WWB MAGAZINE FEBRUARY ISSUE 262

WOMENSWEAR BUYER wwb-online.co.uk FEBRUARY 2017 ISSUE 262 £6.95

STYLE SEEKERS MEET AT MODA The essential buyer’s guide to this season’s edition BREAKING GROUND Middlesbrough indie Psyche’s 35 years at the top of its game CONTINUITY AND CHANGE 70 years of German knitwear brand Faber

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A SPECIAL OCCASION

The latest news and trends in evening and occasionwear

86/ 2 0 1 7 R E T A I L T R E N D S The consumer behaviour influencing the industry landscape this year

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BERLIN UNCOVERED

WWB’s pick of the German shows

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SCOTTISH POWER

The steady evolution of Stockbridge indie Dicks

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RETAIL FORUM

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ETAIL CLINIC

Expert e-commerce advice

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THE LAST WORD

With Claire O’Neill, marketing segment manager, lingerie & swimwear at Lycra

EDITOR’S COMMENT

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TALKING POINT

Your views on the issues shaping the industry

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With Steve Cochrane, owner, Psyche

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MADE IN GERMANY

How knitwear brand Faber has combined continuity with modernity

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STYLE FILE

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INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

Peckham indie Bias is a treasure trove of style

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THE ESSENCE OF MODA

A comprehensive guide to the a/w 17 edition

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WINTER GARDENS

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WWB’s shoot sums up the key trends in contemporary womenswear

FRONT COVER: SET

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Editor Isabella Griffiths isabella@ras-publishing.com Contributors Christina Williams christina@ras-publishing.com Victoria Jackson victoria@ras-publishing.com Laura Turner laura@ras-publishing.com Writer Rebecca Jackson rebecca.jackson@ras-publishing.com Design & production Michael Podger mick@ras-publishing.com

Editor’s comment Isabella Griffiths

Clive Holloway clive@ras-publishing.com James Lindley james@ras-publishing.com Richard Boyle richard@ras-publishing.com Sales Sam Chambers sam@ras-publishing.com Michele Ali michele@ras-publishing.com Editorial director Gill Brabham gill@ras-publishing.com Portfolio director Nick Cook nick@ras-publishing.com Marketing director Stephanie Parker stephanie.parker@ite-exhibitions.com Reprographics & printing ImageData Group 01482 652323

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As the latest trading updates from across the high street have been landing in my inbox over the course of last month, it’s pretty evident who the winners and losers of the tough and competitive trading climate are.

Among the repeated and reliable winners is British lifestyle brand Joules, which has once again posted strong financial results. It joins a raft of other lifestyle labels with a similar business ethos of offering affordable, versatile, good quality products, namely the likes of White Stuff, Boden, Mint Velvet and Fat Face, all of which have a strong signature and USP that goes beyond fickle fashion trends. Teamed with inviting store environments, a slick e-commerce operation and high levels of customer service across all trading channels, it’s not difficult to see why these are consistently among the top industry performers.

Most of these refrain from overly aggressive discounting – or at least they seem to be strategic about them – and have a fashion offer emphasising transseasonal styles that justify a full price tag.

It’s a business philosophy which can be applied and replicated by indies, too. Seeking out labels that offer all of the above mentioned credentials is key, with merchandise that is relevant to customers’ lifestyles while being individual and appealing enough to warrant them parting with their cash.

And this in itself – as we know – is becoming increasingly demanding. Consumer behaviour is

changing drastically, with people spending less money overall on clothes, and more and more on experiences such as eating out, holidays, leisure and fitness pursuits as well as beauty treatments.

As one well known indie recently told me: “When we first opened many years ago, women spent most of their disposable income on their hair and their wardrobes. Now, they spend it more and more on beauty such as nails, cosmetics and treatments, which significantly reduces their fashion spend. Add to this things like going out, eating out and holidays, and we are competing not only against other retailers and brands, but a whole host of other experiences. So we have to create our own experiences in-store to keep up.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Unlike men, whose buying behaviour is less emotional and more driven by practical considerations (yes, I’m generalising here), women will always have a natural affinity and desire for fashion and will always be able to be tempted into making that ‘must-have’ purchase. Women may have become more selective and wise in their shopping behaviour, but I don’t think as a gender we will ever stop buying clothes. It just needs to be product that has a great design signature, strong appeal and is in line with women’s lifestyle needs.

On that note, I hope you will find the best labels out there at the numerous trade shows that are happening this month. There is certainly enough choice and great product out there!

WWB is a fashion business publication produced by ITE Moda Ltd. Other titles include MWB and CWB. ITE Moda Ltd is an ITE Group PLC company

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ALL GODSKE BRANDS SHOWING AT THE FOLLOWING VENUES A.I.S – INDX WOMENSWEAR Solihull Wed 8 Feb - Fri 10 Feb 2017 PURE EXHIBITION Olympia – Stand C123 & C131 Sun 12 Feb - Tues 14 Feb 2017 LONDON SHOWROOM also open Sat 11 Feb and Sun 12 Feb 2017 WEEKEND OF PURE MODA UK NEC Birmingham Hall 20 – Stand U41 & U51 Sun 19 Feb to Tues 21 Feb 2017 Dublin Showroom Weekend Sun 26 Feb to Tues 28 Feb 2017

LONDON SHOWROOM: Godske Group UK. Showroom: 65 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SP. Tel: 0207 636 3063 Fax: 0207 636 3863 Email: pug@godske.com DUBLIN SHOWROOM 1: Godske Group Ireland, Niall Scanlan Unit 5, Fashion City, Ballymount, Dublin 24. Tel: 00353 1 4295042 Fax: 00353 1 4295043

ALL GODSKE BRANDS SHOWING AT THE FOLLOWING VENUES A.I.S – INDX WOMENSWEAR Solihull Wed 8 Feb - Fri 10 Feb 2017 PURE EXHIBITION Olympia – Stand C123 & C131 Sun 12 Feb - Tues 14 Feb 2017 LONDON SHOWROOM also open Sat 11 Feb and Sun 12 Feb 2017 WEEKEND OF PURE MODA UK NEC Birmingham Hall 20 – Stand U41 & U51 Sun 19 Feb to Tues 21 Feb 2017 Dublin Showroom Weekend Sun 26 Feb to Tues 28 Feb 2017

NEW DUBLIN SHOWROOM 2: Godske Group Ireland, Liam Lacey Ground Floor, 41A Fashion City, Ballymount Road Upper, Dublin 24, D24DP92. Tel: 00353 870966113

LONDON SHOWROOM: Godske Group UK. Showroom: 65 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SP. Tel: 0207 636 3063 Fax: 0207 636 3863 Email: pug@godske.com DUBLIN SHOWROOM 1: Godske Group Ireland, Niall Scanlan Unit 5, Fashion City, Ballymount, Dublin 24. Tel: 00353 1 4295042 Fax: 00353 1 4295043

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INDUSTRY ADOPTS PRAGMATIC VIEW OVER SINGLE MARKET EXIT Brands and agents trading with Europe or European labels vow to remain reactive to avoid possible long-term impact of Brexit on trade.

Following the announcement by Prime Minister Theresa May last month that the UK will seek to leave the single market as part of the formal Brexit negotiations with the European Union, the majority of fashion industry players have adopted a pragmatic approach. In a straw poll conducted by WWB, those brands and agents who are trading with European labels and stores are hoping any negative impact on trade will be minor and short-lived before new trade deals can be put in place.

Leah Bernal, agent for French labels Des Petit Hauts and Absolute Cashmere, says that a closer collaboration between her brands and stockists will be an important factor in addressing potential issues. “I think it would be a great shame to leave the single market and I am hoping a deal will be negotiated to retain tariff-free access or as near to that as possible,” she says.

“My brands are very supportive of their UK customers, offering stock swaps and flexible payment terms. I think it is extremely important to maintain these. In the long term, I think European brands will adapt in whichever way needed to maintain their UK customer base; I am confident they will do this rather than lose a profitable market,” she says. “The fashion industry is a huge part of the UK’s economy and ultimately this is not going to change,” she adds.

Juls Dawson, owner of fashion agency Just Consultancies, expects some impact on trade in the short term, but remains hopeful that this can be resolved longer-term. “I believe in the short term, leaving the single market is a bad thing due to the

collapse of the pound and the effect it has on all of my suppliers.

Long term, we will have to wait and see; also what additional restrictions and red tape Brexit will have on the import and export of goods. It may mean that mark-ups may go down and/ or RRPs up. It may restrict free shipment from some of our brands where stocks are held in Europe, and in turn may drive sales towards our more accessibly priced brands,” he says. “I am sure that my brands will retain their brand integrity and quality in their product, however this may not be the case with all brands in the market as they attempt to cut corners or source cheaper. I believe that the UK is already perceived by Europe as a difficult market to enter, so it may be even less appealing to international brands to do so – or some may simply pull out.”

James Lakeland, owner of the eponymous brand which has an international stockist base, feels that brands need to proactively safeguard their future. “The looming Brexit and all that comes with it has pushed me to expand my stockist base further afield and look beyond Europe; we are looking at the American market, and have just picked up stockists from the Far East. We will have to be realistic and watch our prices and margins because of the weakness of the sterling. We’ll have to make sure we buy euros and dollars forward and create a desirable collection that remains competitive and appealing,” he says. “Whatever your stance is on Brexit and the single market, there is nothing we can do about it, and therefore all we can do is get on with it.”

FOR DAILY NEWS, ANALYSIS AND UPDATES, VISIT WWB-ONLINE.CO.UK

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NEWS IN BRIEF

MESSE DÜSSELDORF MOVES GDS TO IGEDO

CELTIC & CO EXPANDS WHOLESALE BASE

Messe Düsseldorf, owner and organiser of German footwear trade show GDS, has integrated the event into the portfolio of its subsidiary, Igedo Company, with the show set to be relaunched with a new concept at Düsseldorf ’s Areal Böhler venue in late August or early September.

Over the past few years GDS and its sister show Tag it! have been elaborately redesigned in close cooperation with the shoe sector, but failed to fulfil the expectations of both the organisers and industry. Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, president and CEO at Messe Düsseldorf, attributes this to changes in the shoe sector: “The sector has radically changed over the past few years and the pace has picked up again. GDS no longer seems to be the right format for the current challenges within the shoe sector,” he says.

Details on the new shoe trade show will be released by the Igedo Company as part of GDS this month.

British sheepskin footwear brand Celtic & Co is looking to expand its wholesale base significantly this year in a bid to diversify its distribution channels, which are currently based on own retail stores as well as a website and mail order business.

The brand, which was founded 26 years ago and is based in Newquay, Cornwall, specialises in handmade sheepskin footwear and slippers, as well as sheepskin outerwear and all natural knitwear, mainly working with British suppliers.

As part of the wholesale push of the brand, Celtic & Co is offering small minimum orders on branded product lines as well as the option to order white label pieces to retailers’ specifications, which are produced in the brand’s Cornish factory.

The company is one of the UK’s largest dedicated retailers of luxury sheepskin products.

The brand is worn by a host of celebrity clients, including the likes of The Duchess of Cambridge, Pippa Middleton and Kate Humble.

MARBLE EXPANDS WITH SCARF COLLECTION British knitwear brand Marble has expanded its collection for a/w 17 with the introduction of a capsule range of scarves to correspond with and complement the colour schemes and styles of the main collection. The accessory range is the latest product expansion for the brand, which has previously successfully added a range of figure-flattering jeans to its product mix, which mainly focuses on knitwear and related separates.

The brand has also relaunched its website, www.marblefashions.co.uk, with a fresh, clean look, new features and easier navigation as well as an updated marketing function which allows trade customers to access and download from the brand’s image gallery, specifically designed to support the brand’s stockists and e-commerce and marketing activities.

LINDY BOP SECURES LEAGUE TABLE TOP SPOT Manchester based vintage fashion brand Lindy Bop has been ranked 20th in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table, with sales more than trebling between 2013 and 2016 to over £10m. Established in 2010 by entrepreneurs Tim Hall and Dylan Cross, Lindy Bop specialises in vintage inspired fashion sold via its UK and US e-commerce sites as well as an established wholesale network. The company is investing further in its global operations in 2017 and will be launching retail sites in Germany and Australia.

SWEATY BETTY OPENS CARNABY FLAGSHIP Directional fitness brand Sweaty Betty will open its European flagship at 1 Carnaby Street this spring. The prominent 2,200 sq ft corner store is located at the south entrance to Carnaby Street and is a significant upgrade from the brand’s existing store on Beak Street.

The shop is arranged over ground and basement floors, allowing the brand to offer the full clothing, accessories and equipment collections, as well as housing a studio space for exclusive wellness events, providing a wider customer experience.

WESC APPOINTS JOSEPH JANUS WORLDWIDE CEO Joseph Janus, former CEO of WeSC America, has been appointed chief executive officer of WeSC Worldwide with a primary focus on directing the strategy for sales and distribution as well as marketing and PR. In addition to his current role of overseeing all US operations, Janus will now lead the entire organisation, working closely with the Stockholm based head of design, head of production and sales team. He will assume overall responsibilty for directing the brand’s a/w 17 sales efforts, together with the sales team in Stockholm.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

€80M INVESTMENT FOR VENTE-PRIVEE.COM

MISSGUIDED SET TO OPEN AT BLUEWATER

Leading flash sales site Vente-Privee.com has announced it will be investing ¤80m in its innovation, research and development teams. The investment will see the realisation of three projects from its Paris headquarters with the aim of reinforcing the brand’s commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation. Vente-Privee. com will establish two in-house innovation labs and create an additional 250 jobs to expand its IT teams in supporting the service they provide to the platform’s 4.5 million unique daily users across Europe. In addition, and in partnership with the world’s largest start-up campus, Station F, based in Paris, Vente-Privee.com will establish an accelerator programme for 20 start-ups in the fields of fashion, technology and retail. The brand’s aim is to support start-ups who imagine solutions and services that aim to enrich, optimise and transform consumers’ online experience in the online fashion retail sector.

