Takizawa starts own label
Issey Miyake's former creative director Naoki Takizawa is launching his own women's wear label. The first collection will be unveiled during New York Fashion Week this September, Issey Miyake Inc revealed.
Takizawa is a veteran of both men's and women's wear, having worked for Issey Miyake's men's collection for 13 years and for the women's collection for seven years. In addition to the clothing line, French shoemaker Robert Clergerie will produce a shoe brand to accompany the line, Naoki Takizawa Made in France by Robert Clergerie. The design ideas will come from Takizawa. The shoe collection will be displayed at various European trade shows.
The choice for a debut in New York is based on the fact that contemporary designer fashion does particularly well in that city, Issey Miyake Inc said. “The market potential and the designer's direction were also taken into consideration.” Although the brand will initially target the US and Japanese markets, eventually it will be brought to major department stores and specialty stores in Europe .
23 May 2007
Sainbury's Tu gains market share
Sainbury's Tu fashion brand is on track to gain a 1 percent share of the British clothing market before the end of the year. The label, which launched in 2004 and is preparing a more directional collection for this autumn, will be rolled out to an increasing number of stores and a new store concept will be introduced to further house the range.
“As we grow the Tu brand, it's not just about developing product,” Sainsbury's buying and design director Adrian Mountford told Drapers. “I'd love to get clothing into all 500 stores but there isn't the space. We will be introducing Tu to more stores and we're working on a new store design, which is in its infancy. Shoppers now come to Sainsbury's for the clothing and then do their food shopping – the foodies love Tu.”
Mountford said that Tu was targeting high street shoppers and was not, as such, taking on it supermarket or discount competitors. “We don't pitch ourselves against Primark and throwaway fashion,” he said. “We cater mainly for the 30-plus market, which looks for quality and sophistication.”
www.sainsburys.co.uk
8 May 2007
Imelda Marcos launches own fashion label
Former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos is launching the own fashion jewellery collection. Marcos, the flamboyant widow of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is famed for her extravagant and excessive lifestyle, which included owning 3000 pairs of shoes, the alleged world's largest gem collection and five-million dollar shopping sprees to New York and Italy.
The Imelda collection, a made for-the-masses line based on her own jewellery and closet, also features trainers, accessories and clothes. The line is aimed at a younger generation, not familiar with the extravagances of the Marcos family. The line will be as glitzy as its designer, however at a fraction of the price of her originals.
Imelda dismisses criticisms of her extravagance, saying it was her "duty" to be a star for the poor. "You have to be some kind of light, a star to give them guidelines," she once said. She is adamant that there was nothing ill-gotten about her wealth. "My husband was rich before I met him," dismissing claims that she raided the treasury, squeezed businesses and pilfered World Bank loans to finance their lifestyle.
Decades before hip hop artists came up with the term "bling bling" to describe gaudy ostentation, Filipinos used the phrase "Imeldific" to describe acts of excess, a term Marcos hopes will go down in the dictionary, according to the Associated Press. Imelda Marcos still faces hundreds of cases accusing her of illegally transferring millions of US dollars overseas, and was once charged with over 1000 years of imprisonment for corruption, which she successfully appealed.
Lovely Lanvin
Many a man has admired the craftsmanship of the Lanvin brand, hitherto only fashionable in its women’s collections. Menswear, up until last season, was a collection of city shirts, pleated trousers and old-man’s jumpers. Something that required dusting, out of yesteryear’s closet.
This season, the label smells more of old money than mothballs. Smoking jackets, velvet pants and dickie bows reflected a somber, yet fashionable mood. Think Bryan Ferry or David Bowie at the height of their aesthetic. The new Lanvin line is the wardrobe of a man whose father and grandfather dressed in bespoke tailoring. The clothes come pre washed, giving the air of something borrowed, a trend seen on many of the AW 06 shows.
