mwb magazine

Issue 193July 2012

6.95mwb-online.co.uk

A SUMMERTO REMEMBER

An essential guide to the news, trends,products and styles of spring/summer 2013

Young onesKey styles from the young, directional names in menswear

BID for freedomThe UKs key BusinessImprovement Districts,and how they are bringingcity centres back to life

Kicking off in styleThe highlights from London Collections: Men

+ Flip/Timothy Everest/Concrete Studios/Crombie

INSIDE FRONT Camel Active_Layout 1 29/06/2012 15:09 Page 1

mwb July12 mwb-online.co.uk 03

Contents

Retailp13BID for freedom

The key BusinessImprovement Districts across the UK

p18OpinionHow is your tailoring offerperforming this season?

p19Retail newsThe latest in-store news

Gentp26In-season ideas

The key trends to top up onthis summer and where tofind them

p27Ones to watchThe MWB pick of the brandsto watch this month

p29Picks of PittiThe highlights of last monthsPitti Uomo

p34The great Crombie comebackBritish label Crombie returnsto the style radar

p36London calling for menswearwith a meaningThe launch of LondonCollections: Men

Brand Guidep42Brand news

News, developments andinnovations for the newseason

p46Trend highlightsThe trends of s/s 13

Denim & streetp60In-season ideas

The key trends to top up onthis summer and where tofind them

p61Ones to watchThe MWB pick of the brandsto watch this month

p62Building on foundationsThe future of ConcreteStudios

p64The young and the stylishMWBs seasonal young anddirectional photoshoot

p82On the Flip sideThe launch of action sportsshow Flip

p85Stitch pickingsPreviewing London showStitch

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p86Hurdling the OlympicsThe brands to catch at Jacket Required

Regularsp05Commentp06Newsp22Interview/Timothy Everestp88Peoplep90The Bottomley Linep94Q&A/Carl Easton

Front cover:Polo shirt, FarahCardigan, Selected HommeShorts, Supremebeing

mwb July12 Update 05

Comment

EditorVictoria Jackson/ [email protected] editorTom Bottomley/ [email protected] Griffiths/ [email protected] Turner/ [email protected] Williams/ [email protected] editorSuzanna Bain/ [email protected] writerNatalie Dawson/ [email protected] editorAmanda Batley/ [email protected] assistantCarey Whitwam/ [email protected] Holloway/ [email protected] Lindley/ [email protected] Podger/ [email protected] Boyle/ [email protected] managerLauren Cooley/ [email protected] Adu/ [email protected] directorGill Brabham/ [email protected] directorNick Cook/ [email protected] directorStephanie Parker/ [email protected] directorColette Tebbutt/ [email protected]

From St Jamess Palace with HRH ThePrince of Wales to Pitti Uomo in Florence,June was filled with the very best of themenswear industry, including the launchof the UKs first dedicated mensfashion week and the initial collectiondrops of s/s 13.

Last month, I had the honour of being invited toSt Jamess Palace to celebrate the launch ofLondon Collections: Men, a development of MensDay at London Fashion Week. The evening broughttogether some of the finest names in menswearincluding Christopher Bailey, Tom Ford, TommyHilfiger, Richard James, Christopher Kane, HaroldTillman, Tinie Tempah (seemingly the man of themoment) and, of course, HRH The Prince of Wales.

It was fantastic to be among so muchcreativity and skill under one ornate roof. And,along with Prince Charles touching speech on hislove for a well-fitting suit and his achievement ofsecuring the number one Best Dressed Maleaccolade in GQ magazine, the evening succeededin giving us all a much-needed reminder of howtalented and well-regarded the British menswearindustry is.

The following days were filled with showsacross London, from the Hospital Club in CoventGarden to the Old Sorting Office off TottenhamCourt Road, where the likes of Oliver Spencer andTopman sent a mix of models and everyday mendown the huge expanse of catwalk. The eventpulled in big names, with the likes of David Gandyand Dermot OLeary making an appearance, while our very own Sherlock Holmes, BenedictCumberbatch, walked the Spencer Hart show innothing but a black robe and cigar.

It was interesting to read the day after the St Jamess Palace reception that research conductedby American Express found male spending rose by4 per cent over 2011 compared to the previous year,with men spending 24 per cent more pertransaction than women. This followed Burberrysannouncement earlier in June that the group has

experienced a 26 per cent increase in menswearsales, leading to a direct focus on the menswearsector going forward. British men, it seems, arestaking a place in the fashion spending arena.

Flying out to Florence the following weekto attend the 82nd edition of Pitti Uomo, it wasclear to see positivity in evidence from the word go.From speaking to retailers around the show, thingsseem to be, albeit slowly, improving and, whilevisitor numbers for the Italian market predictablydropped by 12 per cent, UK visitor numbers at PittiUomo actually increased on last season.

