Debenhams closes Irish website citing Brexit trade uncertainty

Debenhams has closed its Irish website citing uncertainty around post-Brexit trading rules. Last month, it was revealed that Debenhams would begin winding down its business and closing its 124 stores after last-minute takeover talks fell through. The move put 12,000 jobs at risk. Since then, the business has continued to trade online to clear its current and contracted stocks. But a statement on the company’s Irish website reveals it will cease to trade due to uncertainty over new trade rules following the UK's exit of the EU. The statement reads: “We are sorry but we are currently unable to deliver orders to the Republic of Ireland, due to uncertainty around post-Brexit trade rules. We have therefore made the difficult decision to temporarily switch off Debenhams.ie. “To keep you up to date with what this means for you, we have put together these frequently asked questions.” It is the latest example of new complications around trading across the Irish Sea since the UK left the EU on New Years Day. A ‘rule of origin’ clause in the Brexit Deal states that goods made - or containing components made - from outside the UK or EU and resold by UK companies are now face VAT and import duties when sold to the EU. This means UK companies - including many fashion companies - with parts of their supply chain outside of the UK and EU could face extra charges. Photo credit: Debenhams
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SS21 menswear material trends

Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers the essential international Men’s Spring Summer Fashion Weeks material directions that will be informing SS21 and beyond. Classic material constructions and surfacing techniques are revived for SS21, given a modern edge via the addition of performance sports influences. The trend for embracing natural materials and handcrafted aesthetics brings new depth and dimension to the season, as designers incorporate contrasting elements into contemporary casuals. Tech Pleats (Please) The iconic designs created by Issey Miyake reignite classic pleating and ribbing techniques. A tech twist sees texture applied to performance infused materials and subtle sports-inspired silhouettes. A soft, structural look is given to technical knits with raised seam details and crisp coatings finishes further enhancing surface finishes. Linen City Limits Traditional natural linens are reimagined for the modern man in sport or streetwear-inspired silhouettes. Lightweight handles have a soft fluidity right for summer while thicker weights with a more structured feel, lend themselves to contemporary, transeasonal pieces that channel a clean-lined utilitarianism. Vintage Sport Patchwork A focus on crafting and hand making sees athleisure and sports shapes reworked via artisanal patched and pieced constructions. Technical sweats and jackets are combined with chunky handknits, whilst the mixing and matching of performance fabrics with upcycled, vintage materials creates fresh contrasts, highlighted by bold colour blocking. Exclusive Offer: FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop’s Fall Winter 2020-21 Key Materials Directions report, featuring all the essential textures and fabrications seen at the FW20-21 collections. Simply click here to receive your free report. Trendstop.com is one of the world's leading trend forecasting agencies for fashion and creative professionals, renowned for its insightful trend analysis and forecasts. Clients include H&M, Primark, Forever 21, Zalando, Geox, Evisu, Hugo Boss, L'Oreal and MTV.
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Indian sari pioneer Satya Paul dies at 78

Indian fashion designer Satya Paul, whose eponymous brand breathed life into the traditional sari, modernising the garment with funky prints, has died at 78, his family said. Born on February 2, 1942, he first made his mark in the world of fashion retail with the 1980 launch of L'Affaire, India's first sari boutique, before establishing his own label five years later. His pioneering designs blended Indian handloom techniques with a modern palette, producing saris adorned with polka dots, zebra prints and abstract motifs. He did not limit himself to saris however, expanding into accessories such as scarves and ties, and eventually creating a retail empire that spanned eight Indian cities and a thriving online business. Drawn to spiritual pursuits from an early age, Paul passed away at an ashram in the southern city of Coimbatore on Wednesday after suffering a stroke last month, his son Puneet Nanda said. "Those who have been with him at any point in life would recall him as one who showered his love without hesitation or any barriers," Nanda wrote on Facebook. "It is the greatest testament to him as he went joyously, without fear." He was unusual among Indian fashion houses for bringing a measure of corporate rigour and hiring well-known designers such as Masaba Gupta and Rajesh Pratap Singh to serve as creative directors for the brand. Gupta led the tributes to Paul, praising him for establishing a homegrown label "that will stand the test of time". "Fashion schools -- Please introduce young Indian design aspirants to this brand... We can be inspired by the story of Chanel etc but we must learn what happened on our soil first," she said. A favourite of Bollywood stars, Paul was also admired for his business acumen, with bio-pharma entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw hailing him as "an iconic designer who was a forerunner in the fashion world".(AFP)
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María Teresa Kumar joins Steve Madden’s board of directors