Young fashion brand Missguided is set to open its second store at leading retail and leisure centre Bluewater this summer. The 16,000 sq ft statement store, situated on Bluewater’s lower Rose Gallery, will also be the brand’s first outlet outside of London. Founded by Nitin Passi in 2009, Missguided has become an established women’s fashion brand, predominantly trading via its e-commerce website, with a single store in London and two Selfridge’s concessions. The new Bluewater store has been designed by Dalziel & Pow and will stock all of Missguided’s collections, including high fashion, lingerie and nightwear, activewear, maternity and bridal.

In the last 12 months, more than 100,000 sq ft of space at Bluewater has been newly created or enhanced, including upsized stores for H&M and FatFace, and Mint Velvet’s first store in a non-high street location.

GUESS TO OPEN FLAGSHIP IN LIVERPOOL ONE Global lifestyle brand Guess is set to open a new flagship on Liverpool One’s Paradise Street this spring. The 5,000 sq ft store will be the first in the north west, and one of only a handful in the UK, to stock the complete Guess collection, including the brand’s denim offer for men and women, as well as other products including watches, sunglasses and footwear, and the Guess kids and Marciano ranges. The signing of Guess follows the opening of other Paradise Street regional flagships, including Jack Wolfskin, Lindt, Smiggle and Urban Decay. The five new international retailers total around 11,000 sq ft of fashion and lifestyle floor space, adding to Paradise Street’s portfolio of young urban brands.

Footfall at the shopping destination reached 29 million in 2016, a 4 per cent increase, and sales grew by 8 per cent compared with 2015.

PALAMON BUYS HAPPY SOCKS Palamon Capital Partners, a panEuropean growth investor, has acquired a majority stake in designer sock brand Happy Socks. Founded in 2008 in Sweden by Mikael Söderlindh and Victor Tell, Happy Socks is a globally recognised brand sold in more than 90 countries through more than 10,000 points of sale, supported by a fast growing online channel and an expanding portfolio of own-branded retail stores. Happy Socks has achieved more than 50 per cent revenue and EBITDA annual growth over the last three years, generating retail sales of ¤100m in 2016.

HAVAIANAS APPOINTS NEW EMEA PRESIDENT Alpargatas, parent company of flip flop brand Havaianas, has appointed Guillaume Prou to be the new President for the EMEA region. Prou, originally from France, joined Alpargatas 5 years ago in the role of CFO EMEA. He previously worked for 15 years at L’Oréal in various positions in Thailand, France, Brazil and Portugal.

Alpargatas is one of the largest footwear manufacturers in the world with over 25,000 employees, with a global base in São Paulo, Brazil.

GERRY WEBER CLOSES FINANCIAL YEAR ON TARGET Preliminary revenues of the Gerry Weber Core brands (Gerry Weber, Taifun and Samoon) amounted to approx. ¤717m, down 10.9 per cent on the previous year. The Gerry Weber Core Retail segment generated sales revenues of ¤419m, which represents 46.5 per cent of total Group revenues.

Like-for-like revenues declined by 7.6 per cent because of the continued difficult market environment and the related low footfall figures.

Online revenues showed a positive trend and reached ¤43.9m, up 22 per cent on the previous year.

WOMAN & ACCESSORIES 19-21 FEBRUARY 2017

NEC Birmingham

Register for tickets at moda-uk.co.uk

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NEWS IN BRIEF TOMS COLLABORATES WITH &OTHER STORIES Footwear brand Toms has teamed up with &Other Stories on a new collection set to launch in the spring.

The collaboration will feature new interpretations of some of Toms’ classic shoe styles, along with ready-to-wear inspired by the LA way of life.

FILIPPA K APPOINTS NEW CEO AND CHAIRMAN

NEW ONLINE FASHION RETAIL LAUNCHING

The board of Filippa K has appointed Kristofer Tonström as new CEO, taking over the role from Anna Lönnerstedt, who has been interim CEO since September 2016. Lönnerstedt will continue in the newly created position of range & supply director. In addition, Simon Griffiths has been appointed new chairman of the board.

Tonström has many years of experience leading international brand-driven organisations with a focus on innovation, marketing and sales, having most recently been CEO of Omega Pharma Nordic AB where he has built one of the Nordic region’s largest and fastest growing health and beauty companies, including revitalising the brand ACO. Griffiths, meanwhile, has substantial experience working internationally with strategy and business development at EQT and Bain & Company. Company founder Filippa Knutsson has assumed the role of creative director.

A new editorial styling and multi-brand shopping platform is set to launch in March, providing a selected edit of some of the world’s most coveted and up and coming brands. Ownthelook.com will stock over 40 international brands such as Isla, N12H, Aeryne and First Base from the US, Australia, Denmark, Germany and Korea covering ready-to-wear, swimwear, accessories and jewellery.

Ownthelook.com is seeking to become a leading voice in ‘what to wear and how to wear it’, inviting industry insiders to style the latest key trends, with the option to buy each curated outfit as well as individual pieces via a simple two-click option to ‘Own The Look’.

The company has been co-founded by Olivia Cantillon, who draws on seven years of experience in styling and fashion journalism. The site, www.ownthelook.com, is set to launch in March, with prices ranging from £30 to £500.

LESARA EXPANDS INTO UK MARKET German fashion e-tailer Lesara is expanding into the UK market with a product offer that promises to deliver affordable style from trend to market within 10 days. The brand utilises an ‘agile retail’ system, a new concept based around data-driven trend analysis which is seamlessly integrated into the brand’s supply chain, allowing for direct contact with its manufacturers, fast turnaround and optimised logistics.

Founded by tech entrepreneur and CEO Roman Kirsch, Lesara offers more than 70,000 on-trend products from across the fashion, lifestyle, accessories and home categories on its site, www.lesara.co.uk. The brand has experienced rapid growth over the past three years, launching in 23 countries and five different languages and having seen sales increase by 500 per cent. The company is based in Berlin, with branches in Guangzhou and Shenzen in China.

KACOO FASHION LAUNCHES NEW YORK SHOWROOM As a result of growing sales and success within the US market, Kacoo Fashion is opening a New York showroom this month. Located within the historic garment district, the 3,000 sq ft showroom on 7th Avenue will be home to Kacoo Fashion’s bestselling brands Glamorous and True Decadence. In addition, the company has appointed Stephen McKenzie as global head of sales. McKenzie will join the sales team at the company’s Manchester head office and will be responsible for managing the UK and international wholesale development strategy.

SHARE OF NEXT DAY DELIVERIES GROWS Latest data from IMRG and MetaPack reveals that the typical delivery timeframe appears to be shrinking, with next-day delivery services now accounting for a greater share of online orders.

In 2016 next-day delivery was selected as the carriage option for 31 per cent of online retail orders, up from 26.8 per cent in 2015. Over the same period, the share of orders using economy services fell from 45.5 per cent in 2015 to 38.9 per cent in 2016.

H&M’S PRESTON RELAUNCH H&M is set to relaunch its Preston store, located in the St George’s Shopping Centre, on 23 February with an extended and improved layout and contemporary shopfit. Trading across two floors, the store covers 1,879 sq m of sales space offering women’s, men’s, Divided and kidswear collections.

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THE TRIACTION COLLECTION Triaction is high-performance, bounce control tested, stylish sportswear you can take from office to gym to socialising with friends. It is designed using Triumph’s best-selling fits to support active women of every shape and give them the freedom to train how and when they want to. The innovative AW17 Collection features the Dynamic LITE Cardio series and the Magic Motion Studio series with on trend, seasonal colours and styles, which are lightweight, supportive, and comfortable, and feature superior bounce control.

F I N D T H E O N E T H AT M O V E S Y O U TRIUMPH.COM

160 YEARS IN THE MAKING B E A PA R T O F T H E M O S T E XC LU S I V E K N I T W E A R B R A N D F O R G E N E R AT I O N S A L I M I T E D N U M B E R O F R E TA I L L I S T I N G S A V A I L A B L E .

T O E N Q U I R E A B O U T B E C O M I N G A N E X C L U S I V E S T O C K I S T, C A L L + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 4 8 4 8 4 8 4 3 4 O R E M A I L I N F O R M AT I O N @ S L A I T H. C O. U K

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Talking Point

Your views on the issues shaping the industry Building a future for the independent market

SOFIA STRAZZANTI, owner, Innocenza Agency I last reflected on this subject and the implications for brands, retailers and us as an agency in WWB nearly three years ago; how things have changed for us in this short period. As an agent representing independent, premium brands, I noted the primary challenge I faced was how to build a sustainable and profitable business with our independent retail partners in a polarised

Could online save bricks and mortar?

MELISSA WHEELER is a freelance fashion writer and industry commentator To say that the high street is suffering is to state the obvious. We need look no further than Next – the bellwether of the industry – who, last month, lost nearly a fifth of its value after a slump in festive trading.

Naturally, it’s not something which fashion retailers want to hear as they embark upon a new season. At the heart of the industry’s challenges are the inexorable rise in online shopping and the fall in the number of people venturing to high streets

landscape between big brands and a promotiondriven high street essentially squeezing our contemporary ‘bridge’ market. It represented an opportunity for independents to stand apart with an inspiring and personal shopping experience.

Since then, the dynamics of our relationship with our brands has progressed from one of delivering a balanced distribution portfolio, to one of being a strategic partner highlighting opportunities and implementing a multi-channel business where space ownership and communicating a consistent and exciting brand message is key.

We need our independent brands to turn up the volume. Standalone retail and scaled down versions as ‘shop in shop’ concepts are central to our future conversations with our brands. It will enable us to support our independent retailers with a heightened brand awareness, offering a reference point to showcase the scalability and potential of the brand for others.

However, as an agent, we are at the mercy of the brand’s own strategic timeline and budgets, no matter how much we all agree taking these next important steps are key to the global development of the brand. So what do we do?

Strengthen. Control. Diversify. Since I founded Innocenza nearly nine years ago, the core of my business has been relationships; this remains today. Continuously strengthening our client relationships is our focus. We recently transformed part of our showroom into a Sicilian Deli and Pasticceria serving the best pistachio & lemon cake – ever. Obviously, this doesn’t help your sell through but it does make our appointments a memorable occasion.

We have diversified by launching our own contemporary collection, in.no, launching with a directional statement of knitwear. Heading into our second season we are excited to be showcasing at Scoop and in Paris. We also launched an in.no pop-up store, opening the ground floor of our central London showroom to the public throughout November and December 2016, allowing us to showcase our brands in a new way and hopefully inspiring our wholesale clients.

As was my sign-off three years ago, for the independent market to succeed, we need to have a collaborative approach to deliver the best outcome for both the brand, agent and the retailer. More of the same is not enough; we need to be exceeding expectations every time.

and shopping centres. The exodus to etailers, such as Amazon and Asos, has increased at a dizzying pace in recent years, leading some to pronounce the demise of retailing as we know it. But like many of the marketplace changes taking place, there are some surprising consequences.

For example, there’s reason to believe that digital shopping could ultimately reinvigorate high streets and strengthen the small bricks-andmortars. It’s true that the growth in online sales in recent years has been staggering and that many retailers have suffered as a result. The internet now accounts for about 14 per cent of retail spending in this country. It seems that we Brits are particularly enamoured of shopping online, spending more, per person, on e-commerce than almost any other developed nation. As if the online tide were not enough, traditional retailers are having to shoulder the burden of business rates, Brexit-induced price inflation and the living wage. Successful retailers will always see opportunities, rather than obstacles, and so may have noticed a ray of sunshine on the horizon.

Rather than leading to the high street’s demise, technology could lead to its renaissance.

Investment in an online platform, supported by a

targeted social media profile, and a click-andcollect service, can give smaller businesses an advantageous boost. Develop an online profile for your products and have them purchased online and then collected in store, where additional purchases are likely to be made. Your reach has been extended, your outlay minimal, plus you’ve added to your sales, rather than leached them from one of your properties.

That the high street remains a uniquely convenient space for shoppers to collect purchases has not gone unnoticed by some hawk-eyed etailers. In early December, Missguided opened its first standalone store at Westfield Stratford City, the start of an aggressive bricks-and-mortar rollout. With this ‘showrooming’ strategy being picked up by the likes of Missguided, Boohoo and – soon – Amazon, could this herald the dawn of a new era for high street fashion retailers?

With many bricks-and-mortars hitherto complaining about the ‘showroom effect – ‘they come in, try on the clothes and then purchase online’ – maybe there’s an alternative ‘showrooming effect’ which some indies have yet to tap into. It’s a question of perception. www.melissawheeler.co.uk @Melissavwheeler

Autumn/Winter 2017 collection showing at Moda, NEC stand X21 Love Brands Limited. www.lovebrandsuk.com. sales@lovebrandsuk.com . 020 7702 0203.

WINNER

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Psyche in Middlesbrough celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, having just completed a huge £500,000 extension of its backroom facilities to match the business’s growth. Tom Bottomley gets the details from managing director, and industry stalwart, Steve Cochrane.

Tom Bottomley: What spurred the new £500,000 extension to the Psyche business and how has it added to what you already had?

Steve Cochrane: We’d just outgrown the building. It was 35,000 square feet, but it was all retail space really; there was not enough storage space, the offices were tiny and cramped, and the staff room was quite often full and just not big enough. We have 84 members of staff now, about 50 of which are on the shop floors, and we’re advertising for another two people for the online business, where there are currently 14 working.

As we’ve grown, we hadn’t increased the accommodation space, but we’ve now added an additional 5,000 square feet to the building. I wanted to invest in a nice staff room with a pool table to improve staff morale. We’ve also got great office space now and everything is brand new. My office is now ridiculously big. In terms of funding the extension, we did it partly out of cash flow, partly out of a Psyche pension fund, and we took on a small loan.

TB: What areas are currently performing well and how is the business split?

SC: The women’s side of the business has seen a slight increase, and the childrenswear has seen a big increase. Tailoring has contracted, men’s fashion is a bit flat, and the website is going like crazy – 37 per cent up on last year. The split of the business is 54.3 per cent men’s, 22.6 per cent women’s, 11.4 per cent childrenswear, and the rest is non-specific gender. We also do a bit of homeware which we sell quite well online.