In this issue, we bring you our highlightsfrom Florence (page 29), as well as ourcomprehensive guide to the new season, looking at the news, developments and trends of s/s 13(page 41).

As always, dont forget to share your viewsand opinions by emailing, leaving a comment onour Facebook page or tweeting @mwbmagazine.

Victoria JacksonEditor

A Buyer Series Fashion Business PublicationMWB is a fashion business publication produced by RAS Publishing Ltd.Other titles in the Buyer Series include WWB, CWB and Footwear & FashionExtras. RAS Publishing Ltd is an ITE Group Plc company.

MWB is published 11 times per year by RAS Publishing Ltd, The Old Town Hall, Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5AL. Call 01484 846069 Fax 01484 846232

Copyright 2012 MWB Magazine Limited. All rights reserved. Reproductionof any written material or illustration in any form for any purpose, other thanshort extracts for review purposes, is strictly forbidden. Neither RASPublishing Ltd nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage totransparencies and any other material submitted for publication.

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01Online clothing returnscost retailers millionsRetailers are spending millions on clothingreturns, but multichannelling could help, newresearch suggests. Although consumers arebearing the cost of returning 13.6 million items,totalling 29.24m, the majority is being paid for byretailers at a cost of 61.52m.

The high figures, which total 90.76m, arepartly due to an increase in fashion orders placedremotely, experts say.

Returns are a particular problem infashion, where consumers are used to orderingmultiple items in a range of sizes, colours or cuts

in the knowledge they can easily send them back,says Neil Saunders of Conlumino, which conductedthe research for Webloyalty. While many retailersdo build in some cost of returns, there is the dangerthat, as remote channels continue to grow, the costof servicing the consumer also grows.

This situation would inevitably erodeprofitability, he continues. The ideal situation for retailers is to minimise the volumes of returnswhile growing sales. To do this, they may need torevisit how the returns process fits into theirmultichannel strategy.

Guy Chiswick, MD of Webloyalty UK, says the fact that customers are increasingly using thebedroom to try on clothes should be seen as anopportunity to grow digital sales channels. Traditionalstores have long recognised that giving styling advicein the fitting room can contribute to customerloyalty and sales growth and the multichannelretail environment is well-positioned to bring thisstyling advice into the consumers home, he says.


02Community launchfor ModaTrade fashion exhibition Moda has introduced a new interactive feature with the launch of itsonline community.

Coupled with the announcement of theshows seminar programme for its August edition,drawing together some of the trades leadingexperts, the development aims to bring the industrytogether beyond the exhibition aisles.

Moda Community, which can be found at

moda-uk.co.uk/community, enables exhibitors,visitors, press, speakers, visitors and organisers tointeract with each other directly, as well as creatinga personal profile for themselves. The website alsofeatures a diary and appointment booking systemthat can be used ahead of the event, as well asexclusive content supplied by seminar speakers.

This season sees Clare Rayner return toModa, following her successful debut at last seasonsshow. Rayner will discuss how to develop an upwardcycle of customer engagement, including howpositioning, PR and marketing are fundamental tocustomer attraction.

Also appearing at the event is WarrenKnight, founder of Gloople, the UKs first fullyintegrated social sharing e-commerce platform.Knight will help retailers understand the benefits ofusing Google and social networks such as Twitter,Facebook and LinkedIn. Meanwhile, Ray Bucklerand Nick Pratt of Sitemakers will be on hand todiscuss smartphones and tablets, and how to makethe technology work best for retail businesses.

For full details of this seasons seminarprogramme or to register for the show, taking place on 12-14 August at Birminghams NEC, visitmoda-uk.co.uk.

03International expansionfor Chester BarrieSavile Row tailoring label Chester Barrie has signeda partnership with Italian retailer Gruppo Coin toopen three shop-in-shop concepts across Italy.

The brand will take space in stores inVerona, Mestre and Milans Piazza V Giornate, while each concession will offer a mix of classicChester Barrie clothing as well as product linesdeveloped specifically for the Italian market.

We are delighted to be able to offerChester Barrie in Italy, says George Orris,international brand director for Chester Barrie. It is a nation that understands tailoring andappreciates the finer points of good dressing. Weknow the brand meets the Italian gentlemans usualhigh standards.

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07Pretty Green eyesinternational expansionPretty Green, the clothing label founded byLiam Gallagher, is set to open its first internationalstore in Japan at the end of this month.

The shop will be located in the popularAoyama shopping district of Tokyo, and will sit nextto the likes of British counterparts Paul Smith,Stella McCartney and Anya Hindmarch.

