get very upset. I rang Martin and he turned up half an hour later.

He found me next door, unable to speak. I was devastated.

“It took me about a month to get over that,” he continues. “We lost nearly everything. We had around 200,000 metres of fabric on the floor, sitting in our racks, all top-end stuff. Pure wools and pure silks. Fabrics for top-end suiting. We get people from Savile Row coming here to buy. They still creep round the East End, and come

PHILIP PITTACK AND MARTIN WHITE

slumming to buy the lengths. I can’t mention any names, because people get upset. But a lot of those really exclusive fabrics went.”

Fortunately, they can still get access to a lot of fabrics that no-one else can, and at a price, having dealt with some suppliers for over 50 years. It was the older White who persuaded Pittack that the show must go on, and they must rebuild.

He reminded him that he started with one piece of fabric and built from there.

“We love going to work. We have to go to work, and we have to replace the great loss that we had,” says Pittack.

“Unfortunately, we were very under-insured. We’d had our best year in six years – a year before the fire. But you can only insure your stock from the previous year. So we were around 40 per cent underinsured. But we managed to get started up again, and our suppliers have been fantastic.

They’ve really supported us.

One supplier sold us quite a lot of goods, and said to send him a cheque once we were back on our feet. He held it for us for eight months.”

Pittack says their current stock is only around a third of what they had. But they’re building it up and getting new stock in all the time. For anyone wanting a lesson in fabrics, Pittack and White are the best there is left in the business. And you can believe you won’t walk out empty handed, so long as these two are still around.

“Even in the East End we used to supply 20 big factories – 25 years ago. They’ve all gone, so we now get the smaller designers coming in for some of the top-end, mostly British fabrics”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | ACCESSORIES | 30

Oversized holdalls can be spotted across both accessory and apparel labels this season, with classic leather options updated with photo-print finishes, as seen at Paul Smith.

H J HALL SOCKS: £4.50 01455 638800

SELECTED HOMME BAG: £24.05 020 7650 2040

XY HAT: £61 01946 818265

OTIS BATTERBEE WASH BAG: £38 020 7734 8588

LEWIS GLASSES: £93 07773 775092

THE FINER DETAILS Adding the finishing touch to a gentleman’s wardrobe, accessories are smart and slick this season.

— Unless stated otherwise, all prices are wholesale

TYLER & TYLER CUFFLINKS: £32.50 0121 360 4279

MERC TIE: £8 020 7495 8538

CAMEL IPAD CASE: PRICE ON REQUEST 0161 234 0999

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | GENT | ACCESSORIES | 31

DANIEL WELLINGTON WATCH: RRP £149 0121 524 1400

ETON BRACELET: £49 020 7495 7988

DAINES & HATHAWAY FLASK: £75 01922 621823

LACAMBRA LEATHER TABLET CASE: £41.40 0034 911694040

SIMON CARTER LEATHER BELT: £26 020 8683 4475

RORY HUTTON BOW TIE: £25 07933 032973

Quirky touches such as bold-coloured beads and paisley patterns give spring/summer 2014 collections a fun twist.

ITEM M6 SOCKS: RRP £35 0049 921912750

PAUL SMITH HOLDALL: PRICE ON REQUEST 020 7257 6673

TRIWA SUNGLASSES: £48 020 3603 9253

PENROSE LONDON POCKET SQUARE: £16 020 3176 4328

BAILEYS HAT: £14.25 01946 818275

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | CONTENTS | 33

D E N I M

&

S T R E E T

eRuPTION OF STyLe Volcomunity, the brand new line from streetwear label Volcom, launched for autumn/winter 2013 and focuses on the premium end of the menswear market. Targeted towards a more sophisticated aesthetic than its sister label, the Volcomunity collection brings together small capsules designed by various ambassadors under one cohesive lens.

With the attention to detail a key focus for the brand, standout pieces include the Loungeact Peacoat, featuring corduroy shoulders and elbow patches, as well as the 100-per-cent leather jacket, complete with front zippers, back panel and shoulder quilting detail.

Hues of navy, rust, brown and forest green provide the perfect autumnal colour palette, seen throughout the collection’s check shirts, cotton chino trousers, crew-neck fleeces and knitted tees. The environmentally conscious, meanwhile, can pick up the cable-knit Affair cardigan, made from 80 per cent recycled fibres. www.volcom.com —

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Product news

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Happy hour

48

Retail solutions

What’s happening in denim and street

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In-season stock

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Accessorise all areas

Team spirit Finishing touches from the denim market

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Street language The key names in emerging and established streetwear talent

Happy Socks celebrates its fifth anniversary Product highlights from the key names in retail interiors

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 34

PRODUCT NEWS Inside menswear.

PAC K A PO NC HO Launched just in time to buy in for next summer’s back-to-back festival season, denim specialist MQT unveils the first all-weather denim poncho.

Uniquely created from raw camouflage denim, the poncho features an advanced water-repellent finish, essential for the British summer.

Originating from South America, the poncho was used by the military in the early 19th century as protection against wind and rain.

Today, however, it has become synonymous with festivals. Just as the parka is to the mods, and the biker to the rockers, the poncho is the jacket of choice for the hardened music lover.

