Listed here are a few of this week’s information and options highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.trend group.
Secret Shopper: Polène brings elevated model and repair to Regent Avenue
I can not assist pondering that trend would not be fairly so challenged if there have been extra manufacturers like Polène. I paid a go to to its lately opened London retailer and located distinctive high quality merchandise, elevated design, truthful costs and excellent clients service. The shop itself if gorgeous too with its minimalist design taking full benefit of the grand scale of the structure of Regent Avenue, together with thought of and sustainable touches, equivalent to fixtures and fittings crafted from leather-based off-cuts.
There are commonly queues exterior of this retailer, which is why it took me some time to go and do my secret store (I hardly ever have the time and by no means have the inclination to queue exterior a store). Think about that folks queuing to purchase your product! For they’ll in the event you get the value, design, high quality and repair steadiness proper. So many fall down on a minimum of one in all these (particularly the massive luxurious homes) and clients are more and more discerning about the place they’ll spend their hard-won money.
If you need a lesson in easy methods to do trend and retail properly, go go to the shop. And within the meantime, you may learn the report of my expertise right here.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
The Interview: French Connection’s Head of Design on the brand new imaginative and prescient powering its trend comeback
French Connection this week launched a brand new marketing campaign that celebrates the uncooked, unpolished moments of life, showcasing its newest assortment because the model works to reestablish itself as a key participant in excessive road trend.
After attending a press occasion for French Connection final month, I used to be pleasantly stunned by how the model has elevated its choices. I picked up a surprising crimson pleated high and skirt, which I wore to TheIndustry.trend Awards ceremony – the compliments this acquired had been plentiful!
So, I used to be keen to attach with Helen Gallagher, Head of Design at French Connection (who joined the enterprise in August 2023), to discuss how she helps to redefine the model’s identification beneath her artistic experience.
On this unique interview, Gallagher speaks about her position, the model’s new imaginative and prescient, how she incorporates buyer suggestions into the design course of, what excites her most about the way forward for French Connection, and extra.
Sophie Smith, Information Editor & Senior Author.
Miguel Castro Freitas succeeds Casey Cadwallader at Mugler
At this charge, there’s one other Artistic Director announcement per week. Final week it was Loewe’s Artistic Director appointment, and this week it is Mugler’s. However this one got here as a shock to the system. Regardless of his spectacular resume, Miguel Castro Freitas, a considerably under-the-radar designer, has been appointed to helm the long-lasting home of Mugler.
Mugler, famend for its fantastical trend that includes curved strains and figure-revealing mesh, appointed Casey Cadwallader as Artistic Director in 2018. Since then, he put the Parisian home again on the map, creating the archival appears to be like that trend followers craved. He even teamed up with H&M on a set again in Might 2023, garnering the model much more reputation.
Frietas has huge sneakers to fill. The seasoned unknown graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2004 and has since held senior design roles at Sportmax, Dries Van Noten, Christian Dior Couture, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy and Lanvin. He’ll present his first Mugler assortment throughout Paris Style Week this September.
Chloé Burney, Senior Information & Options Author.
‘The assist many companies urgently want remains to be lacking’: Retail reacts to Spring Assertion
Significantly, when will Rachel Reeves throw us a bone? Even a couple of crumbs of consolation would assist at this stage. Simply as retailers are bracing to soak up the extra prices of using individuals she felt match to impose in her Autumn Assertion (by no means will I ever perceive this), she’s again with a Spring Assertion that fails to handle any of the enterprise wants of the excessive road.
As she prepares to axe 1000’s of public sector roles, it might certainly have made sense to ensure that the non-public sector was able to choose up a few of those that will probably be in search of jobs. As a substitute we’re bracing for additional job cuts in our sector because the enterprise charges points stays unaddressed (in actual fact it should worsen as earlier reduction is eliminated) and a cussed refusal to re-introduce VAT-free looking for vacationers, which might not solely stimulate retail, however hospitality and journey too.
I do know it looks like a favorite nationwide pastime to throw brickbats on the Chancellor and I do not underestimate the duty in hand if she thinks her promise to make “just one main fiscal intervention” per 12 months (by which she means one tax raid) goes to ship the boldness we’d like, then she is mistaken. If taxes had been imposed, together with measures designed to stimulate progress, then we would get someplace. Sure, I do know, she has huge plans to construct issues, however from a excessive road perspective, filling the shops that we have already got needs to be a precedence.
Anyway, you may learn how main trade figures reacted to her Spring Assertion right here. Spoiler alert, they had been no extra impressed than I used to be.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
The Interview: Prohibited co-founder Patrick Reimann on breaking into the UK market by ASOS
Prohibited from Berlin is one other of these streetwear manufacturers which have seemingly grown from a couple of T-shirts and hoodies to in a single day success. It was solely based in 2021 as a “TikTok-first” model however is already flying through stockists such Zalando and About You in its dwelling German market, in addition to through ASOS within the UK – with its first season for AW24 seeing it develop into the second most profitable menswear launch for the web retailer after Carhartt, a model which carries much more clout and historical past. It’s fairly unimaginable actually.
Because of this, each season since has apparently seen ASOS up its finances with Prohibited, which now presents a lot extra than simply the aforementioned Tees and hoodies (although they’re nonetheless a vital a part of the enterprise).
Chatting with Prohibited co-founder Patrick Reimann gave an actual perception into their technique. They need to be a extra accessible model of the likes of Characterize and Cole Buxton, with a “fashionable Yuppie” enchantment which “combines streetwear with sporty magnificence”.
The UK market is now very rather more on their radar and, although it will possibly’t be talked about who simply but, Prohibited has one other huge UK retail participant on board to promote its merchandise from this autumn. It’s a model we’re prone to hear much more about going ahead. The interview is properly value a learn.
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