STEVE COCHRANE MANAGING DIRECTOR, PSYCHE

TB: Where are the majority of your online customers located?

SC: Most of them are in London, a whopping 61.2 per cent of our online customers in fact. We do a bit through Amazon, and we pay for Google AdWords and do a lot of targeted mailers – building a customer database all the time. Second is Glasgow, third is Birmingham, fourth is Manchester, fifth is Middlesbrough and sixth is Newcastle. And then about 10 per cent comes from overseas.

TB: Is the growth being driven by the online business?

SC: Yes, very much so. What’s exciting is we launched an app about two years ago, but it never really did anything because

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you could only buy using Paypal. But now we can take credit cards on the app, and it’s made a huge difference. The app now accounts for 9 per cent of our online sales, and that’s a massive increase on last year where it was only about 1 per cent. We only relaunched that in mid-November last year. An app is a lot cheaper than a website, and a website is a lot cheaper than a shop, so that could be the future!

TB: But surely the bricks and mortar shop still has a big role to play?

SC: It does, of course. I’ve been doing this for 35 years now; it’s Psyche’s 35th anniversary this year, and I absolutely still love it.

It isn’t work to me. I love buying, I love product and dealing with customers, and I love being on the shop floor, although I don’t get time to do it as much as I’d like.

I also think shops will come back stronger in a few years’ time, but in a slightly different format. Things will stabilise and settle down and, once they do, the novelty of going to shops will come back. Shops will have to improve and evolve, and they will need screens and to be interactive. Click and collect is growing at a massive rate, so you’ve got to come in to the shop to collect your purchase.

TB: How much of your business is now done online?

SC: The split is 68 per cent store and 32 per cent online at the moment. However, online sales increased by 36.7 per cent and 32 per cent the previous year, so at some point over the next year or two I think online sales will match the store sales. The amount of web sales we now do from mobile phones is enormous, some 63.7 per cent of our online sales. If you include sales from tablets that rises to 78 per cent.

TB: Would you consider yourself to be a ground-breaking retailer?

SC: Most definitely. We try loads of new things all the time, though quite often they don’t work out! We actually launched online in 1997. Unfortunately, at the time, I had the Psyche own label, and then I took on this building in 2002, and that took my focus and attention away from online. I wish I’d continued to put all my efforts in to online, because we’d be a massive player now. We’ve only really been refocusing on it for the past three years.

TB: What are your bestselling women’s brands?

SC: Our women’s offer isn’t as premium as our men’s. Our best women’s brand volume sales-wise is Ugg, followed by Michael Kors, then Armani’s EA7 line, quickly followed by Armani Jeans and Ted Baker.

TB: Are you planning on making the womenswear more premium too?

SC: Yes we are. Our women’s business already includes the likes of Moschino, and Versace is being added. Our womenswear buyers are also looking to pick up Paul Smith again, because that was actually dropped. We’ve done Paul Smith on men’s for some 25 years and we’ve never dropped that. We also do Polo Ralph Lauren, Barbour and Armani on women’s.

TB: This year marks Psyche’s 35th anniversary: did you ever envisage such longevity through a series of recessions?

SC: Well, I started off as the singer in a punk band called Sliced Tomatoes. And my first shop was called Sliced Tomatoes, too.

The band wasn’t very good and we didn’t get anywhere, but I designed the clothes we wore, and people liked the clothes better than the music! That’s when I had the urge to do something with clothes.

When I opened the shop in 1982, it was a bit of a laugh really. It was meant to help to get me fixed up with girls rather than be a proper business, because I was still young and daft – I was only 23. This is, of course, a big business now, with a boardroom and non-executive directors – the whole nine yards.

It’s been an exciting, rollercoaster growth. We’ve had a lot of challenges along the way, and 2008 was the biggest challenge.

That hit us quite hard. I didn’t really feel the other recessions to be honest, but that one I did. It set us back a bit and probably turned my attention away from e-commerce when I should have been getting more into it.

TB: What plans do you have for celebrating the 35th anniversary?

SC: The actual anniversary is on 1 August, but we’re going to have a big party in October – it’s a better time for everyone.

We’re going to throw a lot of money at it. We’ll have a catwalk show, live bands and we’ll do food and drink – there’ll be a lot of stuff going on.

T H E F LO R A L E CO L L EC T I O N Florale is Triumph’s new collection of luxurious, decorative and figure-flattering everyday lingerie for the sophisticated, mature woman. Florale boasts a new, innovative 4-section wired cup for enhanced support and comfort, and the designs are inspired by magnificent florals - the Peony, the Iris, the Dahlia and the Wild Rose. Bras and panties are expertly crafted and feature floral stretch laces, exquisite embroideries and premium detailing. For a consumer who knows her mind and body, Florale offers a new standard of style, support and classic elegance.

F I N D T H E O N E T H AT M A K E S Y O U F E E L E L E G A N T TRIUMPH.COM

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Made in Germany Balancing tradition with a modern spirit, German brand Faber has been successfully trading from its headquarters in Northern Bavaria for seven decades, with this year marking the brand’s 70th anniversary. Isabella Griffiths quizzed MD Markus Faber about the brand’s recipe for success and what the future holds for the knitwear specialist.

In an industry that is dominated by speed and change, one company is proof that being consistent and reliable can also lead to continued success. One such business is German brand Faber, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year – no mean feat for a mid-sized family firm that specialises in one key product category, knitwear.

But Faber has achieved the kind of steady and solid growth other companies envy, mostly by staying true to its values and heritage while being dynamic enough to adapt and evolve with the demands of the market. For Markus Faber, managing director of the brand, this is a key element to its lasting success. “We have a strong sense of identity; we know who we are, what we stand for and what our product offer is, and throughout all these years we have tried to stay true to this while also responding in our own way to market and fashion trends. We are Faber, we are a specialist in knitwear with a sporty chic style, and we don’t try to be something else,” he says.

Markus Faber is part of the third generation of the Faber family at the helm of the eponymous company, alongside his brother Walter and their respective wives Martina and Benita.

Together they form the management of the firm, which was founded in 1947 by their grandfather Ernst Faber.

Since its launch, the brand has been producing women’s knitwear at its premises in Töpen, Bavaria, and has become known for its high quality knits using cotton and wool mixes and novelty yarns which are developed in-house by its design and engineering teams, creating individual and exclusive looks that have become a distinct and popular Faber signature. “We are pitched at the mid to upper end of the market, and our knits have to have a point of distinction; this has always been our ethos,” says Faber.

Each season, the brand’s collections offer four to five colour themes which culminate in around 160 to 200 knitwear pieces, rounded off by a selection of complementing wovens and coordinates such as shirts and trousers, which give customers the

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options of complete looks. This seems to be a successful strategy, as Faber’s wholesale business was up by 14 per cent on pre-orders for s/s 17, with Faber hopeful and optimistic to deliver more growth for a/w 17.

“Our customers really respond to the way our collections are structured and the product offer we have. The fit on our trousers, for instance, is praised by our stockists and consumers alike, which is great feedback and a nice boost,” says Faber. “Spring/summer 17 was a very good season for us at wholesale level and reflects somewhat all the efforts our team put into the ranges and how closely we work with our stockists. We want to build on that for a/w 17, for sure, and keep the momentum going,” he adds.

Price-wise, Faber’s styles retail between ¤129 and ¤179 at the core, a sensible level, Faber says, that customers are comfortable with. “These are our core price ranges, and given the quality and individuality of our styles, our customers seem to be happy to pay this. Any more expensive, and it has to be really a standout piece,” he says.

While Faber’s core customer base has traditionally been in the 55+ age group, the brand is increasingly attracting a younger customer profile, with 40+ ladies and even younger ones buying into the range, too. “Our collections are known for individual looks, and increasingly customers are looking for exactly that, something different and something fresh, and this is attracting a new profile of lady to us, which we are very pleased with. It’s about balancing our traditional customer with a new, maybe younger lady by widening the appeal of our styles,” Faber says.

It’s not just the customer profile that is expanding, territorially, too, Faber is widening its reach, with current representation in 11 export markets such as Australia, Belgium/Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Spain and the UK, with the latter the most important export market to date.

The brand has been represented by Paul Harrison, owner of Coranit fashion agency, since 1991 – further proof of Faber’s consistency. “We have been working with Paul for 26 years, so by now he is more than just our agent, he’s a family friend. He is very reliable and passionate about our brand, and he has been an important and dependable partner and instrumental for our growth in the UK. It’s quite rare in today’s fast paced world, and especially our industry, to have such long relationships, but we are very proud of that,” says Faber.

Currently the brand serves around 70 wholesale accounts in the UK, but Faber would like to see this grow to around 100 stockists. “I think this would be a level that would suit our brand well, with a deep enough distribution without being over exposed,” he says.

Faber is clear that the brand is and will remain committed to wholesale as its main route to market, and currently has no plans for either own stores or an e-commerce presence. “I think it would dilute the business too much. You can’t have too many fingers in too many pies, it’s better to stick to what we know and what we’re good at, and the wholesale model works very well for us. We don’t want to compete with our own customers,” he says.

“Other than our b2b web shop, we have no plans to develop a bigger online presence. That’s not to say that we don’t follow and observe the digitalisation of the market. This is obviously always a topic that we discuss regularly, and this is something that my son and my brother’s daughter, who will hopefully join the business as the fourth generation of our family in the future, may address if it

“ WE HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF IDENTITY; WE KNOW WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE STAND FOR AND WHAT OUR PRODUCT OFFER IS, AND THROUGHOUT ALL THESE YEARS WE HAVE TRIED TO STAY TRUE TO THIS WHILE ALSO RESPONDING IN OUR OWN WAY TO MARKET AND FASHION TRENDS.”

ever does become relevant and appropriate for us to do so. But currently the business model we have works best for us.”

Developments that are in the pipeline include the continued expansion of the product range. The brand has already been experimenting with a separate, more premium line using cashmere and wool blends, which has been very well received and is on course to make up 15 per cent of the business, and Faber is hoping to add a 100 per cent cashmere range, which will showcase the brand’s product expertise and further widen its appeal.

Looking back at 70 years of successful trading, Faber is sure to continue its gentle balance of consistency with evolution, just as it has done for the last seven decades. “This is a big year for us,” Faber says. “We are certainly proud of what we have achieved, and we want to push the qualities that we are known for even more – that we are a family business, made in Germany, a specialist in knitwear with great know-how and genuine passion for our products,” he concludes. “Here’s to another 70 years of Faber.”

Autumn/Winter 2017

Tel: +44 203 819 0819 sales@capriclothing.co.uk www.capriclothing.co.uk

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Style File

The hottest brands not to miss this month

q ARCTIC WONDERLAND French brand Cacharel’s a/w 17 collection has been inspired by the natural beauty of the Arctic, with white orchids which resemble snow flowers, tiny glowing fish which look like neon lights, and patterns inspired by the Northern Lights among the central features. All prints are photographic, using a digital method of printing.

u DRESS TO IMPRESS Swedish brand By Malina has launched its latest collection of ready-to-wear, using materials such as silk, French lace, silk chiffon, leather and linen. The brand develops the patterns for each season together with the Swedish illustrator Tess Callervik, contributing to the unique signature of the label.

Among this season’s highlights is the range of evening styles, which complements the extensive selection of ready-to-wear.

Elie Beaumont watches were born out of a desire to create time pieces bearing the hallmark of quintessential British style. Founder Elie Beaumont took inspiration from vintage and couture fashion collections, giving each watch a classic, clean and elegant signature while paying attention to the detail and craftsmanship of a bygone era.

t SKIN DEEP Luxury lingerie and loungewear brand Gilda & Pearl has launched a diffusion line, Diane Houston, for a/w 17. Indulging the brand’s timeless femme fatale glamour but at lower price points, the collection consists of pyjama sets, camisoles, shorts, kimonos, robes and slips in two exclusive prints, Dolly and Kitty, as well as the Daisy range inspired by original pieces from the 1960s with subtle accents of French Leavers lace.

u STEP FORWARD Dutch footwear brand Maruti stands for shoes with a clean design and exceptional materials, including a signature hair-on leather that is updated for each season. For a/w 17 a new line has been launched, exclusively incorporating materials from Italy that use innovative techniques such as ‘alta frequenza’, giving the shoes a toughlooking but elegant motorbike boot look.

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Independent spirit With a quirky mix of fashion, accessories, homeware, gifts, lifestyle products and more, Peckham indie Bias is a truly unique shopping destination with heaps of flair.

Isabella Griffiths swung by the store and caught up with owner Sally Hindle to find out what makes Bias tick.

Nestled amid coffee shops, pubs, estate agents, delis and a wealth of other independent shops and traders, lifestyle indie Bias is situated on 143 Bellenden Road in Peckham, London. The understated sign above the entrance and dark grey façade gives little away about what lies behind those doors – namely a quirky, yet stylish concept store of fashion, accessories, beauty, gifts, homeware and lifestyle products full of personality and character.

Established in 2012 by owner Sally Hindle, who went from headteacher to shop owner in the span of six months, Bias has become a destination store for those who prefer a curated and individual approach as an alternative to middle-of-the-road fashion and mass-produced items.

“I was a headteacher for 29 years and opening a store was always my retirement plan,” Hindle says. “I’ve always loved clothes and I was always labelled the ‘stylish teacher’. When I left education in February 2012 I knew that I wanted to open my own business, and that this business would be the store I had been keeping in the

back of my head for all those years. Six months, a business course and a lot of effort later, on 29 August 2012, Bias opened its doors.”

The name Bias was inspired by the ‘bias cut’, and in more than one way fits the ethos and philosophy of the store perfectly.

As Hindle explains: “I love the bias cut, how it falls and the effects and changes in silhouette you get when you cut fabric diagonally, it creates something different, which seemed fitting for a clothes store.

“I’m also very interested in politics and the meaning of ‘bias’ in this context, as someone’s interpretation of something, also worked. In many ways we give our interpretation of fashion in the store, how we curate the collections and selection of labels we stock, so it all came full circle and the name Bias was born.”