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C AT I N BO OTS For spring/summer 2014, Caterpillar footwear has introduced two new styles of its classic Colorado boot, which incorporates Ripstop to offer a reflective surface.

Two decades ago, the brand made its footprint in the rugged boot market, remodelling the toughness, durability and manoeuvrability inherent in Cat heavy machinery into a footwear offer. The signature Colorado boot has seen over 100 different material and colour combinations in the past 22 years, while the foundation of the boot remains the same.

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BRAND TO WATCH

R E T U R N TO F I T US denim specialist 7 For All Mankind has launched its latest innovation, the Luxe Performance line, which combines comfort both inside and out.

The fabric is brushed on the inside for maximum comfort, while the exterior continues to incorporate the soft finish for which the brand is renowned.

Featuring only a one per cent growth and 90 per cent recovery in its fabric construction, the USP of the label’s latest development is the quick return to its original shape and fit. The men’s Luxe Performance line will hit select retailers from November.

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ChAMPiON Due to the international success of American sportswear label Champion in both the US and Japan, the brand has now made the decision to relaunch its iconic designs back into the UK market.

Up until now, the label has focused primarily on the Champion UK website, however the attention is now directed at the brand’s sales strategy, looking to open new wholesale accounts in selected stores nationwide for spring/summer 2014.

Founded in 1919 by brothers Abe and Bill Feinbloom, owners of the Champion Knitting Mills in Rochester, New York, Champion was born out of a plan to evolve the functionality of the clothing worn before, during and after athletic activities. The original creator of the sweatshirt, the brand also invented what is now known as the “hoodie”, designed to keep American university football players warm while they sat on the sidelines during a game.

Continuing to draw its inspiration from American college and campus style, the label combines sport influences with trend-led designs. The forthcoming season will see the relaunch of the reverse weave sweat, one of the most iconic products in Champion’s history, while the brand will also launch a dedicated heritage line, designed especially for the guys who know their product and know it well. www.champion.uk.com —

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 35

on TrenD

RADAR

Seasonal extras: Winter woollens

Spotlighting style.

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1: ALPINESTARS £5.20 0039 04235286 2: FRANKLIN & MARSHALL £11.50 020 7488 1380 3: JACK & JONES £4 0161 836 6821 4: QUIKSILVER £12 020 7392 4020 5: RUM KNUCKLES price on request 020 3602 1315

sopopular ESTABLISHED: 2008 — HISTORY: Founded by fashion designer Daniel Blechman, Sopopular was created from a love of two key cities, London and Berlin – the latter being Blechman’s home town.

— SIGNATURE STYLE: Futuristic, simplistic and clean are three buzzwords used to describe the design aesthetic of the German label.

Unless stated otherwise, all prices are wholesale

ESTABLISHED: 2008 — HISTORY: Born in New York nearly a century ago, Champion has since become an iconic American sports label, with distribution in over 60 countries.

— SIGNATURE STYLE: Dubbed as the maker of the “original sweatshirt”. the brand brought athletic clothing to the forefront of mainstream fashion.

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a melting pot of two distinct styles, sopopular brings together the cool, streetwear element of london with the industrial design synonymous with Berlin. For spring/summer 2014, the brand presents a collection that is simple yet geometrical.

Inspired by 90s music and Japanese architect Tadao andō, sopopular’s latest range focuses on the classic, narrow and understated silhouette in black and white. With music playing a pivotal role in the brand’s design influence, it’s no coincidence that us band soundgarden provided the inspiration from its 1994 song Black Hole sun.

“I’m fascinated by 90s music, and grunge in particular,” says Blechman. “The musical heroes of this genre, such as Bush and soundgarden, had a major impact on my designs.” one of the collection’s highlights is the in-house developed 3D print of black and white cubes, repeated as a digital print on shirts, shorts and bomber jackets. Fabrics used throughout include smooth leather and suede, cotton and viscose, while colour-blocking knits sit next to ombre-look finishes.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PRODUCT | 36

STONE ISLAND PRICE ON REQUEST 020 7608 9100

MIKO £130 07733 220672

UCLA £50 01923 234555

TEAM SPIRIT The American prep trend graduates this season with a smarter twist on the classic Varsity jacket. Textural mixes and a subdued colour palette update this trend for autumn/winter 2013.

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WESC £50 020 8959 3200

VOLCOM £52 0845 486 5266

ALPHA INDUSTRIES £60 01869 366580

47BRAND PRICE ON REQUEST 01908 488623 SAMSØE & SAMSØE £118 0845 862 2056

Unless stated otherwise, all prices are wholesale

RUM KNUCKLES PRICE ON REQUEST 020 360 21315

07 10 JANUARY 2014 FIRENZE FORTEZZA DA BASSO

Sharpen your interior with our exciting collection of retail fixtures and furniture for fashion shops and showrooms.

P E E R L E S S D E S I G N S L I M I T E D Te l 020 8362 8500 w w w. p e e r l e s s d e s i g n s . c o m

T +39 055 36931 F +39 055 3693200 uomo@pittimmagine.com

R E T A I L D I S P L AY SYSTEMS

ph.M. De Andreis e-paint+design.Laboratorium mmxiii

www.pittimmagine.com

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | ACCESSORIES | 38

Prints are central to accessories this season, with plaid, camouflage and polka dots all taking centre stage.