This is a huge statement for us, and reflectsthe way the brand is growing and becoming sought-after, says Nigel Grant, brand director forPretty Green. Japan has a vibrant fashion industry,and Tokyo a strong retail market. We see it as anatural progression to have a presence there.

05American labels TommyHilfiger and BlauercollaborationThe Tommy Hilfiger Group has announced its firstpartnership with American outerwear specialistBlauer, for autumn/winter 2012.

The collaboration will see the launch of alimited-edition outerwear range, including two styleseach for men and women. Combining TommyHilfigers classic American styling with Blauersdurability, the collection embodies high-end, premiumperformance. The line will be sold in selectedTommy Hilfiger stores across Europe, the US andJapan as well as www.tommy.com from 14 September.

04Rogue Agency andBodega DistributionmergerNorthern menswear agents Rogue Agency andBodega Distribution have merged to create a co-operative, trading under the Rogue Agency name.

Representing 20 brands, includingOnepiece, Beck & Hersey, Fruit of the Loom, SMKand Deadly Sins, Rogue Agency co-owners RobHilditch and Richard Dean, as well as BodegaDistribution founders Nico Spirou and Chris Dodd,will operate as one entity going forward.

With plans to renovate its current premises,Rogue Agency will showcase each of its divisions,including steetwear, denim, fast fashion and its Club 50 VIP area, over four floors.

Following the success of the Agencys newinitiative, Club 50 a buying concept that sells Love Denim exclusively to 50 key independentsacross the UK such as Accent and Sarah Coggles plans to open a second showroom in Londonremain firmly in the pipeline.

06My-wardrobe.comextends global reachMy-wardrobe.com has announced the launch of itsFrench, German and Dutch specific websites, whichthe etailer hopes will create a tailored local onlineshopping experience.

The launch of the sites follows theintroduction of the Norwegian, Danish and Swedishsites earlier this year as part of the brands globalexpansion.

We are delighted to launch our French,German and Dutch websites, to be able to offer ourinternational shoppers a truly local experience,says Sarah Curran, founder of My-wardrobe.comWe see enormous potential in these markets, butour focus is on putting the customer at the heart ofwhat we do with translation, local currency andcompetitive shipping options.

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09H&M teams up withMaison Martin MargielaFrench fashion house Maison Martin Margiela is thelatest name to collaborate with Swedish high-streetgroup H&M.

The partnership is thought to includemenswear, womenswear and accessories, and willlaunch on 15 November across H&M stores and online.

Maison Martin Margiela is one of the mostinfluential fashion houses of the past three decades,says Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor atH&M. I am so excited about the collaboration.

08Increase in internationalvisitors to Pitti UomoMenswear trade show Pitti Uomo saw an eight percent rise in international buyers for the s/s 13edition, with 7,500 out of 18,000 visitors attendingfrom overseas.

The 82nd edition of the event, which ran on19-22 June, saw an increase in UK buyers, whileGermany remained at the top of the list of foreigncountries in terms of attendance.

Japanese visitor numbers were up,meanwhile, as were American, Russian and Turkish.Predictably, Italian, Spanish and Greek attendancefigures were down on last season.

This is a difficult time for Italy, particularlyfor consumer spending, says Raffaelo Napoleone,CEO of show organiser Pitti Immagine. Fashiondistribution is changing rapidly and will continue to do so. I am not worried; I am a realist, andbelieve it is healthy to have a few shake-ups now and then. I continue to be convinced of ourcountrys fortitude, our ability to react, and Ibelieve we will come out of this with a very differentset-up than in the past.

10Ben Sherman strengthensits premium positionBen Sherman is looking to strengthen its positioningin the international premium market, following asuccessful reaction at the recent Pitti Uomo, wherethe brand unveiled its new EC1 collection.

Since the introduction of the brandsPlectrum range in 2011, the British menswear labelhas reasserted its market position within themenswear sector. In the last 12 months, standalonestores have opened in north, east and southLondon, Toronto, Canada, and South Africa, as well as partnerships with premium retailers acrossthe world.

Its an exciting time for the brand, andexhibiting at Pitti Uomo marks another significantstep in our journey, as well as what we hope will bethe beginning of a long-standing relationship withthe Italian show, says Pan Phillipou, CEO of BenSherman. The Italian market is of great significanceto Ben Sherman, and we are working closely with ourpartner, Interjeans, to increase our presence there.

Pitti Uomo is undeniably the most premiummenswear show in the world, and therefore attractsthe best buyers in the world, he continues. It willform an integral part of our European expansionstrategy, with a particular focus on the Italian market.