Steve Madden has announced that María Teresa Kumar has joined the board of directors. Kumar’s appointment expands the board to ten directors, eight of whom are independent directors. Kumar, the company said, will be a member of the company’s corporate social responsibility committee. Commenting on Kumar’s appointment, Edward Rosenfeld, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Steve Madden, said in a statement: “María Teresa’s expertise in connecting and engaging with young audiences, particularly through digital communications, social media and influencers – combined with her passion for creating positive change in the world – make her uniquely well-suited to assist us in executing our strategy and enhancing value for all our stakeholders.” Kumar is the President and CEO of Voto Latino, which she co-founded in 2004 and built into America’s largest Latinx voter registration and advocacy organization. She is also a regular on-air contributor for MSNBC. Kumar serves on the boards of Emily’s List and the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers. She is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and a Council on Foreign Relations Life Member. Picture:Facebook/Steve Madden
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L Brands holiday comparable sales improve 5 percent

L Brands, Inc. has reported net sales of 3.836 billion dollars for the nine weeks ended January 2, 2021, compared to net sales of 3.906 billion dollars for the same period ended January 4, 2020. The company said in a statement that comparable sales increased 5 percent for the period. At Bath & Body Works, comparable sales increased 17 percent, including a comparable sales increase of 5 percent in stores and 64 percent sales growth in the direct channel, while at Victoria’s Secret, comparable sales decreased 9 percent including a comparable sales decrease of 23 percent in stores and 24 percent sales growth in the direct channel. Commenting on the trading report, Andrew Meslow, Chief Executive Officer of L Brands and Bath & Body Works, said: “We are very pleased with our Holiday results, which significantly exceeded our initial expectations, driven by an increase in profitability at both Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret.” The company currently expects to report fourth quarter earnings per share between 2.70 dollars and 2.80 dollars. Picture:L Brands media assets
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Sainsbury's reports strong Q3 with increasing clothing sales

Sainsbury's has reported strong third-quarter revenues over the Christmas period, with clothing sales also slightly up. In the 15 weeks to 2 January, like-for-like sales excluding fuel were up 8.6 percent, with total retail sales excluding fuel up 6.8 percent. Clothing sales were up 0.4 percent. For the shorter Christmas period, which covered the 9 weeks from 1 November 2020 to 1 January 2021, like-for-like sales excluding fuel were up 9.3 percent. The company also said Tu Clothing managed to grow market share "in both value and volume, with strong online growth". Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts said general merchandise and clothing gross margins benefited from better than anticipated full-price sales, “driven by customers shopping earlier for Christmas and successful changes to our Black Friday trading strategy”. The company now expects underlying profit before tax of at least 330 million pounds in the financial year to March 2021 - that’s after forgoing business rates relief of 410 million pounds. Photo credit: Tu Clothing, Facebook
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Podcast: The Glossy Podcast interviews founders of eyewear brand Coco & Breezy

In this episode, The Glossy Podcast speaks to the founders of eyewear brand Coco & Breezy, Corianna and Brianna Dotson. They discuss the start of their brand, influencer partnerships and what real support to black-owned businesses looks like. Listen to the podcast below. Source: The Glossy Podcast via Megaphone
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Whispering Smith acquires Good For Nothing