SUPREMEBEING BACKPACK: £24 01223 873359

RUM KNUCKLES BOBBLE HAT: PRICE ON REQUEST 020 3602 1315

JACK & JONES BOXERS: £10.70 020 3205 0340

SUPREMEBEING IPAD CASE: £12 01223 873359

CONVERSE PHONE COVER: PRICE ON REQUEST 020 8731 3500

ACCESSORISE ALL AREAS MWB’s pick of the key accessories and essential extras, available to buy for spring/summer 2014.

— Unless stated otherwise, all prices are wholesale

KNOWN CAP: £12 07973 184471

VOLCOM RUCKSACK: £32 0845 486 5266

VOLCOM PHONE CASE: £6 0845 486 5266

oCtober/november 2013 | denim & street | aCCessories | 39

bjorn borg soCks: £4 020 763 71395

FYt bag: £13 01628 777320

alpinestars hat: £10 0039 04235286

Franklin and marshall: £27 020 7488 1380

bjorn borg boxers: £9 020 76371395

sandqvist Camo bag: £50 020 3411 7341

Shopper bags come a close second to the reigning bag champion – the rucksack – with brands offering smarter tote options for the new season. eastpak ruCksaCk: £26.50 0845 601 1151

starter hat: £12 01296 658717

monokel glasses: €27 inFo@monokel-iwear.Com

Chapman bag: priCe on request 07778 789019

mi-paC laptop Case: £9 020 7739 7620

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | STREETWEAR | 40

STreeT langUage The rising popularity of streetwear fashion, styling and culture is showing no signs of slowing in the UK market. MWB highlights some of the key names in established and emerging talent on the graffiti-sprayed block to check out this season.

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 GO U R M E T The story surrounding footwear label Gourmet for s/s 14 is its “athletic lifestyling” campaign, which takes cues from outside fashion and high-end fabrications and places them on the brand’s athletic shoe silhouettes.

Another new development is the graduation of the original Quadici model, built on lightweight ultra leggaro technology made from compression moulded eva foam. The new season also sees the extension of some of Gourmet’s archived prints, with brighter and bolder paint splattering effects and cactus leather fabrications.

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 BL AC K SC ALE San Francisco label Black Scale is making waves on British shores with its Gothic-inspired mix of streetwear. Intricate prints are central to the brand’s latest offering, with paisley, stained glass patterns and religious symbols featuring throughout, adding to Black Scale’s signature use of snakeskin and leopard prints, adorning Varsity jackets and pull-overs.

Elsewhere, the label’s stars and stripes logo can be seen on sweatshirts and hoodies, while the use of multi-coloured camouflage is teamed with the iconic image of the Mona Lisa, creating a collection of quirky wardrobe alternatives.

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 NEW LOVE C LU B Born in the heart of East London’s Brick Lane, New Love Club continues its success into the s/s 14 buying season with a collection of statement graphic prints and photography screen transfer tees.

With hints of 90s rave, 80s graphics and 70s psychedelia, New Love Club’s latest range is a mix of bold motifs with hand-drawn illustrations and creative studio photography. Snow-filled mountains are juxtaposed with roses and typography, while images of cats take centre stage in the range of crew-neck sweaters and oversized tees.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | STREETWEAR | 41

 PASSAR E LL A DE ATH SQUAD

 SIN STAR

Launched in 2004, cult fashion label Passarella Death Squad specialises in products made in the UK, with a mix of Japanese and British fabrics.

Having a distinct link to music, which sees the brand record music under the same name, it’s no surprise its latest collaboration is with London hotspot Koko.

The range sees iconic instruments from Koko’s world of music printed on washed and vintage-style tees. Each garment also comes complete with a swing ticket, acting as a free entry to Koko’s infamous Club NME night.

A favourite among a growing number of independent retailers, Sin Star has sold over 100,000 T-shirt designs this year alone. With a rapidly growing following online, as well as a developing portfolio of stockists, the commercial appeal of the brand continues to grow in the UK market.

Founded by childhood friends Sam Bell and Ryan Stripe, Sin Star was created as a platform to showcase the duo’s design skills in both photography and animation.

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 C RO O K S & C AST LE S A firm favourite on the UK streetwear retail scene, opening doors with Union Clothing, Urban Industry and Footasylum among many others, Crooks & Castles introduces its Monogram range, which includes tonal prints found on wool baseball jackets, baseball tees, sweatpants, shorts, bucket hats and leather caps.

Also new this season is the brand’s new capsule range, the Thuxury collection.

Incorporating a fresh jewel-tone colour palette set against a backdrop of monochrome, buyers can expect to find bold, oversized graphics combined with enlarged prints of ornate, luxury watches.

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 VO LK LO R E Founded just over three years ago, British label Volklore was created by designer Sam Giles who, after a decade of designing for the likes of Elvis Jesus, Paul Smith, Ringspun and Buddhist Punk, decided to create his own label.

Currently sold on fashion e-tailers Hypebeast, Asos and Urban Outfitters in the US, the brand is looking to expand via its wholesale channel with select independent menswear retailers across the UK. The new season sees the use of PU coated nylon, paper touch cotton canvas, indigo yarn dyed woven cottons, corduroy and acid-washed loop-back sweats.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | STREETWEAR | 42

 T WO ANGLE Men’s apparel label Two Angle launched in 1999 and has enjoyed global success with its blend of European detailing and US-inspired streetwear styling. The brand is heavily influenced by hip-hop and rap music, producing a strong urban aesthetic each season.