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Barbour and Vans launch capsulecollectionFootwear label Vans and British heritage brandBarbour will launch a capsule footwear collectionfor a/w 12. The Barbour by Vans range will beavailable in stores from 1 October as part of VansCalifornian line of premium footwear. Vans classicvulcanisation process has been used in conjunctionwith Barbours signature waxing technique, creatinga tough, durable design. Touches of tartan plaid,corduroy, leather detailing and army green completethe outdoor styling of the collection. The line willbe available at select Vans California accountsworldwide and select Barbour stores in the UK.

Diamond Jubilee sparks surge inonline salesThe latest IMRG Capgemini e-retail sales indexfigures revealed that British shoppers spent anestimated 6bn online in May, equating to 13 per cent growth on the same time last year. This performance marks a return to growth in-linewith the last 12 months, and matches the 13 percent growth estimated for the full year. The upsurgeis attributed to the Jubilee weekend as well as theimproved weather during May.

Almost 40 per cent of rejected loanapplications overturnedA report by Professor Russel Griggs on behalf of theBritish Bankers Association (BBA) has shown thatthe banks new appeals process has overturned 39.5 per cent of rejected lending decisions in itsfirst year of operation. The process, which isavailable to businesses with a group turnover of upto 25m was launched in April 2011 as an initiativeof the BBAs Banking Taskforce initiatives.According to the report, there have been 2,177appeals, and almost 40 per cent of these have seenbusiness owners being given the growth fundingtheir required.

Care Challenge raises 31,000 forpovertyThe recent seventh Prima Solutions AdventureChallenge, supported by MWB and sister titleWWB, raised 31,000 for poverty relief charity Care International. Teams from the likes ofTimberland, Hugo Boss, Rampant Sporting andSupergroup took part, with the latter scooping theaward for top fundraiser, having brought in over10,000. Timberland has raised over 67,000 forCare since the challenge was launched in 2008 andwas presented with an honorary award.

Retailers fall prey to violenceA recent survey by the British Retail Consortiumhas found that at least 35,000 retail staff havesuffered physical or verbal attacks over the past year,while retail robberies have risen by 20 per cent indirect comparison with the previous year. Theorganisation is now working with Union of Shop,Distributive and Allied Workers to promote bestpractice advice for personal safety in work throughits Freedom from Fear campaign.

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mwb July12 BIDs 13

Report

BID for freedomSince the scheme was introduced by the government in 2004,130 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have been successfullylaunched and are currently in operation. MWB speaks to someof the countrys key districts to discover how businesses arebringing city centres back to life once again.

LiverpoolEd Oliver, chair of City Central BID

Victoria Jackson: How did the Liverpool BIDcome about?Ed Oliver: In the early 2000s, Land Securities[owner of two local shopping centres] approachedLiverpool City Council, asking if the creation of aBusiness Improvement District could be explored inthe retail area of Liverpool city centre in order tominimise the impact of the massive Liverpool Oneshopping centre, which was soon to be developed. The fear was, if existing businesses did nothing toimprove their trading environment, there would bea real danger that Liverpool One would takesignificant trade from the city centre area. The aimwas that, over the three-year period of the initial city centre BID, the area would have raised itsstandards and customer branding sufficiently toboth compete effectively with and draw benefitsfrom the new development.

VJ: How did you encourage local businesses toget involved?EO: There are around 630 businesses included inthe BID, with just over 400 of those being in theretail sector. In-depth consultations with businessesand other stakeholders on the draft business planstook place to broaden the support and ownership ofthe document ahead of the publication of the finalplan. The City Central BID scheme undertook anumber of pilot activities, including majormarketing campaigns over Christmas 2004.Following this, the business plan and votinginformation was sent out in January 2005,highlighting the advantages and tangible benefits of establishing a Liverpool city centre BID. Inaddition, the team spoke to every potential BIDmember on a number of occasions to discuss theproposed BID business plan and what it wouldmean for them. Ongoing communication with BIDmembers continues, with monthly newsletters,emails and face-to-face visits providing up-to-datenews and opportunities for members to get involvedwith events and promotions in conjunction withlocal and regional media.

VJ: What have been your key achievements to date?EO: Weve established Thursday late-night shoppinghours throughout the year, which is maintainingmomentum. Other achievements includeminimising the disruption caused by the repaving ofmajor city-centre shopping areas through liaisonwith Liverpool City Council, contractors andbusinesses, co-founding the UKs first privately paid

for police station in the St Johns Shopping Centre the first in the city centre for six years and alsoestablishing new partnerships with Liverpool Echonewspaper. This has led to creating a double-pagewhats on advert every month, with opportunitiesfor members to provide competitions, listings andpromotions to 280,000 readers. We also recentlyreceived a Green Apple Environment Award for theBig Go and Grow eco school project we ran inconjunction with Land Securities, Liverpool CityCouncil and Arrive, encouraging local schools togrow their own produce and showcase it at a marketorganised for them in Williamson Square.