18 August 2006
FrostFrench in debt
Hot London fashion label FrostFrench has filed accounts with Companies House this week which show that the brand owes nearly £500,000. Meanwhile, its assets amount to a mere £94,000. In comparison, the company's assets in 2003 amounted to £229,550 and it owed £342,000. “They're pretty pitiful figures to be honest,” a business commentator told the Evening Standard. “The company is basically worth nothing in asset terms. You could argue that its biggest asset is its name.” FrostFrench was founded by actress and former wife of Jude Law, Sadie Frost, and her childhood friend Jemima French in 1999. Thanks to the duo's social standing, the brand quickly became popular with the glamour set, with fashionista's clamouring for a spot at one of their fashion shows.
www.frostfrench.com
27 juli 2006
Lemaire revives signature label
Christophe Lemaire is reviving his signature label after a three year hiatus. The designer decided to put his line on the back burner to focus on the French sportswear brand Lacoste. However, he is planning to open a shop in Paris this October, which will feature the first designs of his eponymous label. A second shop opening is slated for December in Tokyo . The new Lemaire brand will include both men's and women's wear and is aimed at the “urban dandy”. The focus will be on unisex styles and clothes that are suitable for both home and street wear, the designer told WWD. Lemaire will be launched in partnership with Avant, a fashion group based in Japan where production will take place. Wholesaling will begin early next year.
Prices of the label will be affordable enough to reach a wider audience. “Before, I felt captive to the designer price point,” Lemaire said. “Clothes that are too expensive run contrary to my design philosophy. I've always wanted to make clothes with a strong point of view but at an intelligent price.” Jeans will retail for about €150, shirts for about €120 and cashmere sweaters for about €280.
All about Dsquared2
At first glance the Dsquared2 label may seem a little too sexy, a little too, shall we say, brassy. Think Pamela Anderson in a bustier and bulging muscle-gods in skintight denim and you get the look. But that doesn't seem to be affecting the company's success, or indeed, its popularity. Its current Brokeback-esque marketing campaign is proving a hit with customers and is as tongue-in-cheek as fashion advertising gets. Perhaps more cheek than tongue, as little is left to the imagination of understatedness.
The uber sexy label was launched in Milan in 1994 by Canadian twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten. The result was a debut with a Men's collection and in February 2003 they launched their first women's runway show. The rest, as they say, is history. Dsquared2 shows are often multimedia extravaganzas, combining fashion with art and music, and a whole load of sex. "We consider our clothes to be real," says Dean. "We want people to look cool, not dressed up. We design what we want to wear ourselves." Among this growing following are celebrities such as Lenny Kravitz, Justin Timberlake and Ricky Martin. The twins have also put their stamp on the women's fashion world and were thrilled when they were commissioned to create costumes for Madonna's "Don' Tell Me" video and the cowboy segment in her 2002 Drowned World tour.
"The Madonna thing was a big deal for us, because she has always been a huge inspiration. She first liked a pair of our jeans and before we knew it we had created 150 pieces for her tour. It has been an amazing and fulfilling experience" said Dan. The brothers teased the public in June 2002 when Dsquared2 previewed their Spring/ Summer 2003 menswear collection with an unexpected twist – showing nine looks from their long-awaited Women's Col lection. The following day WWD featured the designers on their prestigious cover and published a two-page interview.
"Accessories are the finishing touch to complete the look and we have a clear idea of what our woman wants,” says Dean. The Women's Col lection completely embraces the Dsquared2 spirit. It is vibrant, confident, fun and effortlessly cool. Did we mention sexy? The collection is available at the Design Lab at Selfridges.
10 April 2006
Davies considers new label
George Davies, the former owner of Per Una fashion, is said to be considering using some of the money he made from the sale of the label to former employer Marks and Spencer to set up a fashion retailer, according to the Financial Times. There has been talk that Davies may start his fourth retailing business after Next, George at Asda and Per Una. He could fund the opening of as many as 12 flagship stores with his own money. These stores would complement the e-tailing business that he set up in the belief that ecommerce is the way of the future for retailing.