Initially the store stocked mostly UK labels such as John Smedley, Saltwater and Seasalt, but soon widened its scope and is now very much the home of stylish Scandinavian labels alongside British brands, quirky international finds and local designers, too.

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“We realised relatively quickly that for the customers we attract here in Peckham, we needed a sharper, more stylish look, and the simplicity and diversity of Scandinavian labels just seemed to work. I would say that over time we have been instrumental in bringing Scandinavian clothes to southeast London,” she says. “I still try to go local where we can; I like to support local designers and be a part of the community here in Peckham. I very much believe in social enterprise, and if I can back other local businesses or where a brand has ethical credentials, I will always try to support that. But the product has to be right,” she adds.

Current bestselling brands in-store include Ganni, Bellerose, Sita Murt, SET, Samsoe and Samsoe, Coster Copenhagen, Storm and Marie and East by EastWest, alongside local brand Peckham Soul and Barts accessories. The fashion offer is complemented by jewellery from Louise Kragh, Dansk Copenhagen, Hiro + Wolf and Virginia Tzioti, while Paul & Joe makeup, Iris Hantverk, Mason & Cash and Duralex homewares and Fil Blanc bathroom accessories expand the brand mix.

While clothes, jewellery and accessories are housed at the front of the store, the back room opens up a whole different world of merchandise, with beauty products, giftware, glassware, ceramics, cards, stationery, homeware and artisan hardware giving extra weight to the treasure trove concept. It’s a bold mix of products, but one that evidently works, as Bias attracts not only a fashion crowd, but also a diversity of customers, young and old, who are looking to pick up a quirky item or two.

“I think when you’re an indie, you need to diversify; you can’t just be standard. You can’t be one-dimensional. I have found that we need a broad offer, we need to cater for all budgets and be a welcoming environment for everyone. We want to appeal to people who want fashion as much as to people who just want to come in for a gift or want to treat themselves. I think that’s what makes us unique around here and that’s why it works, because we’re different,” says Hindle.

It’s evident that Hindle’s mind never stands still and that she is always thinking and planning the next step in Bias’s evolution. A year into trading she introduced menswear to the offer, which

successfully expanded the store’s customer base further. “Men would always say to me, ‘Can’t you get this understated style that you have in womenswear also for men?’, so we did, and now we stock menswear collections by brands such as Universal Works, Bellerose, Samsoe and Samsoe, Roamers & Seekers, Hiut Denim and Handsom which are doing very well,” explains Hindle.

Six months ago Hindle took another big step and opened a second Bias branch in Harrogate, having had to move further north to be closer to family near Newcastle, where she is from.

“It was a great opportunity to build on the Bias concept and to establish it in another area,” she says. “That said, it’s been a very interesting journey and a steep learning curve to find out that each region and city has its own demands and tastes, and our challenge has been to establish the Scandinavian labels that do so well for us in Peckham up north. We’re getting there, though – we started with some more entry-level collections such as Inwear, Selected and Soaked in Luxury, and we’re starting to build a loyal customer base here, too.” Hindle is now mainly based in the Harrogate store while Peckham is run by her manager and co-buyer Sally Smith, who has a background in textiles and fashion promotion.

Hindle has thrown herself into getting involved in Harrogate’s retail scene and community and has already hosted a number of in-store and local events to spread the word about Bias in and around Harrogate.

And she’s not short of future plans and ambitions to turn Bias into a further reaching lifestyle destination, not just in geographical terms, but also with regards to the merchandise itself. “I love buying for the shops, I really enjoy the process of curating and editing beautiful products for my customers, so I can see scope for a third shop,” she says.

“I’m toying with the idea of opening a third Bias branch in another, completely different location, like somewhere in Ireland. Or, perhaps a standalone hardware store in Peckham with upmarket, artisan hardware and tableware etc. I have lots of ideas, so watch this space.”

Moda, NEC Stand T11 FRANK SAUL (FASHIONS) LTD. FRANK SAUL HOUSE, STEELE ROAD, PARK ROYAL, LONDON NW10 7AR TEL . + 44 (0) 208 965 1522 FAX. + 44 (0) 208 965 1518 E.MAIL. info@mascaracollection.com WEB. www.mascaracollection.com Copyright © 2014 - 2017 Frank Saul Fashions and/ or its suppliers. All rights reserved © Crown copyright 2013. All rights reserved

THE AUTUMN/WINTER 2017-18 COLLECTION PURE LONDON 12-14 FEBRUARY STAND C121 MODA BIRMINGHAM 19-21 FEBRUARY STAND W49 0141 204 0699 info@latteclothing.com

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The essence of Moda

The national fashion trade exhibition returns to the NEC in Birmingham from 19 to 21 February with yet another all-encompassing offer of womenswear, accessories, footwear, lingerie & swimwear and a host of unisex and lifestyle labels. WWB sums up the highlights and the brands not to miss at this season’s show.

RINO & PELLE

M O DA WO M A N . . . PAG E 4 2 M O DA E D I T. . . PAG E 5 0 M O DA F O OT W E A R . . . PAG E 5 4 M O DA AC C E S S O R I E S . . . PAG E 5 8 M O DA L I N G E R I E & SW I M W E A R . . . PAG E 6 0 W H AT ’ S O N . . . PAG E 6 4

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MODA WOMAN The a/w 17 edition of Moda Woman showcases some of the best international and domestic contemporary womenswear labels. WWB sums up some of the key brands not to miss at this month’s edition.

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RINO & PELLE Dutch brand Rino & Pelle returns with a versatile collection of coats, parkas and jackets that are built on the brand’s ethos to create durable pieces that become wardrobe staples. Juxtapositions between classic and modern elements sum up the style direction, with a clean aesthetic and effortless chic at the core.

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HIPPOCAMPE Arriving fresh from Paris is new label Hippocampe, offering a versatile collection of French chic that can be dressed up or down for many occasions. Feminine silhouettes and clever design details sum up the signature of the range.

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FRANDSEN This season Frandsen focuses on luxurious wool and cashmere coats as well as a range of outerwear styles such as parkas made from techno silks with intricate, on-trend detailing. The offer is complemented by real down coats and jackets with or without fur, available in an array of colours such as champagne, midnight blue, bordeaux, grey melange and black.

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SMASHED LEMON With a keen eye for feminine details and a commitment to excellent fit, Dutch brand Smashed Lemon presents another strong collection that takes the wearer from day to evening, from office to weekend wear in one effortlessly stylish range. Different colour stories sum up the key direction for a/w 17, with inspiration taken from retro, urban and global trends.

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MARBLE Knitwear remains key at Marble, with this season’s offering centred around versatile ponchos, wraps, long cardigans, jumpers and trendy offthe-shoulder styles. The colour palette encompasses everything from cosy neutrals to more vivid shades of blues, oranges, pinks and corals.

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JESSICA GRAAF Based in Dublin, Jessica Graaf specialises in contemporary knitwear, outdoor jackets, shirts, jerseys and scarves. This season’s collection captures key trends from around the globe and brings them together in a contemporary and ultra-wearable collection at competitive price points.

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BIANCA After seasons of purity and minimalism, Bianca sets new accents of opulence with the use of velvet, ornamental prints, embroidery and frills.

Influences from activewear feature throughout, with zips and tunnels creating stylish highlights, while the overall look remains relaxed with a casual deluxe theme.

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BADOO Greek brand Badoo’s philosophy is to create collections that respond to the needs of modern and dynamic women, with stylish and contemporary pieces that emphasise femininity. High quality materials form the basis for versatile styles, from outerwear through elegant day to evening styles.

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PICADILLY This season at Picadilly sees a more relaxed approach to dressing, with fabrics and styles that can be adapted for all times of the day. The focus is on tactile sophistication featuring animal inspired burnouts, printed French terry, black and white geos, stretch jacquard knits, soft chiffons, viscose jerseys and sleek Ponti knits. With an array of fabrics and novelty treatments, the silhouettes stay simple and streamlined, with tunic tops, waterfall front over-pieces and bodycon shift dresses key.

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MICHAELA LOUISA Dresses remain at the core of Michaela Louisa’s collection for a/w 17, with the brand offering both versatile day dresses and elegant and sophisticated evening and occasion styles, as well as pieces that bridge both. Knee-length styles and refined sleeves, such as cold-shoulder cut-outs are some of the characteristics, while the colour palette ranges from winter darks through emeralds to purples.

Sophisticated day and outerwear styles round off the collection.

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FREEQUENT Labelled as the “ultimate full-range closet”, Danish brand Freequent offers the latest trends and feminine style in one collection. From casual cool to elegant classics, Freequent brings together a variety of fashion influences, with the a/w 17 collection based around muted seasonal colours such as blacks, earth tones, greys and creams.

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DESIGUAL Making its Moda debut, Spanish lifestyle brand Desigual offers a sought-after and distinctive collection featuring vibrant prints and colours with a bohemian signature.

Floral, abstract and Aztec prints are among the dominant features in the range, offset against clean yet feminine cuts and high quality fabrics.

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DIDRIKSONS Scandinavian outerwear brand Didriksons will unveil its latest range featuring influences and inspiration from the West Coast of Sweden and the Shetland Isles. Seasonal highlights include the Viola and Neja parkas and the Ulla coat, a fleece lined style which has been introduced to the women’s Galon range of waterproof jackets.

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CONRAD C Canadian lifestyle brand Conrad C aims to combine impeccable fit with comfort and style. The brand’s design team scours international markets for the latest trends and fine fabrics, resulting in a versatile and wearable collection that encompasses relaxed, casual styles, through smart daywear to separates and outerwear that can be combined to create an individual look.

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EVA TRALALA The a/w 17 collection from Eva Tralala features 100 per cent wool coats and jackets in 11 different colours. Highlights include lime, navy, orange and wine, along with a neutral palette of cream, grey and black. Flattering slimline hooded coats, O-shaped coats, faux shearling and faux fur all feature in the collection, while exclusive jersey prints feature in daywear.

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LATTE Classic and elegant blacks and greys, alongside rich jewel colours dominate the colour palette at Latte this season. The brand is building on the strength of its outerwear and is introducing more key styles to the range, including lightweight coats and statement jackets. A new capsule line called Prosecco Time, meanwhile, is dedicated to transseasonal product.

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CAPTAIN CORSAIRE French nautical brand Captain Corsaire presents another versatile collection centred around its signature Breton stripe T-shirts, tops and weatherproof outerwear. The brand’s lifestyle offer bridges the demands of stylish and yet functional clothing aimed at women with an active life but who don’t want to compromise on style.

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ISABELL Outerwear brand Isabell covers a vast range of styles, with a high degree of design and trend influences, as well as timeless winter staples.

Coats and jackets come in a variety of choices, from wool blends through novelty yarns, to fibres based on the latest technological innovations. Wool coats featuring oversized checks are among the highlights.

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SILVIAN HEACH Silvian Heach is an Italian fashion brand with a strong identity and high style content. The brand offers easy-to-wear looks that are trendled and can be mixed and matched to create individual outfits. The a/w 17 collection builds on these design principles with prints, textures and feminine silhouettes.

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ALICE COLLINS Alice Collins returns to Moda with another extensive collection of fashion-led ready-to-wear. Cosy knits and winter outerwear take centre stage this season, with a flattering and warm colour scheme of greys and pastel pinks summing up a key colour story.

Stand R38 —

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OLGA SANTONI Spanish brand Olga Santoni makes its official UK launch at Moda. Established for over 20 years, the brand caters to sizes 8 to 20, offering three collections each season designed to target different women’s aspirations and lifestyles – Olga Santoni Classic, Olga Santoni Sport and Olga Santoni Prêt-à-Porter. Premium knitwear is at the core, using the finest yarns and stateof-the-art technological textile processes.

Moda White, Stand W48 —

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JACK MURPHY Irish brand Jack Murphy creates collections for style-conscious individuals looking for distinctive designs which travel seamlessly from city to coast to country and in any season. Timeless country style with a contemporary aesthetic is at the heart of the styling, rounded off with thoughtful and luxurious finishing touches and details. The latest collection once again offers versatile pieces that can be dressed up or down to create individual looks, from elegant to edgy through smart to casual.

Stand R68 —

JAMES LAKELAND James Lakeland’s a/w 17 collection has been created around versatile standout pieces with a unique, quirky and yet wearable styling. The colour palette is dominated by winter hues such as emerald green and bright blues as well as vivid prints. Stretch velvets, high quality wools and super soft yarns also take centre stage this season.

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POMODORO Pomodoro’s latest collection is divided into three main colour stories, Autumn Skies, Falling Leaves and Winter Solstice. The colour range spans from hues of blues and greys through spice, cinnamon and nutmeg to soft palettes of silver and charcoal. Basket and Ottoman weaves and jacquards bring texture to this season’s styles, while cocoon coatigans and sumptuous coats sit alongside luxe ponchos as some of the product highlights.

Stand Q40 —

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FABER Sophisticated animal patterns are some of the key features of Faber’s collection, complemented by stripes made from fluffy yarns as well as houndstooth. Long coatigans, ponchos and oversized pullovers are among the key styles; whole colours include fuchsia, blue, cream, black, blue, silver and cognac shades.

Stand Q60 —

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CREAM Returning with its versatile collection of luxury bohemian chic, Danish brand Cream offers up an a/w 17 collection that brings together key trends with the brand’s signature relaxed, Scandinavian style. Muted tones of silver, greys, creams, black and rose dominate the colour palette this season, while key styles include dresses, blouses, long shirtdresses, cardigans and more.

Moda White, Stand X53 — uuu

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MODA EDIT

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JAMES STEWARD James Steward is a new British brand created by brother and sister duo James Steward and Hannah Moody. Steward is a couture dressmaker who has been in the fashion industry for over 20 years, while Moody is a footwear and bag designer who has been in the industry for 15 years supplying many of our UK high street retailers. They have joined forces to create beautiful collections of timeless, classic and elegant pieces for every occasion.