Buyers can expect to see camouflage print and textural leopard detailing, from bomber jackets and graphic-print T-shirts to hooded parkas and contrast peak five-panel hats. For the first time this a/w 13, the brand expanded into accessories, with a collection comprising snapbacks, beanies, five-panels and gloves.

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 RU M K NU C K LE S London streetwear label Rum Knuckles is the creation of designer and artist Anthony McEwan who, after 12 years designing graphics for clothing on a freelance basis, decided to put a name to his own creations.

Retaining McEwan’s signature style of hand-drawn illustrations in a monochrome colour palette, the latest Rum Knuckles range draws its influence from comics and pop art, including the iconic works of Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Robert Rauchenberg and Claes Oldenburg. Currently found in the likes of Footasylum, Frequency and Yoke, the brand has recently entered the German and Russian market with great success.

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 BI LLI O NAI R E BOYS C LU B Street favourite Billionaire Boys Club heads south this s/s 14. Starting in Somalia and bearing towards South Africa, the collection incorporates sun-faded colours, tribal patterns and pirate motifs for the new season.

Drawing elements from the African climate, the brand’s latest drop features heavily distressed garments to emulate the harsh effects of sun and sea, while key highlights include solar-activated prints, knits and varying scales of nautical stripes and utilitarian cargo pants. Mismatched layers of long tunic knits and printed woven shirts, meanwhile, are adorned with intricate Basotho blanket-inspired patterns.

 DEAD LEGACY

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Established in 2010, Dead Legacy is a name to watch on the British streetwear scene with its signature style of photographic print tees, sweats, hoodies and underwear.

Founded by brothers Danny and Nick Costello, the brand has quickly gained a cult following both on a domestic and international level. In terms of inspiration, Dead Legacy draws its influence from American culture, while tongue-in-cheek slogans and photographic imagery create the brand’s core design aesthetic.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DENIM & STREET | PROFILE | 46

LoNDoN SHop for Happy SoCkS Swedish brand Happy Socks is opening a standalone London shop in November. It’s also the label’s fifth anniversary year, and new product categories are being added, with a fresh campaign shot by world-famous photographer David LaChapelle. Tom Bottomley finds out what’s driving such growth from co-founder and creative director Viktor Tell.

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They’re socks, but seemingly not as we know it.

Everyone at Happy Socks seems, well, happy.

Business is booming, having turned over £10m this year, and a £15m turnover forecast for next year.

That’s some amount of sock sales given they sell for £8 a pair. And now a new London shop, on Foubert’s Place in Carnaby, is set to open in November – just in time for the Christmas rush.

These are not your average socks for dads, however, with colour and a point of difference key as opposed to grey, black and navy.

Viktor Tell, Happy Socks’ creative director, says, “We sold eight million pairs of socks this year and expect 50 per cent growth in the coming year.

We are also releasing our first range of non-socks in time for Christmas. The Happy Socks Pocket Collection is a selection of accessories applied with iconic Happy Socks prints. You can expect laptop cases, iPhone covers, coffee cups, notebooks, leather purses and pencils.”

This winter also sees the brand collaborate with fellow Swedish label WeSC, giving them a first move into apparel. There’s a jacket, sweater and T-shirt, as well as three distinctive pairs of socks. The capsule collection features the design elements and patterns that are signature for Happy Socks, “combined with the styles, mentality and elements from WeSC,” says Tell. The capsule

line is wholesaled through WeSC, and is selling via both brands’ websites. “It increases our visibility with a freedom of creativity, which is what always matters the most,” he says.

On that note, big name photographer David LaChapelle, who has worked with some of the biggest celebrities and models on the planet, was brought in and given creative carte blanche to do whatever he wanted with the a/w 13 campaign.

The results certainly stand out. “The collaboration came about because LaChapelle had an exhibition in Stockholm, where we are based, and we happened to meet one of his team at a party,” says Tell. “We wanted to work with him because we really love his art. So for us to try to put any boundaries on his creativity would just have gone against everything we believe in. If you want to work with an iconic artist such as LaChapelle, there is no point in restricting his vision with a brief. We are delighted with the images, as they really capture the essence of Happy Socks.”

The new London standalone store will be the latest edition to Happy Socks existing shops in Stockholm, New York, Tokyo, Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, Taipei and Seoul. “London has always been on our list, and we’re really excited to be opening a shop here,” says Tell.

Happy Socks was founded by Tell and his

good friend Mikael Soderlindh in Stockholm in 2008. Their vision was to “spread happiness by turning an everyday essential into a colourful design piece.” It’s a trick that seems to have paid dividends rapidly, and continues to do so at some pace. “We investigated the market and realised that, at the time, no-one was creating stylishly designed socks at this price point,” says Tell. “Four weeks after we had the idea, we found a factory in Turkey and placed an order for 60,000 pairs of socks. The business has grown and grown ever since.”