VJ: What challenges have you overcome?EO: We are working with enforcement partners tominimise the impact poor quality buskers have onBID businesses. A voluntary code of practice wasestablished for street entertainers wishing to use thecity centre, including identifying designatedperformance spots. Following negative feedbackfrom shoppers and businesses alike, we also createda chugger (charity muggers) policy to minimise theannoyance people feel when approached bychuggers. In liaison with charity-led membershipbody PFRA, a policy was created, limiting thenumber of charity collectors in the BID area ongiven days.

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Ed Oliver (left) with Ged Gibbons, chief executiveof Liverpool City Central BID

A BID is a partnership between a localauthority and the local business communityto develop projects and services that willbenefit the trading environment within theboundary of a clearly defined commercialarea. Introduced by the government in 2004, theBID scheme has now been successfullyimplemented by 130 cities and towns, workingtogether as communities to improve tradingwithin a specific area. Established as a not-for-profit scheme, BIDsreceive funding from local businesses to bereinvested directly back into the economy. For further information visit www.ukbids.org

mwb July12 BIDs 14

ReportBeeston,NottinghamshireCharlie Fogg, chair of the Beeston BID

Victoria Jackson: When was the Beeston BIDestablished?Charlie Fogg: The Beeston BID was established inJanuary 2011, following the opening of a large Tescostore and the impending construction of NET PhaseTwo, which is an extension of the tramline fromNottingham city centre. Both of these factors couldpotentially detract people from the High Road, andbusinesses felt something needed to be done.

VJ: What events and initiatives have the BIDcommittee organised?CF: We are increasing the size and scale of events allthe time, attracting bigger crowds to the area. Theseinclude a Christmas lights switch-on, Chinese NewYear celebrations, Summer Play Day and, morerecently, the Diamond Jubilee. Now that we areinvolved, businesses are increasingly takingadvantage of the extra footfall and doing additionalthings to get people in their businesses. The conceptof B2B loyalty cards has also been successful businesses offer discounts to fellow companies withthe aim of keeping business local.

VJ: How did you encourage local businesses to getinvolved in the Beeston BID?CF: By listening to them and finding out what theywant to see through face-to-face meetings, structuredconsultation events, surveys, forums and so on.There has, however, been a mixed response to theBID. Many national retailers dont tend to getinvolved as most things have to go through headoffice (although, surprisingly, Tesco is veryproactive). It is the small businesses that usually getinvolved. In the year-and-a-half that we have beenestablished, attitudes are changing; we arenoticeably increasing footfall and getting theBeeston name out there. Many of the olderbusinesses dont see how we can make a differenceand are unwilling to get involved they see it as anextra tax and a waste of money.

BathSimon Pullen, chair of the Bath BID

Victoria Jackson: When was the Bath BIDestablished?Simon Pullen: The BID was established on 1 April2011 and will run for five years to 31 March 2016.Im the general manager of the Southgate Bathshopping area, which is an 81m development thatopened in September 2010. There are currently 617businesses involved and, over the last year, atremendous amount of work has taken place. Thishas included regular deep-cleaning projects in thecity and the implementation of a Nightwatch radiosystem for the evening economy. A successful eventand retail campaign strategy has seen the growth ofthe Bath in Fashion idea as well as the Christmaslights switch-on annual event and the seasonal retail campaigns. We have also been working ontenders for waste management, lighting and utilities, and these will be rolled out to thebusinesses in 2012/2013.

VJ: How did you encourage businesses to getinvolved in the BID?SP: The businesses were sent a proposal andreceived a visit from BID ambassadors to talk aboutthe proposed Bath BID in detail. They were thenrequired to vote through a ballot system in October2010 as to whether they wanted the BID to go ahead.The companies voted for the BID to be formed, andthe key focus areas were identified by the businessesas Managing, Promoting and Saving. Around 80 percent of companies understood the importance ofthe BID from the beginning, and were verysupportive. The remaining businesses have growthin their enthusiasm as the BID has developed andprovided a proven service to all its levy payers.

VJ: What challenges have you faced?SP: Bath is a fantastic city, with stunning architecture,many independent shops as well as a wide range ofhigh-street retail stores, being a draw to theinternational and domestic tourist as well as regionalresidents. It is an area popular to do business, beingclose to major cities and, as it is not a business park,just off the motorway, it has a different appeal toprospective employees and clients. With all of theabove, there is a challenge to maintain thecleanliness of the city for its businesses to thrive. Inthe tough economic climate, it is important for thecity to promote itself as a stylish, interesting place tovisit and do business in order to ensure that the city,as a whole, prospers into the future.