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Returning for another season and building on its previous success, Moda Edit is the dedicated platform for up-and-coming and niche brands in a pared-down environment where the product speaks for itself. WWB takes its pick of the finest labels on show.

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IC-JOY IC-Joy’s collection comprises timeless, ready to wear garments, easily adapted to suit every phase of the day and right through to the evening. High quality materials are selected to provide contrast and texture in a minimalist style. The brand’s designs incorporate trends and elegance at affordable price points, targeted at the 30+ woman who looks for comfort, style and understated individuality.

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FEE G Irish brand Fee G specialises in day to evening styles with a modern take on party and occasion dressing. The brand’s signature is retro 1950s glamour – think Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. This season, heavy brocade in the full skirts creates structure and drama, while more edgy touches such as appliqué on lace refresh the ‘top table’ look.

The eclectic colour mix and brights centred around reds and fuchsia keep the party dresses fresh and contemporary.

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MEISÏE Meisïe will be showcasing its s/s 17 short order collection at Moda Edit, key features of which are dresses and blouses with lots of lace, and pretty pastel shades mixed with khaki and black.

Metallics and sparkle details form eye-catching accents, while summer knitwear in long tunic shapes will be among the predicted bestsellers. Skirts feature longer lengths this season, making them appealing to a wider range of age groups.

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MODA FOOTWEAR The UK’s national trade footwear event returns to the NEC this season, offering womenswear buyers the opportunity to buy cohesively across the sectors.

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SNOW PAW The Snow Paw concept dates back to 2010, when the brand set its sights on bringing high quality sheepskin to the UK market. The brand has since diversified into a wider lifestyle label, and most recently has incorporated Harris Tweed into its range as a nod to its Scottish heritage. Discover styles in sheepskin in long-length boots, shoes, slippers and ankle boots at this season’s show.

Stand C42 —

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SEBAGO Global leader in footwear Sebago returns to Moda with a new range of on-trend styles. Best known for its shoes designed for the nautical lifestyle, the brand has diversified season after season to offer an all-encompassing range of all-year-round women’s footwear. Performance comes as standard, hidden inside the aesthetics of contemporary ankle boots or casual women’s flats.

Stand J20 —

HOLSTER Exhibiting for autumn for the first time this season, flip flop label Holster will exclusively launch its new, all-year-round offer at Moda Footwear. Cool metallics are key this season with luxurious embellishments of glitter as the brand adapts its signature beach shoe style for the sneaker and casual flats sector.

Stand A3 —

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OAK & HYDE New to Moda Footwear, Oak & Hyde provides new inspiration for women’s boots in all lengths and heel heights. Drawing upon its founders’ experience of more than 40 years, the brand is expertly crafted in Spain and Portugal from selected European leathers to create styles that women want to wear over and over again.

Stand A1 —

RAVEL Fashion favourite Ravel makes a welcome return to Moda Footwear with a directional new range for contemporary young women. Block heels offer a wearable alternative without any compromise to height, while the brand’s signature stiletto silhouette evolves with new colours, embellishment and statement style.

Stand E29 —

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NERO GIARDINI Arriving from Italy and making its debut at Moda Footwear, Nero Giardini is an established name in family footwear across the continent. Visitors to Moda will have the opportunity to discover leather footwear proudly made in Italy in a wide range of styles, from brogues and trainers, to winter boots and glamorous evening silhouettes.

Stand B28 —

CLOUD Cloud celebrates its fifth anniversary this year with a welcome return to Moda Footwear. The Portuguese label has carved a niche for itself in the UK market, and will attract retailers new and existing with its range of leather footwear designed, as the name suggests, to make wearers feel as though they are walking in the clouds.

Stand H38 —

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ART Well established as it is in the UK market, Spanish footwear label Art continues with its ethos of creating happy, carefree footwear. The brand returns to Moda with a range of shoes that is the antithesis to all things conventional.

Stand G19 —

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RUBY SHOO Vintage-inspired but completely relevant to the contemporary consumer, Ruby Shoo is a small London label with a wide appeal. The brand returns to Moda with a new autumn collection featuring its signature embellishment, quirky shapes and hallmark colour pops that make it stand out from the crowd.

Stand F30 —

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AEROSOLES This season’s offer from Aerosoles is a culmination of 25 years’ pioneering in comfort, and a commitment to making every style a covetable companion. Discover the resulting collection at Moda Footwear.

Stand D18 —

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CANDICE COOPER Directional Italian label Candice Cooper makes its Moda Footwear debut this season.

Look out for the brand’s signature sneakers with elements of luxury and style as standard.

Stand E21 —

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MODA ACCESSORIES Create a cohesive in-store offer with complementary purchases across accessories and womenswear. Moda Accessories presents handbags, jewellery, scarves and millinery both for in-season and forward-order buying.

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BULAGGI Making a very welcome return after an absence of several seasons, Bulaggi is topping buyers’ most-wanted lists this season. The Dutch handbag brand is renowned for its cool contemporary styling, and this season sees a new twist on its proudly non-leather styles.

Stand Z20 —

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ALICE HANNAH Now part of the Boardman group, Alice Hannah adds direction to the season with an on-trend range of hats, capes and snoods. The brand’s latest offer brings warmth and style to the season’s key looks.

Stand X7 —

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GABY A favourite amongst womenswear buyers, season after season Gaby offers a range of jewellery and accessories which cohesively fits into wider womenswear trends. This time around sees a strong focus on layered necklaces in a contemporary pastel colour palette.

Stand Y49 —

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ACCESSORIES BY PARK LANE Having rebranded its collection last season, Accessories by Park Lane received an overwhelmingly positive response to its contemporary new offer. This month sees the brand return with new designs in silver and rose gold colourways.

Stand Z53 —

EYELEVEL Seamlessly blending fashion with practicality, Eyelevel offers a chic array of reading glasses and sunglasses for the imageconscious wearer. The brand unveils a diverse new range at Moda Accessories, with styles to suit every face shape.

Stand Z51 —

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BESSIE LONDON Having started life at the heart of Shoreditch, Bessie London is still inspired by the creativity and vibrancy of East London. The brand is characterised by its contemporary, urban styling and wearable shapes that appeal to a wide consumer base across the demographics. Look out for cool pastels and accessible neutrals this season, brought to life in a range of practical, everyday silhouettes.

Stand X70 —

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TEMPEST DESIGNS Adding its hallmark of wearability to the catwalk styles of the moment, Tempest Designs is an ever-popular addition to the Moda Accessories line-up.

Accessories and womenswear buyers alike rely on the brand to deliver on-trend style season after season, and this autumn sees the label unveil a new range of styles that fit seamlessly into a wider womenswear offer.

Stand Y59 —

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MODA LINGERIE & SWIMWEAR From the lingerie that forms the foundations of a/w 17 to the activewear with a wide cross-sector appeal, Moda Lingerie & Swimwear is the perfect opportunity to explore complementary sectors.

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BJÖRN BORG Following a successful debut last season, Swedish stalwart Björn Borg returns with a range of activewear and sports bras harbouring a wide appeal across the demographics. Performance lingerie and stylish co-ordinates are key, featuring the label’s distinctive branding and statement colourways.

Stand LC55 —

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5PM SWIMWEAR Inspired by the atmosphere of the day changing to evening, 5pm Swimwear puts glamorous style into beach apparel.

The new arrival to Moda Lingerie will reveal contemporary shapes and sleek styling designed for poolside partying and decadent evenings spent on the beach.

Stand LA41 —

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BANANA MOON Making a welcome return following an absence of several seasons, Banana Moon brings an element of Californian sunshine to Moda Lingerie & Swimwear. The US lifestyle label will present its latest swim offer, revealing flattering bikinis and on-trend one-pieces for the life-loving holiday consumer.

Stand LC27 —

LINGADORE Making luxury lingerie affordable, LingaDore returns to Moda with a directional new range for the season ahead.

Look out for decadent additions of lace and boudoirinspired shapes juxtaposed with the cool and muted hues of the brand’s more everyday styles. Across the collections, exemplary fit comes as standard.

Stand LC17 —

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MAISON LEJABY Parisian lingerie designer Maison Lejaby unveils its latest exquisite collection at Moda Lingerie.

Discover a range of perfectly fitting bras and co-ordinating briefs styled in line with the brand’s core identity of effortless and understated luxury.

Stand LB26 —

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CHANTELLE Independent, elegant and confident women inspire the new a/w 17 collection from French lingerie designer Chantelle. Look out for new addition Le Marais, cut to be perfect for day to night with its light lace and comfortable shape.

Stand LB42 —

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LEPEL LONDON British lingerie label Lepel returns to Moda with new takes on its bestselling silhouettes. The brand will also exhibit its on-trend and directional diffusion line Lepel London, exhibiting a slightly more daring edge than its core counterpart.

Stand LB11 —

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ACAI ACTIVEWEAR Following its successful debut in August, Acai Activewear makes a welcome return with a stylish range of apparel designed for the gym and beyond. Acai Activewear can be found in the Moda Active area, Moda’s new platform for sports and leisurewear designed to perform with no compromise on aesthetics.

Stand LC55 —

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FREYA Part of the Wacoal Europe stable, Freya launches its latest autumn offer with all the hallmarks of a trusted and established label. Soiree Lace is a new introduction for autumn teaming sultry black lace with a flattering and supportive plunge silhouette, while Harmonie Girl is characterised by a multi-coloured floral design on a muted black base.

Stand LB23 —

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PANACHE Lingerie giant Panache returns to Moda Lingerie with active range Panache Sport, glamorous diffusion line Panache Black and contemporary offer Cleo alongside its core, eponymous lingerie collection.

Stand LB40 —

BLUEBELLA Located within Moda Lingerie’s Boutique area – the destination for niche and up-and-coming labels – Bluebella is one to watch for the intimate apparel and womenswear buyer alike. The decadent label makes fashionled, luxurious lingerie accessible to retailers with its commitment to affordability.

Stand LB01 —

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What’s on at Moda As the main event of the fashion season, Moda offers more than just product. A comprehensive seminar programme, live catwalk events and social gatherings bring professionals together as part of one industry hub to launch the season in style.

For footwear professionals, this season’s Footwear Industry Awards are an unmissable event. Organised by Datateam and taking place on the Sunday evening of the show, the Footwear Industry Awards recognise talent across both retailers and suppliers. This season sees the black tie event take place at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham with a three-course dinner. Find out more at www.footwearindustryawards.com.

Buyers and exhibitors alike are invited to this season’s Monday night after party at the elegant Highline venue within the NEC’s Resorts World Complex. Conveniently located just moments away from the halls, the event welcomes visitors with a happy hour from 8pm, elevating the business of buying to new heights for the evening.

Womenswear buyers are also invited to the launch edition of Boob Brunch. A new national initiative organised by CoppaFeel!, Boob Brunch will raise money for the leading breast cancer awareness charity through get-togethers up and down the country. Moda Lingerie will introduce the concept at 11am on Sunday around the Hall 20 catwalk, with nibbles, fact-packs and advice as to how you can launch your own event in store.

CATWALK THEATRE HALL 18 Sunday 19 February 10.00 - 10.30 Gent catwalk 11.15 - 11.45 Footwear & Accessories catwalk 12.30 - 13.00 Gent catwalk 13.45 - 14.15 Footwear & Accessories catwalk 15.00 - 15.30 Gent catwalk 16.15 - 16.45 Footwear & Accessories catwalk 18.00 - 18.30 Gent catwalk & drinks Monday 20 February 10.00 - 10.30 Gent catwalk 11.15 - 11.45 Footwear & Accessories catwalk 12.30 - 13.00 Gent catwalk 13.45 - 14.15 Footwear & Accessories catwalk 15.00 - 15.30 Gent catwalk 17.00 - 17.30 Footwear & Accessories catwalk Tuesday 21 February 10.30 - 11.00 Gent catwalk 12.30 - 13.00 Footwear & Accessories catwalk 13.45 - 14.15 Gent catwalk CATWALK THEATRE HALL 20 Sunday 19 February 10.00 - 10.30 Moda Woman catwalk 11.15 - 11.45 Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk 12.30 - 13.00 Moda White catwalk 13.45 - 14.15 Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk 15.00 - 15.30 Moda Woman catwalk 16.15 - 16.45 Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk 17.00 - 17.30 Moda White catwalk 18.00 - 18.30 Moda Woman catwalk & drinks Monday 20 February 10.00 - 10.30 Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk 11.15 - 11.45 Moda Woman catwalk 12.30 - 13.00 Moda White catwalk 13.45 - 14.15 Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk 15.00 - 15.30 Moda Woman catwalk 16.00 - 16.30 Moda White catwalk 17.00 - 17.30 Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk Tuesday 21 February 10.30 - 11.00 Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk 11.15 - 11.45 Moda Woman catwalk 12.30 - 13.00 Moda White catwalk 13.45 - 14.15 Lingerie & Swimwear catwalk

SEMINAR PROGRAMME - HALL 18 Sunday 19 February 10.30 - 11.00: Timing is everything. Be on the ball & get your message out there. (Nathan Rous, NPR) 11.45 - 12.15: Transform your business with social media. (Laura Brown & Peter Andrews, Introtweet) 13.00 - 13.30: Generate your sales with e-marketing. (Jon Tromans) 15.30 - 16.00: Don’t lag behind - PR is more visual than ever. (Nathan Rous, NPR) Monday 20 February 10.30 - 11.00: How music brings your band to life (Karen Campbell, PRS for Music & Jack Schneider, Accent) 13.00 - 13.30: Instagram marketing dos and don’ts.