Tell believes there will always be a place and demand for colourful socks. He says they are not about trends and statements. “We believe choosing socks is an emotional decision – you pick a colour or pattern based on your mood that morning.” If only there were socks to raise one’s mood on a dark, cold, wet and gloomy winter’s morning – they really would be cracking it big time.

The new Happy Socks Pocket Collection of other accessories may be launching this season – and will be updated seasonally – but Tell maintains that socks will always be their core business. That should keep their account base and worldwide distributors extremely happy, indeed.

— www.happysocks.com

Finest Knitwear Stock-Backed in: • British Wool (shown) • Lambswool • Merino • Cashmere

T: 01450 363100 E: sales@hawickknitwear.com www.hawickknitwear.com

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | RETAIL | 48

RETAIL SOLUTIONS MWB looks at the ways retailers can create a successful in-store experience, highlighting some of the key brands specialising in visual merchandising and store presentation.

—  PRO PO RT I O N LO NDO N Mannequin and bust form manufacturer Proportion London presents its latest development, Bespoke – a range of bust forms, bodies and accoutrements for men’s tailoring.

Already supplying the likes of Dunhill, Gieves & Hawkes, Kilgourm Huntsman, Alexander McQueen and Spencer Hart, the Bespoke collection comprises a sophisticated palette of classic muted shades and fabrics offset with on-trend metals such as brushed nickel and blonde brass.

Smoked and limed effect woods, turned in considered shapes, add to the masculine appeal of the collection and complement its distinguished Savile Row aesthetic perfectly. www.proportionlondon.com —

 PROPR E SS

 PE E R LE SS DESIGNS Peerless Designs continues to offer the latest innovations in display and shop-fitting systems for the fashion sector, with a wide range of perimeter fixtures, fittings and mid-floor furniture.

In addition to its standard systems, the brand also offers a bespoke manufacturing service, designed for individual project solutions, with large and small projects welcome.

Recent additions to the Peerless collection include an updated Alto tubular wall system, as well as the latest Omni and Trirail floor merchandisers, offering an alternative to traditional fashion fixtures. www.peerlessdesigns.com —

One of the leading suppliers in clothing steamers and accessories, Propress also offers a selection of fashion trolleys and mobile garment rails.

The brand’s Soopl Garment Rail (pictured), for example, is stable, easy to use and lightweight, while the Mobilefold is a patented design, ideal to fold shirts, sweatshirts, trousers and towels easily and quickly. Built to last, the mobile garment folding table is constructed specifically for commercial use with a steel frame, snag-resistant plastic panels and pliable joints, making it both flexible and durable.

It also features a width-adjustable centre panel, enabling various folding widths to be achieved, creating different visual effects. www.propress.co.uk —

 DE C OWO E R NE R Europe’s largest retailer and wholesale supplier for visual merchandising and decorations, DecoWoerner, is a one-stop shop for visual merchandising props and decorations.

With the festive season around the corner, the brand offers artificial snow to lights to decorative angels, Christmas balls, fir trees and fabrics.

More suited to the menswear market are props such as oversized tool boxes, oil drums, American-style fire hydrants, faux-cobbled flooring and brick-wall covering. www.decowoerner.com —



Garments that won’t hang about.

The steamer that will.

For more information Tel: 020 8417 0660

www.propress.co.uk

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 51

SOCIeTy The parties and events from in and around the menswear industry.

 UKFT CEO JOHN MILN (LEFT) AND ACHILLEAS CONSTANTINOU (RIGHT), FOUNDER OF WOMENSWEAR LABEL ARIELLA, JOIN JAMES CAAN, ENTREPRENEUR AND CHAIRMAN OF THE START UP LOANS COMPANY, AT A RECENT BREAKFAST TO HEAR CAAN TALK ABOUT HIS CAREER AND TO LOOK AT FUNDING FOR SMES.

 MC AND SINGER MS DYNAMITE AT THE LAUNCH EVENT TO CELEBRATE THE RE-RELEASE OF THE CULT CLASSIC PUMA TRINOMIC XT+ SERIES.

Charity fundraisers dominated the social calendar this month, while new launches from the likes of Puma and Volcom saw some of the industry’s finest come together in celebration.

—

 (LEFT TO RIGHT) SIMON POOLE, STEPHEN GRAHAM, LUKE ROPER, DEAN ASHTON, DEBORAH POOLE, MARK BRIGHT, DION DUBLIN, GEORGE GRAHAM, MATT BANAHAN, FRANK MCLINTOCK AND SHAUN PERRY AT LAST MONTH’S LUKE ROPER GOLF DAY, WHICH HELPED RAISE OVER £1,000 FOR THE FASHION & TEXTILE CHILDREN’S TRUST.

 SURFDOME’S KIRSTY TIPPETT (LEFT) AND AMIE TREWIN (RIGHT) AT THE LAUNCH OF VOLCOMUNITY, THE NEW PREMIUM LINE FROM STREETWEAR LABEL VOLCOM.

 (LEFT TO RIGHT) ITE MODA’S BEN JACKSON, NICK COOK, JAMIE HARDEN AND SEAN O'CONNOR CELEBRATE AFTER FINISHING A FANTASTIC FOURTH PLACE IN THIS YEAR'S CARE CHALLENGE, HELPING TO RAISE OVER £60,000.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | PEOPLE | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 52

COLLECTIVE The people, the places, the products.