VJ: Do you have any events planned for the rest ofthe year?SP: A food event is planned for October. The annualChristmas lights switch-on can attract an audience ofaround 4,000 as it takes place at the start of theChristmas shopping period in Bath (Thursday 15November). We are fortunate that past local Bathcelebrities have agreed to enter the spirit and switchon the lights, including Nicolas Cage, The Duchessof Cornwall and John Cleese.

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mwb July12 BIDs 16

Paul Clements, executive director of Ipswich Central

Victoria Jackson: When was the BID for Ipswichestablished?Paul Clements: We launched Ipswich Central [the BID scheme for Ipswich] in 2007, and haveintroduced more than 3.3m of investment to theheart of the town. In total, 650 businesses areinvolved in Ipswich Central. We have retailers suchas Coes, for example, who arent in the boundariesof the district but have still signed up to be Friendsof the BID, paying a volunteer levy to benefit from anumber of the BID benefits.

VJ: Having recently entered your second term inApril, what are your plans for the next five years?PC: During the time of the previous BID term, anew waterfront underwent a revamp, the EducationQuarter with the new University Campus Suffolkand Suffolk New College have been established, and the Office Village now provides modern, high-quality accommodation. The BID has created astrong brand for the town centre, and uses allmarketing platforms, including social media, towidely promote the area. Something that is in thedevelopment stages is a smartphone app, utilising

GPS which, when used in the BID boundaries, willnotify visitors of changing events, promotions andoffers in the area in which the smartphone user is.In recent months, the BID, together with IpswichBorough Council, has jointly funded an InwardInvestment Surveyor to target missing businesses,and identify the potential for further retaildevelopment. Viyella, White Stuff, CotswoldOutdoor and Office are just some of the namesadded, and the new BID will commit to similarfunding for the next five years.

VJ: Which initiatives have been the most successful?PC: While we have received positive feedback onmost of the changes and developments weveimplemented, becoming the first and only BIDaccredited by the Police has been a greatachievement, as has the launch of the our StreetRanger team. The Street Ranger team (pictured),who to date have walked 22,700 miles, are there toprovide a reassuring presence for stakeholders, andhaving this in place has reduced crime and anti-social behaviour. The responsibilities of theteam will be extended, and some experimentalSunday working will be introduced.

Nicki Williams, chair of the Worcester BID

Victoria Jackson: How many local businesses areinvolved in the Worcester BID?Nicki Williams: We have 558 different businessesinvolved in the BID, which is one of the larger ones in the country. We have a good mix ofmultiples and independents including the retail,leisure and professional sectors. Sixty six per cent of the businesses involved are retailers. The BID formally began as a business in April 2010 after aperiod of consultation and a ballot in the previousOctober a result of a review of tourism and city-centre management activity by parent companyVisit Worcester in 2006.

VJ: And how were these businesses encouraged toget involved?NW: For the ballot, we met a huge number of themface-to-face this is by far the best way to getfeedback and ideas on the projects that they want tosee a BID deliver. We also ran consultation eventsand surveys to determine the projects. Now that theBID is up-and-running after a successful ballotresult, we utilise our Street Rangers, which patrolthe BID area, to inform businesses of the projectsand schemes that we run through their business visitschedule. However, we also utilise social media,email, websites and newsletters to encourageparticipation from businesses often using casestudies from other companies who have benefitedfrom a BID initiative. In terms of challenges wevefaced, when times are tough and with the economyin the state it is, it has meant that businesses want toreduce their overheads, including BID levies! Astime has progressed, we have delivered more andmore projects, so I like to think we have turnedaround previous sceptics. Businesses who havebought into the BID have benefited, and we want

more to get involved. Generally, though, the projectswe have delivered have been well-received.

VJ: What projects and events have the committeeorganised for the BID?NW: We have run a Chocolate Weekend, whichwent extremely well for large and small businesses,particularly retailers. Footfall and spend figures fromthose businesses that took part were excellent. Wealso ran our Uniquely Worcester campaign/event,which will return this autumn and promotes andcelebrates independents. They give Worcester itsunique character and benefit all businesses. We arealso running The Big Busk, a day of busking on 14 July, which we are running for the first time, aseries of street entertainment in the run-up toChristmas, and a Customer Service Awards eveningto celebrate the businesses that have received aCustomer Service Assessment (mystery shop) andreceived excellent feedback.

Ipswich

Worcester

Aimee Lewis and Laura Woodyatt of independent retailer Halo

The Street Rangers

mwb July12 Opinion 18

Opinion/ Tailoring

Mark Taylor, co-owner, Pockets,Shrewsbury, Hanley, Worcester,Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Nantwich(photographed with co-owner Paul Platt, right)

Were taking a more sartorial route and looking atdeconstructed jackets in particular. Its a carry-onfrom what we started this summer. Its a bit of acleaner and more mature look. Sharper dressingand accessories are becoming increasinglyimportant to give a jacket and shirt a point ofdifference. Its all in the detail to finish off an outfit.We found a nice English cufflinks company at Pitti Uomo called Babette Wasserman fromLondon. She studied at Central St Martins and doesa womens line of jewellery. She also now does anamazing line of cufflinks, so were having a go withthose to freshen things up. Weve also bought somegreat pocket squares from Penrose London.