(Caner Veli, Liquiproof ) 14.15 - 14.45: Trend Report - Menswear & Footwear (Fiona Coleman) 15.30 - 16.00: Online marketing - Why one size will never fit all. (Adela Poplikova, Microsoft) 16.15 - 16.45: Rethink your marketing (Jim Jordan, The Jim Jordan Consultancy) Tuesday 21 February NEW BUSINESS TUESDAY 11.45 - 12.15: Social media for fashion retailers - The basics. (Holly Peacock-Goodwin, OPR) 13.00 - 13.30: Fashion Retail Academy - Making the figures work (Paul Ward, Associate Lecturer) 14.15 - 14.45: How independent retailers can thrive in the first 12 months. (Rachel Peterman, Carousel & Co.) SEMINAR PROGRAMME - HALL 20 Sunday 19 February 10.30 - 11.00: Transform your business with social media (Laura Brown & Peter Andrews, Introtweet) 13.00 - 13.30: The future of your online customer (Warren Knight, Think Digital First) 14.15 - 14.45: Strength in numbers - Q&A Session with Sarah Arnesen, British Independent Retailers Association 15.30 - 16.00: Blogging for the fashion industry.

(Jon Tromans) Monday 20 February 11.45 - 12.15: The future of your online customer (Warren Knight, Think Digital First) 13.00 - 13.30: Trend Report - Womenswear & Accessories (Fiona Coleman) 14.15 - 14.45: Online marketing - Why one size will never fit all. (Adela Poplikova, Microsoft) Tuesday 21 February NEW BUSINESS TUESDAY 13.00 - 13.30: Influencer outreach - The new type of blogger. (Holly Peacock-Goodwin, OPR) 14.15 - 14.45: Best practice around multichannel for independents.(Dan Conboy, Statement Agency) Information correct at time of going to press.

www.legero.at

My feet’s favourite shoes.

HELEN FONTAINE I N T E R N AT I O N A L

LEGeRO has what feet love. Lightweight.

Extremely comfortable. Breathable.

A new name in bridal wear Helen Fontaine integrate the design manufacturer and sale. With our extensive collections of gowns.

From simple clean lines to elaborately luxurious hand beaded, we have proudly grown to the very place to find the perfect dress.

We want well connected agents to sell and promote this new collection.

To join us on this new mission so you can grow with us, orders of the dresses will be made and delivered within 2 to 4 weeks.

To find out more please contact: Domenico Geracitano The Meadows, 14 Greenfield Road, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1FL Tel: 07438044323 Email: dhfbridal@mail.com

UK South & Ireland Marcus Baker M.S.S.F. • Tel. +44 (0)7775 995547 • marcus.baker@legero.at UK North Terry McIntosh • Tel. 07957 834348 • terry.mcintosh@legero.at

From tactile textures such as fur and suede, through to a colour palette of classic autumnal shades and rich jewel tones, contemporary womenswear presents a potpourri of irresistible styles for a/w 17.

— Photographer: Richard Boyle Stylist: Victoria Jackson Make-up artist: Lauren Rippin www.laurensally.co.uk Model: Raelle Barnard www.bossmodelmanagement.co.uk

Gilet – Latte £79 01253 873722 Top – Coster Copenhagen £22 020 3432 6385 Trousers – Coster Copenhagen £31 020 3432 6385

Dress – Marc Aurel £53 07906 070081 Parka – South West Ten price on request 020 3773 6061

Jacket – Circle of Trust price on request 020 7702 0203 Jumper – Marc Aurel £57 07906 070081 Skirt – Thought £23.95 020 7607 1173

Fur coat – Circle of Trust price on request 020 7702 0203 Trousers – NU price on request 020 7702 0203

Jacket – Marc Cain £128.30 020 7436 0705 Vest (worn over jumper) – Marc Cain £80.40 020 7436 0705 Jumper – Marc Cain £64.30 020 7436 0705 Trousers – Marc Cain £74.60 020 7436 0705

Top – Coster Copenhagen £104 020 3432 6385 Trousers – Desigual £36 020 3432 6385

Coat – Cubic £35.99 020 3432 6385 Pussybow blouse – Anonyme Designers price on request 020 7702 0203

Coat – Pomodoro £45 020 8961 4000 Trousers – Latte £49 01253 873722 Top – Pomodoro £23 020 8961 4000

now

See an incredible line up of occasionwear, childrenswear, prom and bridesmaid collections. Designers include Alyce Paris, Angela and Alison, Candy Quinn, Colors Dress, Gino Cerruti. L’Atelier, Mascara, Ronald Joyce, Tarik Ediz and many more.

London Olympia thelondonbridalshow.co.uk

Watch stunning collections come to life on the runway. This is a perfect opportunity for you to discover the latest trends and make the best buying decisions for the coming season.

The London Bridal Show is more than a buying and networking event - it is a chance to be inspired and learn with our inspiring seminar programme.

A special

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occasion

The new season sees evening and occasionwear flaunt bold silhouettes, statement details and bright prints – with a splash of glitz and glamour. Rebecca Jackson takes a look at the essential trends and the latest news from key brands this a/w 17. q

IRRESISTIBLE BY VEROMIA After 15 years in the market, the Veromia Group counts nine collections within its portfolio, including bridal gown, mother of the bride outfits, occasionwear and bridesmaid dresses. The Irresistible collection (pictured) includes sophisticated designs, feminine shapes and subtle colours. The range is designed to be suitable for a wide range of events from weddings to black tie dinners.

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Showing at Moda James Lakeland: Stand V39 Irresistible by Veromia: Stand T2

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JAMES LAKELAND The a/w 17 James Lakeland collection presents standout pieces that are designed to grab attention. Highlights are items such as the stretch velvet trouser and jacket set. Winter hues including emerald green and bright blue are a popular colour choice, and are often combined with bold clashing prints. Wool pieces and super soft yarns in light colours provide a bright injection amongst the dark, wintery shades.

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FELY CAMPO The a/w 17 collection draws on a varied colour palette, ranging from silvers and golds to white and darker shades of pink. Coats with pleated hems coordinate with dresses to create voluminous design.

Dresses present unique features such as dipping rears and open backs, which are often disguised by cropped jackets with a brooch fastening.

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SONIA PENA Specialising in party dresses, cocktail and mother of the bride, Sonia Pena’s latest collection plays with retro design. With special attention to fabrics, the creation of volume, and floral prints fused with a romantic edge, the range typically presents worked silhouettes. Key fabrics include lace and sheer coverings, while colours such as marine, turquoise, aubergine and fuchsia are integral to this line.

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Showing at Moda Tia: Stand U41/U51 Michaela Louisa: Stand T31 Lizabella: Stand T41

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TIA From the Godske stable of brands, Tia once again offers a sophisticated collection of cocktail and evening dresses to appeal to a wide range of customers and ages. Attention to detail is key, as are vibrant colours and feminine, flattering cuts. Elegant separates for parties and other special occasions complement the range.

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RONALD JOYCE Presenting five key occasionwear brands fit for different purposes, Ronald Joyce is inspired by timeless and flattering dress design. Dresses in the Bridesmaids collection (pictured) maintain a focus on the finer details, including the use of intricate beading. A varied colour palette, which ranges from navy to light grey, runs throughout the range, presenting flexible style options.

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ARIELLA After starting life on Carnaby Street, London, Ariella is now a big international player, having celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

The brand is well-known for its glitzy and glamorous floor length designs – and the latest collection is no exception. Styles such as the Monroe (pictured) embody eye-catching design and all-out glamour.

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Showing at Moda Ronald Joyce: Stand U19 Linea Raffaelli: Stand T9

Trend watch: Dark floral

MICHAELA LOUISA

CARLA RUIZ

LIZABELLA

MON CHERI

LINEA RAFFAELLI

While s/s is all about combining bright florals with floaty fabrics, a/w 17 presents a heavier, much darker take on the trend. Darker base colours such as black, navy or burgundy form the perfect backdrop for bold blooms, creating interesting accents on otherwise more understated designs. Longer length gowns add drama, while shorter hems maintain a playful nature. It’s a flexible and popular trend which is very adaptable throughout the season. uuu

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MASCARA For a/w 17, Mascara focuses on what it’s perhaps best known for within occasionwear: red carpet gowns. Available in a range of showstopping designs, floor length gowns and flattering colours, key styles feature subtle details and curve-flattering designs. All-out glamour is seen in embellishments and glitter, while elegance is reflected in sophisticated designs and a colour palette that ranges from jewel tones to dark berry shades.

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Showing at Moda Mascara: Stand T11 Paola Collection: Stand W40

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PAOLA COLLECTION Originating from Radom, Poland, where the range is also created, Paola Collection collaborates with textile companies in France, Italy and Germany to make its collections. With a focus on sourcing luxury fabrics, which are used in its latest range, the brand plays with a multitude of patterns, colours and prints. Velvet, sequins and sheer material are combined to create eye-catching and individual looks.

Meanwhile, fur sleeve cuffs serve as an ideal winter update to the collection.

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Showing at Moda John Charles: Stand T21 City Goddess: Stand V59 Ann Balon: Stand U11

Trend watch: Lace

JOHN CHARLES

CIT Y GODDESS

DYNASTY LONDON

ANN BALON

LINEA RAFFAELLI

Lace is always a key trend in evening and occasionwear and a/w 17 is no different, with lace featuring prominently across collections. Whether lace is used across the whole design or just as a sophisticated accent, the fabric is both feminine and flattering and instantly adds a more glamorous, sophisticated touch. This season’s colours range between ever-elegant neutrals, flattering violets, lilacs and greys to classic black. uuu

A W / 2 0 1 7 w w w.ronaldjoyce.com/enquiries@ronaldjoyce.com

View the New Collection at Stand U19, 19th - 21st February

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CARLA RUIZ Having made dramatic changes to the collection last season, Spanish brand Carla Ruiz continues on its mission to provide a range that really focuses on what the customer wants. With a modern attitude to occasionwear, a/w 17 presents a varied choice of colours from green and blue to pink and beige. Offering a wealth of flexible options, dresses vary in style from short length, chiffon fabric and flirty designs to floor-length, curve enhancing pieces and structured peplum shapes.

— Showing at Moda John Charles: Stand T21 Irresistible by Veromia: Stand T2

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JOHN CHARLES Last season saw the launch of the first John Charles millinery collection. Designed to co-ordinate with the brand’s signature fabrics sourced from European mills and prints designed by the label’s own in-house design team, the hats and fascinators were a popular development with stockists and customers alike and will continue into a/w 17. This season also continues with the brand’s signature look: intricate detailing, feminine shapes and flattering colours.

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DYNASTY LONDON Featuring sheer fabrics and crystal embellishments across the line, the main inspiration for Dynasty London’s a/w 17 collection is the night sky and astronomy. The brand continues its focus on creating flattering design, with feminine shapes such as the sweetheart silhouette dominating the range. Pastel shades are a fresh addition to the a/w range, with lighter shades like creams, pinks and reds seen throughout.

—

Trend watch: Hot Pink

TERESA RIPOLL

SONIA PENA

IRRESISTIBLE

MISS ETERNE

CARMEN MELERO COSTUME

Providing a much welcomed alternative to the classic dark hues of autumn/winter, hot pink emerges as the key trend colour of the season. Vivid and bright but without being overbearing, it’s a perfect colour pop worn both as head to toe look for ultimate glamour, or in a more understated way and offset against pretty florals or under sheer cover-ups.

FOOTWEAR 19-21 FEBRUARY 2017

NEC Birmingham

Register for tickets at moda-uk.co.uk

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2017

Retail Trends Craig Smith, VP of Solutions and Customer Success at Amplience, a leading digital content provider, takes a look at the consumer trends influencing the industry landscape this year.

Understanding and adapting to consumer trends within the retail industry can help a business to flourish. In this feature I take a look at five key movements set to dominate 2017, from social media shopping to the rise and rise of personalisation. But first, let’s begin with the mass move to mobile.

New mobile payment methods took the retail sector by storm in 2016, with Apple Pay allowing consumers to pay for their goods with just a touch of a finger. This year we’ll see shoppers shift from simply browsing, to completing the entire shopping journey on their mobile devices. The attention span of shoppers is dwindling so people are increasingly turning to mobile shopping for its convenience and speed. Currently around 50 per cent of shopping is done on mobile and this is only set to rise in 2017 as people are finding fewer reasons to shop in physical stores.

Many retailers are struggling to adapt to this new shopping habit and aren’t creating engaging apps or content; this must be a focus in the coming months in order to keep at the front of shoppers’ minds. Expect to see fashion retailers upping the ante and transforming their mobile apps into a rich and enticing experience rather than a convenient ‘nice to have’. Currently, 87 per cent of mobile owners are using apps but only 3 per cent of these are retail apps. The app market is a crowded space but there is a great opportunity in the year ahead for retailers to embrace the appetite for mobile.

Social networks, meanwhile, have taken ‘fast fashion’ to the next level. If a celebrity is spotted wearing a covetable item on social media, fashion retailers must design, source and get it up on their site within weeks in order to stay relevant. This trend is only set to continue in 2017 as the likes of Facebook and Instagram experiment with new ways to get shoppers clicking the buy button.

Retailers need to become more agile by streamlining their

infrastructure in order to keep up with the demands of today’s fast fashion. By rethinking their approach to content production, retailers can keep up with the influx of content and stay fresh, upto-date and relevant.

Charlotte Tilbury is proof of the power social media holds over today’s retail landscape. Born out of her YouTube make-up tutorials, she grew her brand through Twitter and blogging, gaining a loyal following in the process. Today, Charlotte Tilbury is the second most popular brand in the Selfridges Group, overtaking traditional brands that have been frontrunners for years. Other retailers should follow suit and find their audiences in the places where they look for inspiration online in order to capture their hearts and wallets.

The next 12 months may also see a decline in department stores. Marketplaces are conquering the retail sector at an alarming rate. The juggernauts Amazon, Alibaba and eBay are posing a threat to mass merchants, and the bad news for them is that marketplaces are here to stay. It is anticipated that global marketplaces will own 39 per cent of the online retail market in 2020. Once their key differentiator, department stores are no longer able to compete on range, and many have forgotten the art of curating and bespoke service. If department stores want to re-establish themselves, they should think less about price and volume, and more about brand and customer engagement.

Selfridges is a prime example of a department store fully embracing cutting-edge retail technology. In 2016, it debuted a shoppable app including a ‘shop-by-Instagram’ functionality, using selfgenerated content as a means to drive sales.