LiTTLE BLaCk Book SHINOLA, TRIBECA, NEW YORK

simon says One of the unintended consequences of being in business for nearly 30 years is that, by definition, you become regarded as a source of wisdom. I’m not certain that there’s a link between longevity and talent, but there we go. The upshot of this is that I am a non exec on the board of a friend’s fledgling swimwear business, and an advisor to another old friend who is trying to launch a ladies’ resortwear line. in both cases i’ve been fortunate enough to be on the journey from the start, and it’s been thrilling to see them take their dreams from a few ideas to finished products. as loyal and long suffering readers of this column will attest, i’m never shy of expressing an opinion, and both these friends have endured me opining on numerous occasions. But that’s what i’m there for, frankly. sometimes they take my advice, and sometimes they don’t. no one likes a gloater, so i always refrain from “i told you so”.

There are two common threads to my advice, to both businesses.

The first is “focus”. Both started out with a plan and concept that could be expressed in a sentence, and both have strayed into other products, other demographics. i have urged them to keep to their original vision.

There are only so many hours in the day and, with limited resources, they need to keep to their chosen path. Buyers and customers hate confusion.

The second point i pressed on them both was the need to have a retail space of their own. This is more urgent in the resortwear business, as his garments retail in the mid to high hundreds, and those ladies really want to see, touch and try on before they buy. He’s seriously struggling to establish as an online-only offer. For my other friend, his model is based more on wholesale, and his route to market involves trade shows such as Pitti. However, he will soon need a showroom, and i would strongly urge him to take a retail space that could double as a showroom. By covering two businesses with one overhead, it makes good commercial sense.

The point, in both cases, is that contrary to popular belief, retail is not dead. The web is a crowded space, and the dominant players are becoming stronger, more established and more mature. many smaller start-ups in our sector have fallen by the wayside. only those with a genuinely new idea, or an established high-street presence, will succeed.

Higher and higher marketing spends are needed to make a noise. i was reminding myself of this as i met on site in my new shop in Blackheath, south East London. Day three of building works and i’ve never seen more ancient wiring in my life. it’s a pretty shop, with original Victorian curved glass windows, tessellated floor and odd curves and crannies. it sure needs a lot of work. Let’s hope i’m right about the high street. and remember, no one likes a gloater...

Simon Carter is the CEO of the eponymous brand and retail stores.

Opening its second bricks-and-mortar shop in June earlier this year in New York – the debut store situated in Midtown Detroit – Shinola features a carefully curated mix of the brand’s watches, handmade bicycles, leather goods and American-made apparel. you see, this store is all about american goods. Everything in-store is crafted within the boundaries of the Us. The white-bricked and concretepillared space creates the ideal backdrop to features such as the imposing steel catwalk used for displaying bikes, as well as the huge mercator map saved from a non-disclosed oil company’s headquarters in Rockefeller Centre.

Based in the trendy Tribeca neighbourhood, the space also features a small café and news stand by The smile. special collaborations in-store include the Hillside + shinola handkerchief design, as well as a range of Detroit-made goods from smith shop, Detroit Denim and Local Portion ceramics.

—

PLAN B

My Plan B would have to be technology related. I’m a nerd – not a geek.

SACHA ROSE managing director, Derek Rose

as a kid, i loved building stuff with my meccano set and writing code on my ZX spectrum. i found it amazing how small metal pieces or lines of code could transform into something with its own character and life. Technology is the great enabler for the world today – it can be used to blend beauty with practicality, and provide solutions to everyday problems that people barely recognise exist. i would love to combine my passion for problem solving with an understanding of today’s technology in order to design products and software that make people’s lives easier. That’s why Plan a is going so well – i can marry my desire to improve product with the resources to develop the best solutions. People notice the difference.

—

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | PEOPLE | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 53

Top TweeTs

CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL ROGER WADE FOUNDER, BOXPARK My wardrobe must-have is my classic green Barbour waxed jacket – the beaufort model with the brown cord collar. It’s around 10 years old and I was originally given it. when I was still with boxfresh, towards the end of my time with the brand, we did the first collaboration with barbour.

I was very proud of that. I had the jacket they gave me re-proofed and it came back absolutely beautiful. It’s just one of those staple items that I love, and it will always be in my wardrobe.

— Another essential is my Nike Sportswear (Nike SW) jacket. Again, I was given it, this time by one of the retailers who helped to launch the top-end Nike sw line – a shop called 290 square Meters in Amsterdam. It’s a great jacket with taped seams, and it’s just easy to throw on, or throw in your rucksack for later when it may be needed.

— I’ve also just bought a two-button Gant Rugger navy canvas suit for around £450.

It’s a really nice cloth and the cut is quite slim, almost 60s style. I got it from my local men’s independent in brighton – peggs & son – where I get a lot of my stuff from. I also bought another favourite from there, my Grenson brogue boots with a Vibram sole. They’re a design classic, mixing tradition with a more casual sole unit.

— I’m a big fan of J Crew, and there’s a pair of regular-cut jeans I’m wearing that I got from its shop in santa Monica, California. They’re made in the Us with a selvedge seam, and they’re from the brand’s higher-end line called wallace & barnes. They cost me around $250, but they’re worth it. J Crew has also just opened its first shop in London, which is a good thing. I’ve got a lot of J Crew – I really like it as a brand.