Theres plenty of colour around, thats forsure, and our guys are just getting into it. Obviously,youve got to be a bit careful in the UK, but a morecolourful pair of chinos brightens up a navy linenblazer and makes it more flamboyant.

We have had a good tailoring season due toweddings and formal occasions such as the races.One thing that every man needs is a good suit, so ifyoure the groom, or have been fortunate to beinvited to a function, youve probably saved up for aspecial one say from Paul Smith, Hugo Boss orCanali which is a great investment. And then, ofcourse, comes the shirt and tie and, now more thanever, even the smallest accessories make thedifference, such as pockets squares, a tie clip and agreat pair of cuff links.

Its not only suits that are performing, butthe deconstructed linen/cotton jackets haveworked really well, especially from Hackett and Paul Smith, teaming them with a slim-fit chino ordenims, and a shirt and tie for a more formaloccasion or maybe a floral shirt or crisp linen shirtfor a more relaxed look. Thankfully, guys seem towant to make more of an effort at the moment.

Philip Browne, owner, Philip Browne,Norwich

We moved the business to a bigger premises lastSeptember. Its 4,500 sq ft over three floors and hasits own English gentlemens suit department on thefirst floor. Were 25 years old as a business, and Inow feel that were mature enough along with our customer base that has been shopping with ussince their 20s and are now in their 40s to offertailoring on a separate dedicated floor. Ive alwayssold suits, but its great to now be able to offer astunning tailoring room with some very sharp suits.Its an area of the market I really enjoy, and I dovery well with Savile Rows William Hunt. I loveputting on a suit even just to go down the boozerto meet my mates.

We were selling Helmut Lang suits in the90s, and Id love to see a full-blown revival. Wevealso sold Vivienne Westwood suits since then, andstill sell them well now. Weve just bought suits fromCrombie for s/s 13, I love their product, and thecoats they do are amazing I always wanted one as akid. And were looking at Tiger of Sweden. It takes alot of customer loyalty to hand over 500-1,000 fora suit, but Ive built up that trust with my customers.Also, from a retail point of view, if youre gettingmarried or being a best man, its a compulsorypurchase, so its good to be known as the shop tocome to for that. Im not saying tailoring is the wayforward, it just feels right for my business right now.Its how weve developed, and Im really getting backinto suits in a big way. Weve also been selling a lotof Harris Tweed jackets, and both those and theCrombie coats work brilliantly with a pair of LevisVintage Clothing or RRL jeans and Trickersbrogues. Its an easy look thats instantly stylish.

Terry Threadingham, owner, Lizard,Richmond

Tailoring per-se is not really for me. Its not mybusiness. Ive tried suits before, including the Hugoline from Hugo Boss and PS from Paul Smith, butits never really worked for me. You need to have alarge selection and choice of colours and sizes. Thesmart-casual look, on the other hand, is more for mycustomers who are predominantly in the 30-50 agebracket, with a lot in their 40s who suit the casualblazer with jeans, chinos or cords look, and who feel confident dressing like that. They like to mix-and-match, so I buy that way. Formal shirtingand ties are not for me, though.

For a/w 12, Ive gone for the tweed look interms of blazers, and Gibson London are doing avery nice line. PS Jeans from Paul Smith also havesome great jackets in checks and herringbones, andIve even got cord blazers coming in soon fromNicole Farhi.

Its too early to say what Ill be going for for s/s 13. All I know is Ill be cutting back oneverything! This season has been disastrous.Summer is not a good season its too short. Assoon as it starts, everyone is on Sale, so I wont betaking any risks. Ill be buying the essentials andmore in-season. It needs to be commercial. Ill stickto my guns on the smart-casual front. Thats what Iknow, and what I do best and my customers inRichmond are attuned to that.

Tailoring and smart-casual looks seem to be back on theagenda big time for UK indies looking to smarten up their act,and their customers. The brands are pushing it, so how are theretailers backing it?

For more industry opinions visit mwb-online.co.uk


Retail news

03

03New premises for Utter NutterDenim specialist Utter Nutter celebrated theopening of its new store in Romford last month with a party hosted by Italian denim label Diesel.

As one of the first retailers in the UK to stockDiesel denim, the brand collaborated with the store forthe celebrations, which welcomed a host of customers,friends and names from the denim industry.