Manchester-based wholesale importer and supplier, Whispering Smith, has acquired urban fashion brand, Good For Nothing, for an undisclosed sum. Whispering Smith announced that the acquisition is part of its continued brand portfolio expansion and has plans to grow Good For Nothing through expanding its womenswear. Despite the challenges of Covid-19, its womenswear has seen “huge growth,” selling more than 300,000 pounds of stock. Other plans for 2021 includes the continued acceleration of its outerwear and denim ranges, launching new cotton jersey lines for spring 2021 and knitwear for autumn/winter 2021. Commenting on its rapid growth and merger, Good For Nothing managing director, Jack McCleish said in a statement: “Since day one, our USP has been about ‘affordable luxury,’ combining key trends, quality and affordability. I always believed passionately in the potential of Good For Nothing, which is why back in 2016, I turned to Whispering Smith for help with production and distribution. “That relationship evolved naturally over the years, and in 2019 the decision to merge was a great opportunity to really push the brand further forward. Being under the umbrella of Whispering Smith has sky-rocketed Good For Nothing from a successful, but relatively niche independent fashion label, to a recognisable, international high street presence.” Manchester-based fast-fashion wholesale importer and supplier Whispering Smith acquires Good For Nothing clothing brand As part of the deal, Good For Nothing will also relocate its fulfilment and warehouse space to Whispering Smith’s 500,000 square foot warehouse in Manchester. This will help “significantly reduce overheads and allow it to reinvest into other key areas of the brand to stimulate further growth,” added Whispering Smith. McCleish, added: “We’ve effectively grown the entire Good For Nothing infrastructure, along with our sourcing and distribution network, which has more than doubled since the merger.” Under the umbrella of Whispering Smith, forecasted sales for Good For Nothing in 2021 are 500,000 pounds, explained the fast-fashion wholesale importer and supplier. Looking ahead to 2021, McCleish, said: “In 2021 we look to scale up our online marketing combined with a larger and faster product offering across menswear and womenswear. Outerwear is a fundamental area for us, and we continue to elevate this category to become the ‘go-to’ outerwear brand. “Expansion is exciting, but we will stay true to our roots. We like to be different and we tend to design clothing that some of our competitors may be reluctant to try. We aren’t afraid to take risks and we are often first to trends that have been received well by our online and wholesale audience.” Good For Nothing was launched in 2010 by then 18-year old student McCleish. It has grown into a recognised global brand and counts Asos, Zalando and JD Sports amongst its stockists. Whispering Smith owns and distributes fashion brand Brave Soul, as well as supplying white label clothing to the high street and e-commerce brands across the globe. In December 2020, it sold close to 1.5 million units of womenswear, up 41 percent from last year, whilst menswear saw a 27 percent increase. Images: courtesy of Good For Nothing
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Marks & Spencer closes in on Jaeger deal

Marks & Spencer is reportedly inching closer to an acquisition of Jaeger, the loss-making fashion brand owned by the collapsed Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group (EWM). The deal could be signed as soon as this week and is expected to include the acquisition of Jaeger's brand and stock, but not its standalone stores, Sky News reports. A source close to EWM owner Philip Day told Sky that a transaction with Marks & Spencer was “imminent” but added that many of his former assets were less likely to be saved. EWM also owned Peacocks, Austin Reed and Jacques Vert, none of which are thought to be on Marks & Spencer’s acquisition list. Like many fashion chains, Jaeger was hit hard this year by months-long store closures. Photo credit: Marks & Spencer
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SMCP names new group chief financial officer

French premium fashion group SMCP, whose portfolio includes brands Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and De Fursac, has announced the appointment of Patricia Huyghues Despointes as group chief financial officer. Despointes joins from luxury label Givenchy where she’s been chief financial officer since joining in 2016. Prior to that, she spent 15 years at luxury conglomerate LVMH, where she was most recently senior controller, fashion and leather goods. SMCP CEO Daniel Lalonde said in a statement. “I am delighted to welcome Patricia to the group’s executive committee as chief financial officer. Over the course of her extensive career, she has led the finance functions and teams, contributing to the success of many fashion and luxury brands. “Her excellent knowledge of our environment and her financial expertise are major assets that will contribute to our Group’s success as we enter into a new chapter in our history.” Photo credit: Maje
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UK announces 4.6 billion pound support package for businesses

UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new 4.6 billion pound Covid relief package that will see businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors receive a one-off grant of up to 9,000 pounds. The new lockdown grants, which alone are worth 4 billion pounds, will be provided on a per-property basis and are expected to benefit over 600,000 business properties, Sunak said. An additional 594 million pounds will then be made available to councils and devolved nations to support businesses not covered by the new grants. It comes after Boris Johnson announced on Monday evening the closure of all non-essential stores in England as part of a new national lockdown amid a drastic increase in cases seen across the UK attributed to the new variant of Covid-19. A review of the restrictions is expected to take place in England in mid-February “if the situation in hospitals improves”. UK provides more support for retailers Just hours before Johnson’s public address, Scotland announced similar restrictions. Northern Ireland and Wales have already made similar announcements, meaning all non-essential retailers in the UK are now closed. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said in a statement Tuesday: “The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge - and whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further. “Throughout the pandemic we’ve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we’re announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the Spring. “This will help businesses to get through the months ahead – and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen.” Photo credit: Pexels, Dominika Gregušová
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Podcast: Fashion Your Seatbelt speaks to stylist Anna Dello Russo

In this episode, Fashion Your Seatbelt interviews stylist Anna Dello Russo. They discuss fashion being a force of nature. Listen to the podcast below. Fashion Your Seatbelt · 067 Anna Dello Russo: A Fashion Force of Nature Source: Fashion Your Seatbelt via Soundcloud Photo credit: Fendi, Facebook
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Arcadia suitors given 18 January deadline

Arcadia’s administrator Deloitte has reportedly accelerated the sale of the retail group’s fashion brands, giving potential suitors a deadline of 18 January to make final bids. According to The Times, Deloitte has narrowed the frontrunners down to just five, though they are understood to have been around thirty expressions of interest. Those potential buyers are thought to be led by Boohoo, Frasers Group, Next, bidding jointly with American investment firm Davidson Kempner, and online Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein. It is unknown whether Authentic Brands has made it to the second stage. Arcadia, whose portfolio includes Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins, called in administrators from Deloitte at the end of November after its trading was “severely impacted” by the pandemic. The move put some 13,000 jobs at risk. Last month, Arcadia’s administrators sold the Evans brand, e-commerce and wholesale business to rival City Chic Collective Limited for a cash consideration of approximately 23 million pounds. Photo credit: FashionUnited
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Over 175,000 UK retail jobs lost in 2020

Over 175,000 UK retail jobs were lost in 2020 in what was a year of unprecedented difficulty for the sector, as the strain of extended store closures pushed many to the point of collapse. According to figures from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), a total of 176,718 jobs were lost last year from high streets, main shopping destinations, towns and villages, as well as small shopping parades and isolated stores across the UK. That’s up by almost a quarter on the 143,128 overall jobs lost during 2019, and equates to about 3,400 jobs lost in the sector each week. Business falling into administration resulted in 71,811 job losses. Topshop-owner Arcadia alone put around 13,000 jobs at risk when it fell into administration last month. The CRR said 47 percent of employees in companies that fell into administration lost their jobs. In comparison, during the 2008 recession only a third of employees of insolvent retail companies lost their jobs “demonstrating that companies which went bust during 2020 were much larger with the effects on staff numbers more pronounced”. Unprecedented year of difficulty for retail A further 11,986 jobs were lost through company voluntary arrangements, a contentious insolvency procedure used to close loss-making stores. A long list of fashion retailers launched CVAs last year, including LK Bennett, Ann Summers, Moss Bros, Clarks, New Look, AllSaints, Bair Group and Monsoon Accessorize. An additional 92,921 jobs were lost through “rationalisation” as part of cost-cutting programmes by large retailers or small shops simply shutting for good - up 18.3 percent on 2019. Professor Joshua Bamfield, a director at the CRR, warned of more pain to come for the sector in 2021 and said up to 200,000 more jobs could be lost. “Our forecast is based upon a number of factors such as the cumulative effects of months of closure and its impact upon cash flow and rent arrears that will be payable when the moratorium ends,” Bamfield said. “Whilst the longer-term effects of the greater use by shoppers of all kinds of online retailing is likely to be hugely damaging for physical stores.” Photo credit: Unsplash
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Vanners bought out of administration