—

dieworkwear @dieworkwear Fung Capital was apparently in talks to buy Tommy Nutter (the Crombie owned brand, obviously, not the deceased man) Universal Works @Universal_Works First UW sneakers being made. Coming to a store near you soon.

HuffPostGoodNews @HPGoodNews “If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.” – Alfred Nobel, who was born on this day in 1833 Andrew Tompsett @The39club This is the 39 Club! First tweet of the Central London based trade association for sales agents and menswear manufacturers!

Anonymous Didn’t expect #farrell to flop, then vanish so quickly like that! Some great menswear, a real blow for poor Ben Dickens Lee Clow’s Beard @leeclowsbeard It takes just one person to derail a great idea and only two people to lock him in a closet.

Simon Carter @kingofcufflinks It’s a beautiful day but I’m at my wits end as the croquet season is over! Help! Will have to spend the day with normal people!

Make it British @MakeItBritish “My dream…that the next generation of British brands will be built on British manufacturing” Ian Maclean, @JohnSmedley

Three oF The besT WATCHES Unless stated otherwise, all prices are wholesale

Maurice Lacroix watch price on request www.mauricelacroix.com —

Giorgio Fendon 1919 watch £136.72 01273 202095 —

Triwa Lansen Chrono watch price on request 0046 841024900 —

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 55

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

ONLINE SHOPPING TO HIT £50BN BY 2018 A new report from Verdict Research says that online shopping will hit the golden £50bn mark by 2018, “as shoppers flock to their living rooms.”

E-retail is set to grow by almost 50 per cent over the next five years, when £1 in every £7 spent on retail will be made online. I don’t think that’s going to shock too many people, especially given the ease with how people can shop online – from their smartphones in the pub to their tablets in the health club, it’s never been easier to click away your month’s wages.

But what is interesting is another survey

by Ukash, highlighting the value of secure online cash payments. Apparently a whopping two-thirds of consumers fear ID fraud when shopping online.

Of those surveyed, 69 per cent regularly check their bank statements for any unusual activity, and 66 per cent will only shop online with secure websites. But, however secure you think they are, there’s someone out there constantly working out a way to steal your money. Just as security will get more and more sophisticated, so will the online fraudsters. It’s a duel on the World Wide Web that will be ongoing. Meanwhile, Peter from Putney has realised he’s lost his life savings, and Louis from Lands End has realised he’s bought himself a Sunseeker yacht, not! These are mere ID fraud blips on the fine crest of the wave of spending online, of course, but it’s clear a vast majority find the thought of it a real worry. Until there’s a pair of shoes they really want, but can’t be arsed to leave their sofa, that is.

The lure of seeing desirable product aplenty on your laptop, phone, tablet, wrist watch, phone or mini computer – whatever they’re going to call it but coming soon – is big news, despite the lack of the touch, feel, smell, try-on temptations of traditional shopping. It’s not good news for bricks-and-mortar-only retailers, but those who have embraced this shift in consumer spending patterns – such as boutiques including Giulio in Cambridge and Diverse in Islington signing up to Farfetch (www.farfetch.com) to widen their customer reach via a credible online platform (see interview with Farfetch founder

 BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB BLACK

 TOPMAN’S SPRAY ON CAMPAIGN

José Neves on page 18) – will be thankful they have. Besides which, on a positive note, while £1 out of every £7 is going to be spent online, it still leaves six out of seven that aren’t. That sounds pretty good these days. And, as for shoppers “flocking to their living rooms”, please, let’s encourage them to get out more.

pants and FieldShell jacket “designed as the contemporary man’s everyday combat gear.”

Anyhow, it’s certainly a shift away from the explosion of colour we’ve seen in menswear in recent seasons, that’s for sure. What the Pitti dandies will make of it remains to be seen.

TIGHT FIT BACK TO BLACK This autumn/winter sees the launch in stores of Billionaire Boys Club Black. Designed by Mark McNairy (he gets around that boy!), it was apparently inspired by a visit he made to Crye Precision, known for designing and manufacturing innovative equipment and apparel for America’s armed forces. McNairy, along with Billionaire Boys Club’s Pharrell Williams, were drawn to the allblack special operations uniform, hence the decision to launch a sub-line with zero colour, but plenty of attitude. It’s definitely not goth, Karl Lagerfeld, Men in Black or Moston Rats (the Man United firm who dress all in black) inspired. But it is quite 80s, with an all-black baseball jacket one of the key pieces (worn with back-to-front baseball cap, natch), along with Crye combat

Topman has this winter launched its Spray On campaign, as sales of said jeans have rocketed 150 per cent in the last year. I wondered why there were so many teenagers round my way talking in such high-pitched voices. Anyway, Topman has got all sorts of different versions of the nut-clenchers – once proudly sported by many a rock star with a spare sock shoved down the front like Rod Stewart – from plain indigo and simple black, to 70s blue (whatever that may be) and acid wash (oh no! It wasn’t good the first time round). The campaign is entitled It’s How We Wear Them. But, whether or not they’re teamed with a leather biker jacket a la Joey Ramone, or vest or bare-topped like Iggy Pop, one thing’s for sure, none of the boy bands on The X Factor will have to worry about hitting the high notes again.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | DIRECTORY | 56

BIG SIZES

CASUALWEAR

HANGERS

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | PROMOTION | 57

THE ESSENTIAL RESOURCE FOR THE MENSWEAR INDUSTRY: MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK Mwb-online.co.uk is the essential free business tool, bringing you industry advice, up-to-the-minute news, insightful features and trend information at the click of a button.

