Editors' Top Reads: News from Nike, K-Way, BFC and more...


Listed below are a few of this week’s information and options highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.vogue crew.

Ok-Means is again within the UK with a brand new retailer and extra to come back

Ok-Means, the celebrated French-founded model greatest recognized for its packable rain jackets, is again within the UK with a model new retailer on London’s King’s Highway. I had the prospect to pay it a go to this week and have a chat with Lorenzo Boglione, Vice President of its father or mother firm Fundamental Web.

The model beforehand had a retailer in London’s Covent Backyard however closed it within the wake of Brexit and Covid. However Boglioni has been plotting its return for some time now and fortunately discovered a spacious unit on the long-lasting Chelsea avenue. Proper subsequent door the group has opened one other retailer for its footwear model Superga.

What struck me when strolling alongside the King’s Highway to go to the brand new retailer was simply what number of fascinating manufacturers have taken up residence there. A quantity are up to date manufacturers from France, equivalent to Soeur and American Classic, whereas additionally it is the vacation spot of selection for the brand new era of buzzy American activewear manufacturers, equivalent to Alo and Vuori, to call only a few. There’s loads of motion in magnificence too with a brand new Trinny London retailer, amongst others.

Whereas it has been miserable to examine large chains going below, equivalent to Quiz, it’s thrilling to see extra area of interest manufacturers with differentiated provides taking the chance to open shops and rejuvenate our buying locations. Ok-Means is planning no less than two extra shops in London in close to future with extra to come back exterior of the capital later.

I received the sense on the sunny day I visited that spring and a little bit of optimism had been within the air and it was feeling!

Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.

Vin+Omi

King Charles and eco-design duo flip Sandringham recycling into LFW assortment

Whereas many London Vogue Week runways are sometimes flooded with velvet, silk and sequins, eco-design duo VIN + OMI supplied vogue lovers one other distinctive show this season.

The designers collaborated with King Charles – a royal famend for his sustainability ethos – to develop a cloth made solely out of recycled milk cartons from His Majesty’s Sandringham property.

It comes as VIN + OMI have been collaborating with the King since 2019. And, as somebody who spends numerous time in Norfolk myself, I all the time take pleasure in listening to about what this Norwich-based, sustainability-focused design duo has been as much as. Offered at London Vogue Week, this season’s assortment centred round what the designers deemed to be “chaotic sustainability”.

Acquainted faces as soon as once more walked the catwalk, with Unfastened Girls’s Jane Moore donning a skin-tight electrical blue costume with back-combed hair and glowing lips on the present in Kensington. Moore was joined on the runway by The Nice British Bake Off’s Dame Prue Leith, who evoked a Eighties punk princess, carrying a coat costume made out of the recycled cloth. Test it out right here.

Sophie Smith, Information Editor & Senior Author. 

Nike Lemon

Nike joins forces with SKIMS on new model ‘to disrupt activewear business’

This week it was revealed that Nike is teaming up with Kim Kardashian’s shapewear model to launch NikeSKIMS, a brand new model that it says will “disrupt the worldwide health and activewear business” with main innovation.

It’s definitely a advertising masterstroke as Kardashian is all the time sizzling information and the SKIMS model she co-founded with Jens Grede in 2019, creating the “subsequent era of girls’s underwear, loungewear and shapewear for each physique”, appears to be on a meteoric rise.

Kardashian additionally famously break up from Kanye West, who had an enormous fallout with Nike’s greatest rival Adidas over the entire Yeezy saga, and an Instagram put up final week noticed her in matching pink crop prime and leggings and sporting a pair of Nike Air Max 95’s, with a pink hue.

Whereas NikeSKIMS is more likely to be an enormous success given the cash that can have been thrown at it – and the well-known face of it – I guess Nike will probably be shifting loads of these trainers too. Thirty years since its launch, it’s the shoe that retains on giving.

Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.

The Interview: Paul Costelloe on bringing his 80s heritage model again this LFW

If you happen to’ve ever glanced at a London Vogue Week schedule, you’ll’ve seen Paul Costelloe’s title on it. For over 40 years, the Irish-American designer has been exhibiting his eclectic collections right here on British soil.

Simply days earlier than the designer took to this stage vibrant and early on Friday morning to point out his AW25 assortment, I spoke to the long-lasting designer about his horse-girl impressed assortment. On this interview, Costelloe speaks in regards to the inspirations for his assortment, his historical past exhibiting at LFW and a lot extra.

Costelloe, 79, mentioned: “I am bringing my heritage model “Paul Costelloe Dressage” to the catwalk this season. I launched it again within the late 80’s as an nearly “weekend” assortment. It displays my love of the equestrian sport.”

The designer is thought for his elegant and traditional tailoring, mixing conventional and up to date design. He typically turns again the time, seeking to vogue’s previous to encourage present collections, and this season was no completely different.

Chloé Burney, Senior Information & Options Author.

LFW AW25: BFC calls for authorities’s ‘respect for vogue’ forward of CEO’s departure

When The Vampire’s Spouse was compelled to shutter final 12 months, I wrote an in-depth characteristic on the unhappy state of British vogue: how tough it’s for fledgling and unbiased designers to take flight or stay airborne when the monetary odds are so stacked towards them. Nearly one 12 months on, the state of affairs has removed from improved.

As London Vogue Week launches for AW25, Caroline Rush made her last Community Breakfast speech as CEO of the British Vogue Council (BFC) this morning. In addition to her pleasure for the week forward and the gratitude she expressed to the BFC’s staff, members, patrons and the business as a complete, she had one clear demand.

Rush urged the Authorities to extend entry to finance for designers, dealer an improved buying and selling settlement with the EU, and produce again tax-free buying.

“These are difficult instances for British vogue,” she mentioned. “Though we’d favor the panorama to be completely different, one factor I do know is that this group is resilient and creativity is heightened additional when going through adversity. Now, greater than ever, we want help from press, patrons and authorities to make sure our designers can proceed to guide, innovate and develop.”

Will Rush get her parting want? @GOVUK, any concepts?

Katie Ross, Content material & Occasions Government.