Davies would call the new chain G1V-e. However, before working on the start-up, Davies is expected to complete his 12-month contract with M&S. Davies resigned from M&S last week amidst happier news of a slight financial recovery. The timing could not have come at a worse time for chief executive Stuart Rose. It is possible that more of the 140 Per Una staff will quit following Davies' resignation. His associates and his daughter Melanie also resigned last week.
www.marksandspencer.com
17 October 2005
Reiss goes pan-American
British fashion label Reiss is planning on conquering the US in the wake of the opening of its New York flagship store in March. The store is already performing above expectation, with turnover expected to reach £3.4 millon in two years. Reiss will open another store in New York as well as in 30 different locations throughout the US , including Boston , Chicago and Washington .
“We could go up to 100 stores and there's no reason why it couldn't eventually be more profitable than the UK ,” the company's finance director, Steven Downes, told Drapers . Meanwhile, Reiss has 37 outlets in the UK and plans to open a new store in Edinburgh this month as well as a flagship and head office in London 's Barrett Street in 2007. The company's operating profit for 2004 rose by a third to £5.4 million. Sales had risen from £28.7 million to £34.6 million for the same period.
www.reiss.co.uk
22 August 2005
Must have Marchesa
Renee Zellweger, Cate Blanchett, Claudia Schiffer, Diane Kruger and Penelope Cruz have already pledged allegiance, so it's official. The British couture label, Marchesa, is now a must-have brand.
Founded by Georgina Chapman and Kerin Craig and launched in April last year, the duo has now decided to introduce a ready-to-wear line. The designers promise that it won't be any less glamorous or personal, though. "Like theatrical costumes, we incorporate the client's character and needs into the design," Craig told vogue.co.uk. "We were absolutely thrilled to see that we had made the Entertainment Weekly Must list, and we are looking forward for early next year when our ready-to-wear collection will be available in the stores…"
29 June 2005
Indian Summer
The daughter of Pink Floyd member Roger Waters has founded her own fashion label. The 26-year-old India is joining ranks with the likes of Stella McCartney and Elizabeth Jagger as rock progeny turned fashion guru.India told conctactmusic.com that she is currently sourcing mateirals in India for her latest collection. Her business partner is New York-based designer Nikhal."I'm slightly roughing it at the moment," India said. "All I have is an iPod and a mattress. The label is called India and the clothes are already available in New York - we plan to bring the collection to London soon."
31 May 2005
Country Revival
The British label Country Casuals is ready for its comeback, with a makeover from a former Armani designer no less.With a new name, CC, and the help of its brand new creative director, Joanne Jong, the label hopes to leave its reputation as old-fashioned and stuffy firmly in the past.
Jong is a former design director for Giorgio Armani's Collezioni womenswear label. She also designs her own Yulan label. The autumn/winter 2005/6 collection, which was inspired by the idea of "the last Czaress of Russia visiting an English country manor", is attributed to Jong, as is the boost that the label has experienced.
www.countrycasuals.co.uk
3 May 2005
009
The label 009 is making waves in London. Its quirky childrenswear line is sold at the iconic shop The Cross and at Graham & Greene, while the Fifties-style dancing skirts are stocked at Vanilla B and a collection of men's shirts have been spotted by some of New York's big stores.
Designers Emilie O'Connor and Gopali Mulji are not swept away by their new status. "We're a design studio, not a label," O'Connor told vogue.com. She revealed that they do not work to seasonal rules and are not planning on participating in Fashion Week at any forseeable point in the future.
For their designs the duo use hand-picked Indian fabrics with hand-embroidery and original prints, which gives the clothes that urban ethnic look that is currently so hot. For more information mail OO9textiles@aol.com.