— From the team behind MWB magazine, the website covers every aspect of the menswear industry. Frequently updated news across a broad range of topics will help you keep your finger on the pulse, while a variety of unique content that complements MWB’s comprehensive industry and style reports brings you rounded, in-depth knowledge and information. Brand spotlights, short-order specials and trend overviews are just some of the must-read features, all of which will aid your buying decisions and help enhance your in-store offer.

The Retail section provides further vital inspiration, covering everything from visual merchandising ideas to advice and suggestions from the brains behind some of the UK’s most successful independents. Articles in the People section focus on the movers and shakers across menswear, to give you the inside track on what makes them tick and how they stay ahead of the game.

—

MAKE MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK YOUR DAILY SOURCE OF ESSENTIAL FASHION INDUSTRY INFORMATION – IT’S ONLY A CLICK AWAY. To advertise on mwb-online.co.uk call Sharon on 01484 846069 or email sharon@ras-publishing.com

NEWS Industry news that’s relevant to you, from new launches to trading predictions and business reports.

RETAIL Want to explore multi-channelling in order to drive sales, learn more about the latest market research or gain inspiration for visual merchandising?

You’ll find it all here – and it could prove highly profitable.

BRANDS Useful profiles of familiar favourites and up-and-coming brands alike, along with broader features on their evolution, strategy and direction.

OPINION Read what the experts think about current and ongoing issues affecting the industry – their insights could prove invaluable to your business.

FEATURES Reports, interviews and brand profiles on the issues, industry figures and companies everyone wants to know about.

PRODUCT Short-order stock, ranging from fashion and footwear to inspirational add-on product.

EVENTS As well as previews and reviews, mwb-online.co.uk will keep you informed about the essential dates for your diary.

BLOG MWB’s bloggers are passionate about the fashion industry and always have something interesting to say. Find out what’s getting them talking.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 | MWB-ONLINE.CO.UK | 58

LAST ORDERS WITH...

SHADIM HUSSAIN Victoria Jackson catches up with the founder of Yukka.com, one of the leading streetwear e-tailers, to discover the key to its success.

—

Place of birth: Bradford Lives now: Bradford Date of birth: 30/10/1978 Twitter: @yukka Website: www.yukka.co.uk

You have recently celebrated a decade in business with your online streetwear store Yukka. How did you get into the retail industry?

From previously working in the clothes industry and retail, I jumped at the chance of buying Yukka.

I have always had a strong interest in the urban streetwear industry that stemmed from my upbringing and passion for music and fashion.

From being a street kid to catering for the modernised, young client, my background gives me the opportunity to bring the old-school street style into the present, while continuously moving with the times.

How has online retail changed over the last decade for you?

Of course, online is booming at the moment, with youngsters more than ever confident about online retail and purchasing. Most people are surfing the Internet everyday, blogging, tweeting and finding out what is the next hot brand or product.

The streetwear scene is experiencing a surge in popularity in the UK market at the moment, what factors do you think have contributed to this?

Streetwear is fresh, loud, functional and comfortable. It’s all over blogs, and celebrities such as Jay-Z and Lil Wayne are teaching the kids what’s hot and how to style their outfits. In regards to the current economic state, people are grabbing bargains, and streetwear is becoming very affordable and an easy way to get the celeb style within budget.

Which brands have performed well for you over the past 10 years?

We’ve transitioned from urban to streetwear over that period of time. There have been a lot of sub cultures such as Skate, Urban and Street, and we’ve straddled the lot. From our urban crop of brands, Ecko and Rocawear remain popular. Our boutique range of streetwear labels including Crooks & Castles has been great for us; the designs are unique and limited to certain retailers.

Adidas Originals has always been a good seller as well.

What’s your secret to being a successful e-tailer?

I would say a simple combination of the best brands, realistic prices, customer service and focus. Of course, lots of hard graft helps, such as being involved with our customers, setting up stalls and events at nightclubs and dance competitions, as well as getting people virtually chatting about our website and rating what’s hot and what’s not.

Who do you take inspiration from in terms of your personal style?

I do it my way – I wear whatever I feel comfortable in. Right now it’s a plain tee, skinny jeans and a slim knitted jumper. Keep it classic.

And which guys out there do you think have their eye on the ball style-wise?

The usual suspects have to be Kanye West and Jay-Z. Which brands would we find hanging in your wardrobe?

Adidas Originals, Bellfield, Cipo & Baxx, Raw Blue and Crooks & Castles.

Your most treasured item in your wardrobe?

My Penfield jacket, without a doubt.

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS — Who is your mentor?

My big brother.

— I wish I could resist?

Jerk chicken.

— Growing up I wanted to be…

A mogul.

— One piece of advice I’d give to my 16-year-old self would be…

Work hard.

— What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

My family.

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