In 2017 we’re likely to see other stores following Selfridges’ lead in providing variety in combination with a tailored experience.

Missguided is an example of an online retailer fusing the online

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and instore experience to create an immersive shopping experience.

Its newly opened physical store encourages shoppers to Instagram and Snapchat their experience, placing reminders and hashtags throughout the shop floor to create a social buzz.

Personalisation, meanwhile, is widely recognised by retailers as a key driver of sales, yet many are still failing to execute effective strategies. Previously, this was understandable given the fine line between bespoke deals and an overbearing retailer bombarding the shopper with too much information. Yet in 2017, with the tools available to retailers, there should be a dramatic departure from shooting blind.

Aside from the ethics of personalisation, the cost of content production is spiralling. With the number of channels to communicate with customers growing, serving highly relevant content becomes much harder. To top it off, production costs are escalating in line with the need to cater to mobile and multiple markets, making it harder for retailers to be agile. In 2017 and the coming years retailers must focus on streamlining their infrastructure to allow for smooth-running omnichannel personalisation.

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to creep into our everyday lives, retailers have more opportunities to provide customers with informed recommendations by gathering more information from a range of devices. We are going to see fridges telling consumers when they are out of milk and existing smart home technology, such as the Amazon Dash Button, becoming more advanced and widely used. It’s time retailers fully embrace the opportunities they have to provide customers with a bespoke experience and engage with them to deliver the best messages at times when the customer is most receptive.

Last but certainly not least, what consumers are looking for in

a shopping journey is convenience. Retailers shouldn’t lose sight of this, but should instead make this a priority for customer engagement strategies in 2017. Same-day delivery has become the norm thanks to Amazon Prime, yet promises of delivery within the hour come with a hefty price and demand a highly developed infrastructure. Many brands are failing to profit on their products by simply trying to replicate Amazon’s promise.

What customers really want is a slick and seamless checkout regardless of the device. Retailers need to work on making the online experience, from browsing right down to the delivery, as smooth as an in-store purchase would be – without the queuing, of course. Customers have high expectations, and this is only set to grow. Retailers must step up in order to avoid basket abandonment at the final hurdle.

This year, we’ll see retailers turning to methods that smooth the purchase process and draw in customers without bending over backwards to slash delivery times. Whilst Apple Pay has paved the way for online payments, the checkout experience is still holding back conversion on mobile devices. In 2017 retailers should spend less energy on elaborate fads and hone in on what the shopper really wants.

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Craig Smith is VP of Solutions and Customer Success at Amplience, a leading digital content provider that works with retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Tumi, JD, Mulberry, Halfords, Shop Direct and Panasonic to manage digital content and enhance the online customer experience.

For more information, visit www.amplience.com.

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Berlin uncovered

WWB’s Tom Bottomley headed out to the German capital to browse the shows. Here are some of the gems he discovered.

LYPH Standing for ‘Live Young Play Hard’ (and pronounced as ‘life’) this new label certainly has a point of difference. Starting out with menswear in 2014, a small women’s offer has now been added for a/w17. “For us it’s a very androgynous look, and we’ve kept the same blocks for women’s but dropped the shoulders, shortened the sleeves and used a more rounded ‘Daisy’ collar,” says co-founder and creative director, Frederick Edmondson. There are original jackets, shirts and an edgy high-waisted long length pencil skirt in a technical waterproof fabric with performance zips. Edmondson describes LYPH as “a new UK avant garde clothing brand.” The idea behind the product is unique and progressive. “We always keep a very classic base layer to each silhouette,” he explains. “We try to use classic fabrics, such as Oxfords, poplins and twills, which we then team with performance fabrics from Japan. Each season we work with interchangeable pockets, which button on with solid BB military press studs, which can change a look and introduce seasonal trends, such as Breton stripes, poacher pockets or more technical fabrics like Nanamica use in Japan. It’s up to you how you team it all together.” This showing at Seek was the label’s first ever trade fair outing, and things are looking promising.

ARMOR LUX Another Seek exhibitor, Armor is the Breton word for the coast, or ‘by the sea’, and this brand has been around since 1938. Starting out with striped Breton tops and underwear, there’s now an extensive full collection that nods to the brand’s roots, with a touch of added glamour. Armor Lux has some 50 stores, all in France aside from four in Germany. It’s now looking to grow its UK account base, especially on the womenswear side where there are currently 60 live accounts. The Breton tops, including those with button detail on one shoulder, are still the core of the business, with 16 different colour options. Eight colours are permanently in stock. Other pieces are based on the sailing aesthetic, though there’s definitely some contemporary and feminine elements to the new a/w 17 collection, with capes and culottes featuring. Good basics are a real focus; shirting is key and a highlight of outerwear is the short duffle pea coat.

SELFHOOD While the RVLT brand has been established for 20 years in the skate and street market, as well as the more fashion end, this is just the third season of the women’s outerwearonly offer from the same company. Partner and design director Palle Bruun Rasmussen says: “The main idea with the brand is, instead of doing a complete collection across all categories, we wanted to really focus on one area and have a widespread selection of options within the range.” Outerwear has always been a key strength in the RVLT men’s offer, and this enables Selfhood to benefit from the same suppliers.

Commercially priced, and retailing between ¤160 and ¤230 (with a 2.7 mark-up), the collection consists of fashion pieces such as some very stylish wool top coats, as well as more practical and technical everyday wear jackets in fitted silhouettes, using Thinsulate for warmth and Teflon for durability. A key piece for a/w 17 is a belt-tying kimono style puffa jacket. There are currently just 10 UK accounts selling Selfhood, so plenty of room for growth.

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HOLUBAR Situated at Premium, Holubar is famous for making the jacket that Robert De Niro wore when out hunting in 1978 film The Deer Hunter. Though far more associated with menswear, Holubar has always made women’s pieces; its current range includes some stylish parkas in feminine silhouettes. Now Italian owned, Holubar was actually established in Boulder, Colorado, in 1947 and therefore celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

Orange trims can be found throughout the collection, a signature brand statement. The women’s offer is quite small and focused, but is now receiving escalating interest from buyers in Europe. Shorter and more fitted jackets flatter while keeping customers warm and dry. Big fur trims on hoods, which are detachable, are another key feature.

BROWN ALLAN Another good find at Premium, Brown Allan specialises in cashmere and, though the company behind it, Zhongyin Cashmere Co, has been making for some major players in the past, including Uniqlo, Zara, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, this brand was only launched in a/w16.

The company is actually a cashmere mill based in China, and is one of the largest cashmere producers in the world. It also owns Todd & Duncan, a Scottish cashmere mill, with a heritage dating back to 1863. The Brown Allan name comes from another old Scottish mill, founded in 1883. This knitwearfocused collection is not in 100 per cent cashmere, but utilises other natural fibres as well, including merino yak blend, in order to keep the prices more competitive while maintaining excellent quality. Styling-wise the look is described as ‘athleisure lux’, taking some sporty design cues – not too contemporary and not too classic either. It’s modern with clean lines, elevating T-shirts and sweatshirts to a more luxurious level. It also casualises more classic pieces. It’s a full concept of tops, bottoms and accessories and there are, as yet, no UK accounts, though it did open with 200 stores in its first season in the US.

WOODS Founded in 1885, Woods is the very first Canadian outerwear brand, and is now being relaunched into the fashion market across both men’s and women’s for a/w17 (showing at Premium), with the Arctic Parka being the key driver. Prices are more competitive than other brands in the same market area. The women’s collection is quite extensive, including some excellent outerwear pieces with key design details inspired by the brand’s heritage but updated for a modern market. There’s a fitted super lightweight puffa jacket that can be worn as a warm lining to a regular unlined parka, as well as Woods hoodies, puffa gilets, elasticated cuff bottoms and some great bags. The Woods tree branding which appears on jacket sleeves really stands out and is authentic to its origins. The company’s tag line is: ‘Expedition Outfitters. For Those Who Dare,’ and the man behind the relaunch is Robin Yates. He was a main player in driving sales of Canada Goose, before leaving and launching Nobis, which also has a fine women’s outerwear offer.

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Scottish power Built on an ethos that supports craft produce, simple classics and quality basics, Dick’s Edinburgh opened in Stockbridge in November 2012. Situated within a lively village often dubbed the bohemian area of Scotland’s capital, its location is the perfect environment for independent design. Rebecca Jackson speaks to co-owner of the store Andrew Dick to find out more.

Based in Stockbridge, a lively village in Edinburgh, Dick’s opened in 2012 with the aim to bring together a carefully selected mix of menswear, womenswear, accessories and homeware. Owners of the store Andrew Dick and Uli Schade handpick brands that specialise in craft and have a common philosophy of quality and longevity, an ethos that is central to everything they do.

It’s a world away from their life in London, which the husband and wife team used to call home. “We wanted to be somewhere quieter, more compact,” says Andrew Dick. “I was working as a journalist at the Guardian newspaper. Uli was and is still a photographer, and we fancied being close to one set of our parents. I’m from Edinburgh and grew up near Stockbridge.

I’ve always had a real passion for well-made, functional things, from clothing to homewares, and we thought this would make a good mix for an Edinburgh shop.”

Offering up a pared-down selection of modern, simple classics and quality basics, Dick’s does not aim to cater to a particular demographic. Instead, most of Dick’s customers are

the type of people who have many different interests and are not clothes obsessives. Or, as Dick puts it, “Just folk who like great quality”.

The majority of buying takes place in Florence and Paris, with both Dick and Schade handling all aspects of the sourcing, always in line with the store’s ethos and emphasis on high quality and the desire to support and stock small independent labels which convey quality and a passion for manufacturing.

“The store isn’t about fashion but longevity. Everything in-store is really well considered; we edit it right down so that people don’t have to. They simply know that every product stocked here is made by the best manufacturer in its field,” explains Dick.

The in-store brands mix is varied, catering to a wide range of product categories and geographical areas. For instance, brands include Eribe as well as Harley and Howlin’, offering knitwear pieces made in Scotland and Ireland. Shoes come from Northampton by Trickers and Sanders; T-shirts, polos and boxers are by Sunspel; Breton shirts by Orcival and workers’

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“ THE REAL HIGH HAS BEEN THE OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THE SHOP AND PEOPLE

SHARING OUR IDEAS ABOUT THE WAY THINGS ARE MADE BEING IMPORTANT.”

jackets by Vetra, as well as bags by Edinburgh based Soda Kitsch. Homeware includes Royal Sussex Trugs and Swedish Korbo baskets; hand-forged pans by Turk; and skincare products by Aesop. Elsewhere in-store, leather wallets, pencil cases and footballs are made by Sonnenleder; kitchen knives are available from French label Opinel and German brand Windmühlenmesser. Decorative handmade wooden crows are

by Swedish designer Mikael Nilsson and woodblock letter prints by Chris Sleath, a local printmaker based in Edinburgh, who hand prints especially for the store.

Knowing where the products have come from and the story behind how they were made is of vital importance to Dick and Schade, whose aim is to have every existing Scottish manufacturer represented. And it seems their passion for craft and quality has an infectious effect on their customers. “The real high has been the overwhelmingly positive response to the shop and people sharing our ideas about the way things are made. I think our brand mix is really developing. And everything is made by folk who are passionate about what they do and it shows. Now it’s a case of finding the best products we can from small manufacturers,” says Dick.

Since initially opening as a menswear store, the additions of womenswear, homeware and accessories have provided significant growth opportunities, though menswear currently remains the bestselling category in-store and online. Around

ten per cent of takings currently originate from the transactional site, which seems indicative of the fact that Dick’s customers still prefer to browse and shop in the bricks and mortar store than online. And the bustling village location of the store, which promotes independent traders and design adds to this, helping the store to flourish.

Dick’s interior has been inspired by the aesthetic of leading indies from around the world, and in particular Japan, presenting a minimalist appearance that promotes an unpretentious and uncomplicated attitude to shopping while reflecting the tone and quality of the products and labels stocked in-store. Oak fittings, a washed wooden floor, lime plaster on the walls and utilitarian steel features add an elegant and yet contemporary feel to the Georgian building.

Even though both Dick and Schade admit that running the store has not been without its challenges – they cite road closures in the local area, Brexit and drastic and continuous discounting by other stores as just some of the trials and tribulations of retail – Dicks has thrived and prospered throughout its five year existence.

As for the future of the store, there are no immediate, drastic plans. In fact, rather appropriately when you take into account the careful and measured approach so far, the future of the store is also carefully considered. It’s all about – as Dick puts it – “Slow and steady evolution”.

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Retailer spotlight:

FAB FROCKS LAUNCHES NEW RESPONSIVE SITE Bournemouth boutique Fab Frocks has enhanced its e-commerce offering with the launch of a new, fully responsive, mobile and tablet friendly website, making it one of the few occasionwear boutiques in the UK to offer online shopping. Since launching its new site the store has found that 66 per cent of its web traffic comes from mobile devices, while web sales have increased 13 per cent. Fab Frocks director Steve Taylor says: “This new site is the culmination of six months of collaborative work with company Intelligent Retail to introduce the latest in web technology for the ever-growing mobile e-commerce market.”

SEVEN DIALS WELCOMES KOMONO POP UP Covent Garden’s Seven Dials received a temporary addition to its shop portfolio last month, when sunglasses and watches brand Komono opened a pop up store within the shopping district.

Customers will be able to browse the brand’s men’s and women’s offering for two months. With Komono stores in multiple cities like Lyon, Antwerp, Madrid, Thessaloniki, Ghent and Taipei, it is the first time the brand has opened a pop up venue in London.

Retail Forum The latest in-store news from the industry

HAVE YOU OPENED A NEW STORE , LAUNCHED A TRANSACTIONAL WEB SITE , ORGANISED AN EVENT OR HAVE ANY OTHER IN-STORE NEWS? THEN LET US KNOW BY GETTING IN TOUCH AT REBECCA . JACKSON@RAS-PUBLISHING.COM.

Web watch:

WWW.IAMSOFLY.CO.UK

Established in 2009 as an online womenswear boutique, Fly Style has developed an easy to navigate site with a diverse product offering.