Sudbury-based textiles manufacturer, Silk Industries that trades as Vanners, has been bought out of administration by businessman Roger Gawn. Vanners, which develops and manufactures silk fabrics and products for the luxury menswear, fashion and furnishing markets, fell into administration on November 9, 2020. Silk Industries appointed James Lumb and Chris Pole from KPMG’s restructuring practice as joint administrators claiming at the time that they had been “experiencing difficult trading conditions for some time, which was exacerbated by the severe impact of COVID-19 on the fashion sector”. Following the appointment of administrators, it made half of its 64 employees redundant. The business has now been saved by Gawn, who also owns British luxury goods maker Swaine Adeney Brigg, and will continue to trade through a new company, Vanners Silk (1740) Limited. As part of the deal, the new owners will retain 31 staff members. Roger Gawn acquires Vanners and saves 31 jobs James Lumb, joint administrator and director at KPMG, said in a statement: “We have had the opportunity to work with this business over recent months and the quality that runs through its heritage and values are really impressive. “We are very pleased to have secured this sale; not least because it protects the jobs of the 31 members of staff we retained. We wish the new team every success for the future.” Vanners managing director Laura Gore said in a statement on LinkedIn: “We are delighted to announce that Vanners is now under new ownership. An experienced businessman, Roger Gawn, (owning brands such as Swaine Adeney Brigg, Herbert Johnson, Pendragon and more), has now completed the purchase of Vanners, protecting our employees’ jobs and ensuring our historic company continues with a new impetus. “2021 will be another challenging year but one that we are really excited about. We are looking forward to working with our existing clients and partners, and introducing new clients to our luxury products.” Image: Vanners Linkedin
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LC Waikiki opens first store in Uganda, plans further expansion in Africa

Turkish fashion retailer LC Waikiki has opened its first store in Uganda. The new flagship store is located in Acacia Mall, a well-known shopping centre in the capital Kampala. The opening was celebrated on 21st December with a fashion show in front of the new store, with Ugandan model Judith Heard walking the runway. Kerem Alp, Turkey’s ambassador to Uganda, said at the opening ceremony that despite the challenges in doing business in times of Covid-19, Ugandan and Turkish authorities were still committed to seeing that Ugandans have access to Turkey’s high-quality products. “We have been giving many Ugandans visas to go to Turkey for garment shopping and unfortunately due to Covid-19, many may not be able to go to Turkey now or in the near future. I am glad that you can access the best of Turkey from right here,” Alp said. He emphasised Turkey’s strategic location in the midst of Europe and Asia, which allows it to enjoy top quality European products and to sell them at reasonable Asian prices. In 2016, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Uganda to promote trade and tourism opportunities between the two countries. This was the first visit by a Turkish head of state to the African country. The plan worked, as several Turkish companies have since increased their presence in the African country, including LC Waikiki. LC Waikiki wants to open stores in five other African countries By the end of 2023, LC Waikiki plans to expand further in Africa, namely to Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia and South Africa, and globally to Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Peru, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. LC Waikiki is one of the fastest growing fashion chains in Europe. The Turkish retailer opened its first store outside of Turkey in 2009 in Romania and has since steadily expanded worldwide: LC Waikiki currently operates more than 1,000 stores in 47 countries and employs nearly 47,700 people. With more than 500 million items sold, the Istanbul-based company reported revenues of over 21 billion Turkish liras in 2019, the equivalent of more than 2.3 billion euros, 2.82 billion US dollars or 2.06 billion British pounds. Image: LC Waikiki
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TFN Masterclass: Buying and Merchandising

TFN's masterclass ‘Buying and Merchandising’, chaired by Lisa Trencher of Manchester Metropolitan University MBA with a panel including Grace Hill of EDITED, Chloe Greaves, and Tessa Woodhead of N Brown Group and Fiona Brown of Public Desire. They will be discussing a range of topics including the future of the roles, sustainability, and what tools they use to do the job. Video source: The Fashion Network, via Youtube
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GFF Webinar: An Introduction to Trend Forecasting’

Colour and Trends Editor at Unique Style Platform, Laura Aldous joins us to share an introduction to trend forecasting. Laura will be discussing the inspiring Unique Style Platform service, their research process, and considerations when putting together a trend, including colour, print, fabric and materials, plus what her role entails day to day. An Introduction to Trend Forecasting' from The Graduate Fashion Foundation on Vimeo. Video source: The Graduate Fashion Foundation, via Vimeo
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