2 May 2005
Reiss Goes Global
High street label Reiss is looking to expand its trend-led mens and womenswear ranges to international heights. The company is set to open a flagship store in London's west-end, as it propelling ahead for international recognition. The group, which so far operate 30 stores, has acquired the London College of Fashion Barrett Street property, which is located just East of Selfridges. The current building will be demolished to make way for a new 25,000 sq ft Reiss store and headquarters.
The acquisition comes as Reiss is gearing up to launch into international markets. The company recently stated: We could take 100 stores worldwide comfortably within the infrastructure we have." A 5,000 sq ft store will open in New York in March, with franchise stores set to open in Scandinavia and the Emirates. Reiss is also in talks to open franchises in Hong Kong and Japan. Reiss finance director Steven Downes dais that operating profit for the year to the end of January 2005 was £5.6 million on sales of £25.3m. He said that in the last quarter like-for-like sales were up 13 per cent.
23 February 2005
Paul & Joe open Sloane Street
Quirky but successful fashion label Paul & Joe are to open a store on Sloane Street in London. The new shop, which is to be the company's fourth, will be opened with its partner Mireille, Diane and Marcelle Metta.
In addition to selling the men's and women's ranges, the store will also house childrenswear - the first of its London's retailers to do so. The shop will be fitted with chandeliers and feature bare brick walls and an iron staircase.
31 January 2005
Giant to launch for A/W 2005
Remember the fashion label Giant from the mid-nineties? The company, which speaiclales in party wear, was bought last July by property developer Ian Rosenblatt. Rosenblatt aims to reintroduce it the brand to independents and department stores next season.
Managing Director David Finlayson told Drapers: "there is nothing out here with the fun factor which has a British signature. Giant is not as trend-driven as Kookai or Morgan. It is younger and sexier than Karen Millen at lower price points. It is similar to brands such as All Saints and Nolita."
17 January 2004
New Label Sinhastanic
In a single season, Fiona Sinha and Aleksandar Stanic's women's line Sinhastanic is quickly gaining notoriety in London. With the requisite St. Martins womenswear degrees, Sinha and Stanic turned their design principles to wrapping, draping, and folding, not with any tight tailoring, but with a Rick Owens louche. Slouchy, draped jersey dresses in blood red that tuck under at the hem to produce a slight ballooning effect, long monochromatic layered tops with the odd sequin silver panel, and raw sleeveless white chiffon wraps highlight some of honest and wearable directions for spring.
The duo's designs may not be in stores yet, but it seems they are already on the fast track to success. Sinhastanic has recently landed a contract with AEFEE - the Italian luxury goods company that distributes Alberta Ferretti, Moschino, and Jean Paul Gaultier. As the first British label to ever be taken on by the venerable distributor, perks include a team of staff to help them develop their collections and a showroom space in their Milan headquarters to present and sell. According to Colin McDowell, London's resident fashion godfather, what this deal really means is that Sinhastanic's clothes "will be beautifully made and distributed at the right time" - a feat not easily achieved in London.
7 January 2005
First Lesbian Label
A lesbian couple in the San Francisco Bay area has launched a new label called Studded. The brand has been developed for women who prefer masculine styles. Aisha Pew and Breonna Cole say that their clothing line is the first in the US to offer clothes to butch lesbians, studs and transgender men. Although the items look like what you would find in a men's clothing store, the cut is slightly more curvaceous to accommodate the female form.
The brand made its debut in Oakland's Parkway Theater last week and the designer Pew received a standing ovation from the audience. Pew told the Chronicle: "The point of it is bigger than clothes. It's about feeling good on the outside and representing who you are on the inside." Who can argue with that? I think I shall represent the princess in me and where a tiara to work tomorrow.
20 December 2004
Hotels In Fashion
The last several years have seen an explosion of designers and luxury labels opening their own hotels. From Armani to Bulgari to Versace, it seems that even if you don't have a home ware line you should probably start thinking about opening a haute hostelry.