Expanding from its womenswear line to offer menswear and childrenswear, the site offers product categories from accessories to knitwear and swimwear. Typically catering to the trendy crowd, brands include the likes of Little Mistress, Maison Scotch, Minkpink, Rare London and Little White Lies. Regular updates, which include postings from the store’s online magazine, are channelled through Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Last year, the boutique opened a flagship bricks and mortar store in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, which includes the store’s expanding range of in-house brands.

ANNA PARK Owner of Shop at Anna, Primrose Hill, London What is your current bestseller in-store?

We are currently on sale, so sale items are flying out the door and online as we are now 70 per cent off. The bestselling collections right now are the cashmere ranges, especially Jumper 1234 and 360 Cashmere – both of which are always a winner and we can never get enough of them.

How have you found trading over the last few weeks?

Trading has been great over the last month. The end of year was very strong following a challenging couple of months. New stock came in early, creating strong sales with high margins.

What have you been doing to drive traffic in-store?

Fortunately, a few of our shops are located in holiday areas, therefore we are lucky to have holidaymakers naturally find us. Footfall for us is mainly driven by word of mouth.

What’s on your agenda for the coming month?

Concentrating on Primrose Park a/w 17 samples, buying a/w 17 for the Anna store and elevating our website to a new platform... and maybe I’ll squeeze a holiday in, too!

Are you planning any in-store promotions or events in-store over the next few weeks?

We will be holding a blogger and buyer event to promote and thank our stockists for buying and promoting Primrose Park s/s 17. This will be a fun event presenting the s/s 17 collection whilst guests enjoy healthy snacks and bubbles. The Bury St Edmunds store and the Woodbridge stores are both celebrating anniversaries this year so we plan to celebrate with in-store parties.

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Retail therapy: Share your retailing bugbears

BOUTIQUE TRANSFORMS INTO PRIVATE SHOWROOM Plume Boutique recently moved to a new location, changing into a showroom format in the process.

Though still based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, the new store operates as a private showroom rather than a traditional store. “With my background in fashion styling, I have many regular customers who come to me for personal shopping and styling services,” says store owner Gemma Fox. “With the new showroom I can focus more on this side of our business. It makes total sense for us, having been around for 11 years now and having also built up a very large and loyal customer base in the surrounding areas.”

BECKY SCHNEIDER E-commerce manager, Accent Clothing, Leeds My bugbear is something that affects many independents and a reason why so many of us have struggled to keep our doors open. Each year the larger retailers push bigger discounts, and it’s become increasingly difficult for us to compete with them. We are lucky enough however, to have built a loyal customer base who support us and want to keep independent stores alive. I think that it’s important for us to reward our customers and offer not only exceptional customer service but unique experiences including our in-store gigs, fashion shows and promotional evenings. They are, after all, the reason we continue to stay open and have done for 33 years.

FOOTWEAR STORE WINS WINDOW COMPETITION Independent footwear store Nooshoos has scooped an award for best window design, beating runners up from Italy, Belgium, France and Spain.

Based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, the store won the award ran by The Art Company and picked up a €5,000 prize. Award applicants took on the task of producing a window display that reflected the spirit of footwear brand Art. Owner Amy Steventon says: “I always take pride in my window displays and after only beginning trading six months ago, I am over the moon about winning the contest.”

Q&A:

What’s your business goal for 2017?

PAMELA SHIFFER

CINDY MARRITT

JANE FRIEND

VICTORIA SUFFIELD

Owner of Pamela Shiffer, London NW1

Owner of Cindy’s, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire

Owner, The Hambledon, Winchester

“We’re launching our new and updated website, redecorating the store and introducing a vintage handbag department. We’re also taking a fresh approach to marketing, as Instagram and other social media sites continue to dominate our downtime. Watch this space 2017.”

“My goal for 2017 is to become more interactive with my customers through email and Facebook.”

Owner, At the Attic, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire

“We offer a bespoke customer experience at the store, and our goal is to continue providing a level of excellent customer service. We like to make our ladies feel good about themselves and offer a personal experience by offering nice extras like a glass of bubbly while the customer is shopping.”

“Every year my accountant sets me some homework for the year ahead.

2017’s instruction was for more of the same, which I take to mean more selling, cleverer buying, better VM and the eternal quest for the new.”

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E-tail Clinic

Essential e-commerce advice The expert view: How to increase e-commerce sales on social media Social media is now an integral part of our lives. Yet many online businesses are still failing to turn their social presence into profits.

Follow these top tips to increase sales: 1. Plan, Plan, Plan Draw up a clear set of goals you want to achieve through social media. It might be increasing the number of followers to drive website traffic or maybe generating genuine user reviews and recommendations. Keep your plan fluid and adjustable.

2. Go where your customers are Try to know and understand your customers as much as possible.

Who are they? What do they like and dislike? What is their social media of choice? You can find this information by asking them directly with a survey on your website, through email or with tools such as trackur or Google Analytics.

3. Know where your competitors are Invest some time in researching what your top five competitors are doing well.

Where do they have the most followers? What are they posting? What gains the most likes and shares? How do they promote each channel?

4. Provide an incentive to increase follows and shares Entice customers with something they can’t get anywhere else: create competitions, offer free shipping or discounts or publish ‘breaking news’ that does not appear anywhere else, like pre-product release announcements.

5. Engage with your customers The primary goal of your business may be to sell products but don’t think of social media as just another way to generate sales and drive traffic. Use these platforms to bring added value and engage with your customers.

6. Keep it fresh Immediacy is big in social media. However, you need to find the right balance and create a posting strategy for each channel. Take into consideration what time customers use social media and how long they spend on each channel.

7. Images and videos say a thousand words Adding an image to an otherwise text-based announcement is far more compelling and will provide more engagement opportunities. People like seeing a product in action, so video is also an excellent way to increase sales.

8. Track your success URL shorteners like bit.ly can be a very useful tool for understanding buyers’ preferences. In this way, you can get the most impact from your efforts.

9. Achieve loyalty and trust through interaction Asking open questions, publishing opinions on various subjects related to your business and industry, participating in conversations between your clients or sharing your followers’ posts should also be a part of your social media activities.

The more you show the persona behind the brand, the more people will engage with it regularly.

10. Let everyone know If you’ve put a lot of effort and time into creating a smart, engaging social media presence, you’d better let everyone know about it. Embed social buttons across your website and don’t forget to include links on your invoices, stationery and email signatures.

Paul Watson, CEO, Volo Commerce, www.volocommerce.com

Web chat: SALLY LONGDEN Owner of Stick & Ribbon, Nottingham When did you launch your website and is it transactional?

We first launched our website back in 2011 and it has been fully transactional since that date. We have recently moved to a new web service provider and have revamped the whole site to give a fresher feel.

What percentage of your business does your site constitute?

Our website constitutes a very small part of our turnover – approximately 5 per cent. However, we find the site is a useful tool for our customers to check what stock we have in-store. We also use links to products on customer newsletters that go out to our ever growing database.

Are you selling the same stock online as in-store?

Not everything we have in store is online. This is mainly due to accessibility of good quality images which can be a problem with the smaller brands.

Is your e-commerce arm growing, and what is driving this growth?

At the moment it’s about the same but we hope to grow this with the technology now available to us with the new website. We’ve had great feedback on the new site so will encourage more of our local customers to shop online for basics, as well as visiting the shop for new fashion items.

What are your plans for the site and how would you like it to develop?

We are in the process of adding more stock and hopefully will be able to do this as we progress into s/s 17. We will also be introducing a customer loyalty scheme which will link to a mobile app.

£133bn

The total spent online with UK retailers in 2016, mostly fuelled by sales growth on smartphones *Source: IMRG

The number by which online sales could be boosted if retailers adopted AR and gave consumers access to visualisation technology that allows them to virtually try before they buy. *Source: DigitalBridge

£1bn

www.propress.co.uk

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Access 020 3432 6387 www.accessfashion.gr Ann Balon 0161 428 0659 www.annbalon.com Anonyme 020 7702 0203 www.lovebrandsuk.com Ariella 020 8883 7288 www.ariella.com Badoo 0030 231 051 4100 www.badoo-fashion.gr Bianca 020 7580 0085 www.bianca.de Carla Ruiz 0034 902 309080 www.carlaruiz.com Carmen Melero www.carmenmelero.com Captain Corsaire 01752 880156 www.landandseaagency.com Circle of Trust 020 7702 0203 www.lovebrandsuk.com City Goddess 020 8597 2744 www.citygoddess.co.uk Conrad C 020 7235 6441 www.conradc.com Coster Copenhagen 020 3432 6385 www.costercopenhagen.com Cream 07941 080852 www.cream-clothing.com Cubic 020 3432 6385 www.tcashowroom.com Desigual 020 3432 6387 www.desigual.com Didriksons 07979 691899 www.didriksons.com Dynasty London 020 8736 0200 www.dynastyuk.co.uk Eva Tralala 07770 664977 www.evatralala.fr Faber 020 8441 6305 www.faberknitwear.de Fee G 00353 460 6035 www.feeg.ie Fely Campo 07850 788178 www.felycampo.com Freequent 020 3432 6387 www.freequent.eu IC Joy 07961 180631 www.ic-joy.com Irresistible by Veromia 020 8502 2257 www.veromia.co.uk Isabell 020 7580 3202 www.ferentino.de Jack Murphy 00353 1841 4200 www.jackmurphy.ie James Lakeland 020 7636 7130 www.jameslakeland.net James Steward 07468 572378 www.jamessteward.co.uk Jessica Graaf 00353 1 429 5111 www.jessicagraaf.com John Charles 020 8888 8833 www.johncharles.co.uk Latte 0141 204 0699 www.latteclothing.com Linea Raffaelli 0032 1377 1476 www.linearaffaelli.com Lizabella 0113 245 9064 www.tatefashions.com Marble 01418 826743 www.marblefashions.co.uk Marc Aurel 07906 070081 www.marc-aurel.com Marc Cain 020 7436 0705 www.marc-cain.com Mascara 020 8965 1522 www.franksaul.com Meisie 07725 981726 www.meisie.es Michaela Louisa 020 8888 7000 www.michaelalouisa.com Miss Eterne 07850 788178 Mon Cheri 01954 232 102 www.mon-cheri.co.uk Nü 020 7702 0203 www.lovebrandsuk.com Olga Santoni 07795 007528 www.olgasantoni.com Paola Collection 01892 614000 www.paolacollection.pl Picadilly 020 7580 3202 www.picadilly.ca Pomodoro 020 8961 4000 www.pomodoroclothing.com Rino & Pelle 020 7633 9888 www.rino-pelle.com Ronald Joyce 0845 561 5522 www.ronaldjoyce.com Silvian Heach 020 3432 6385 www.silvianheach.com Smashed Lemon 0800 612 9009 www.smashed-lemon.com Sonia Pena 0034 952 240 368 www.soniapena.com South West Ten 020 3773 6061 www.southwestten.com Teresa Ripoll 07850 788178 www.teresaripoll.com Thought 020 7607 1173 www.wearethought.com

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The Last Word with...

Claire O’Neill, marketing segment manager lingerie & swimwear at Lycra Insights for 2018 – these trend directions include new fabric developments from the key partner mills we work with in both Europe and Asia. A global trend which everyone is aware of is the rise of athleisure – the combination of leisure garments and activewear. We are excited about this lifestyle movement because we have many fibre and fabric innovations which benefit the consumer. Innovation is a key focus for Invista; in fact we have more than 700 unique pending or granted US patents and 2,000 worldwide, so watch this space for new developments coming soon.

What are the biggest developments for Lycra in lingerie that you are anticipating in the future?

Athleisure is still an exciting trend for us and part of that is the strong focus on sports bras. Another trend which we have seen is the bralette – this is an unstructured bra which plays into the consumer desire for more comfort. We expect to see more of this ‘casualisation’ trend influencing the bra market. Lace has always been very important in the world of lingerie. Recently we have worked on combining lace with Lycra fibre. I think this is a good example of the perfect marriage between technology and aesthetics.

What is your background and what route did you take to your current position?

My career started as a textile design graduate and I have worked within the textile industry for 27 years in a variety of different roles, from design to product management, sourcing, teaching and marketing. I have been lucky enough to work for companies and brands like VF Corp, Speedo, Bravissimo and, for the last eight years, with Invista, the owner of the Lycra brand.

Lycra is one of the sponsors of Moda Lingerie & Swimwear.

How important is this engagement on trade level?

We have been proud sponsors of the Moda Lingerie & Swimwear Show since 2011. We believe it is incredibly important to be present at this prestigious national show, not only because we can support the many brands which specify our fibres within their ranges, but it also gives us an opportunity to meet buyers from retail and smaller independent stores – to explain the benefits of our fibres to the end consumer. Our exhibition stand at the show serves as an information point where customers can come along to find out more about our fibre technologies and innovations.

The world of lingerie and swimwear is relatively small and the opportunity to get together to exchange ideas is precious – so for me, Moda is a must.

What does your day to day job entail?

They say variety is the spice of life and that is certainly the case with this job. Although my title is marketing manager, my role is all-encompassing – it ranges from presenting our latest technologies to brands and retailers and liaising with our value chain teams around the world on commercial programmes, to answering queries on branding, packaging and advertising. Dealing What is your personal style? with queries relating to the I like to be active, so I spend a lot of time in clothes that allow me to move freely, fit well, Trademark License Agreements we are comfortable. But, I’m not adverse to a bit of glam either. have in place with our customers.

Organising product testing.

Planning events, sponsorships and dealing with press and media.

How do you unwind?

I run. I’m a regular park runner and I also run with several other clubs in Nottingham.

What are the latest innovations at Lycra that you are involved in?

There are several initiatives we are working on currently. Firstly, we are actively promoting our latest Trend

What’s your secret talent?

I make a blinding (very boozy) Christmas cake, but it was discovered by my dog and following an emergency trip to the vet and a bill of £400, I think I will forego that talent.

What are the three things on your bucket list?

Three Peaks Challenge, compete in a triathlon, do more yoga.

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