Fashion and architecture Surface Magazine is also following suit, applying its insider knowledge of what is hip with the courage of its aesthetic convictions to the 20-story glass façade Surface Hotel, scheduled to fully open on the Lower East Side of New York later in the year.
Even more trendy than a designer hotel is a discreet designer hotel, one that wears its creative credentials calmly on its sleeve as opposed to an in your face fashion association. On a quiet side street in the Marais district of Paris, Azzedine Alaia opens a bijou boutique hotel this month with long-time friend and collaborator Carla Sozzani of Corso Como 10 fame. It's so bijou it only has three rooms, suites to be exact, one per floor, in a building next door to Alaia's own residence and studio.
In Rimini, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, Iceberg is giving a concrete face to its gentle repositioning as a more serious fashion player with a stake in a luxury sport hotel and spa called the Riviera Golf Resort. Although the new course is wonderful, you don't actually have to play golf, especially with an 87-meter pool for lounging around. 32 individual suites designed by 15 different architects would definitely pass the stringent Tom Ford taste test, as would the Iceberg-clad wait staff. Short of serving their own brand of bottled water, the Iceberg aspect is never emphasized, and the steel and glass structure of the clubhouse/hotel/spa, bedecked with sun-reduction sails, is like a ship waiting to carry you away from the material stress of modern life.
2 August 2004
Episode Diffusion
EPS is the new diffusion line launched this season by ladies label favourite Episode. Tailored skirt suits, printed summer dresses and skirts and trousers with wide legs are highlights of the range, which will be more accessibly priced than the Episode main line.
All are available from Episode stores in Chester and Kingston, and concessions in House of Fraser Bristol and Edinburgh and John Lewis Liverpool, amongst others.
For enquiries, call 020 7855 8500
12 May 2004
Lacoste Is For April Showers
There's no better way to combat those April showers than with some fashionable rain-gear. Playing with this season's zingy colours, a bright yellow plastic poncho from Lacoste is the perfect way to dodge the rain and to brighten up your spring outfit.
24 March 2004
Premium Brands Resist "Made in EU" Label
Walpole, the organisation that represents nearly 100 premium brands in Britain, is fighting the European Commission's proposal to introduce a generic Made in Europe label. Walpole, whose members include Burberry, Harrods and Jimmy Choo, said the proposed change to the mark of origin will devalue British brands and restrict the choice of the consumer.
Walpole took a full-page add in The Financial Times on January 19.
28 January 2004
Made In Europe
The European Commission has suggested the creation of a Made in Europe label to promote the sale of quality European clothing competing against cheap imports from developing countries. As part of a grand plan to boost the European Union clothing and textile industry, a label could offer consumers a "guarantee of high environmental and social standards" in clothes production, said EU trade commissioner Pascal Lamy.
6876 Returns!
Cult
label 6876 is to return to wholesale for this autumn. Hailed by the fashion
pack, it was stocked at the likes of Liberty in its hayday until financial difficulties
made it a short-term success. Thankfully, the label has re-emerged with new
backers following the setbacks of last season.
Headed by designer Kenneth McKenzie, the brand currently has six casualwear accounts in the UK, including London's Duffer of St George and Dr. Jives in Glasgow as well as 8 accounts in Japan.
The new collection, described by McKenzie as a "modern, luxurious take on workwear", includes jackets, trousers, and cashmere knits. McKenzie anticipates the range will double in size for spring and will be showing at TBC in New York and Tokyo.
29 May 2003
End of Markus Lupfer?
Once a thriving business with a hotshot fashion reputation, Markus Lupfer has gone into liquidation, spelling the end of his much-loved label.
What followers described as soft modernism; a sophisticated collection with simple but intricate shapes, is now past tense. Owing money to everyone from his agents to his pattern-cutters, his eye for detail did not translate to the companyÆs finances.
Stocked at the most prestigious stores around the globe, there well be no collection after S/S 2003. For a taste of his designs head to TopShop, where Lupfer continues to consult.
28 May 2003