Measuring 1,000 sq ft, the store boasts animpressive 14-metre denim wall, featuring namessuch as Diesel, G Star, Nudie, Edwin and new labelLast & True. Holding over 3,000 pairs of denim atany one time, the store is among one of the biggestpremium commercial denim specialists in the UK.

01Salford Universitycelebrates new talentSalford University welcomed 29 of its fashion designstudents last month to showcase their finalcollections in front of more than 300 clothingindustry guests, family and friends.

It was the first event of its kind to be held atthe universitys MediaCityUK building, where thecollections on show ranged from tailoring andeveningwear to sportswear and military styling.

Five awards, judged by a panel of industryprofessionals, were presented on the night, with theaccolade for Best Collection, sponsored by Matalan,awarded to menswear designer Dhaval Joshi.

All the collections showed real forwardthinking in design, and Im thrilled that thephenomenal hard work by the students and ourteam has come together so well, says Bashir Aswat,Salford Universitys fashion programme leader. We managed to create an intimate setting in adynamic, modern venue, and we are extremelyhappy with the success of the show.

02

01

02Westfield Stratford Citywelcomes New Era storeLifestyle label New Era opened its 13th store, inEast Londons Westfield Stratford City, last month.

The 1,800 sq ft shop, which launched on 9 June, houses mens, womens and childrensheadwear, apparel and accessories. In addition to its core offer, the store offers exclusive, limited-edition products including London-themeddesigns and fabrics.

We have completely re-energised our designconcepts for our company shops, says Cal Lawson,director of retail operations. Our updated storeconcept allows for fully integrated merchandising ofapparel, headwear and accessories, leading theconsumer through a clean, modern and consistentretail environment.

Jamal Edwards of online youth broadcasterSBTV was on hand to officially open the store, while cap trickster Mark Calape provided liveentertainment. New Era stores are also located inBirmingham and Londons Soho.

03

The DiamondJubilee gave ussomething tocelebrate

There were plenty ofchoruses of God Save theQueen in our shop inthe lead up to theDiamond Jubileeweekend last month.

As it got near, thewhole fuss about the celebrations seemed to lift ourcustomers. The week before the holiday turned outto be 26 per cent up. We had a cracking time onSaturday 2 June, when we finished an incredible 87 per cent up on the previous year. It looked likepeople were saying at long last, Oh, sod it, lets goout, buy something new and enjoy ourselves. A lotof our customers were having house parties over thebank holiday, and we did well with smarter poloshirts, chinos and even shorts, as the weather wasgood on the Saturday. There was a real feeling ofpositivity around.

We trade seven days a week and only closefor religious holidays such as Christmas and Easterbecause thats what our larger competitors do andwe have to fight for our share. The Bank HolidayMonday, when we were open from 11am until 4pm,was good, too, but it did quiet down on the Tuesday.

The lift that the holiday provided was muchneeded because trade has been challenging thisseason. We were 20 per cent down in April and fourper cent in May. Every week is a roller coaster withno consistent pattern to trading. I have worked atHugh Harris for 20 years, and todays tradingreminds me of the patterns we saw during the lastdeep recession in the late 80s and early 90s. Weended up some days with only myself and MD Paul Martin working in the shop because we had tosave costs. We used to rely on getting that one goodspender in to make our day worthwhile.

There still is money around, but peopledont want to be seen to be spending in the currentclimate. We can count on two hands the number oflads who come in and drop 600 or 700 at a time.It used to be common but, now, customers are morelikely to come in three or four times a month andspend 100. We are also noticing more than beforethat sales improve at the end of the month whenpeople get paid. The big difference between nowand then is that we are better at monitoring thingsthese days because of computerised stock controlsystems. We are much more on the ball.

We are now looking forward to another liftin business around the next Bank Holiday on 27 August. We should have most of the new autumnmerchandise in by then, so we dont want it to be asunny and hot weekend, thank you very much.

Lee Simpson is director/buyer of Hugh Harris inWoking and is a member of the Fashion Associationof Britain (FAB).

Utter Nutter co-owners SanjayYagnik, left, and Kashif Qazi

This August will see the launch of FLIP, a new trade show running alongside

Moda Gent for urban, streetwear and actionsports lifestyle brands. A key destination for bothspecialist board sport and activewear stores, FLIPis also the essential show for fashion retailerslooking for the latest urban and active lifestyleapparel. Clothing brands Quiksilver, Roxy, Animal,Kenny Random, Chirpse, Rock & Revival, Timezone,Kangol and HoodLamb, footwear labels Amazonasand Gumbies, underwear brands Puma andStonemen, and accessories labels Sativa, Obag,Arrogance Accessories and O clock are amongthe brands confirmed. Look out for spectacularlive shows celebrating a decade of the Animal BikeTour and featuring some of the worlds best bike riders.

mwb July12 Moda 20

Promotion/ Moda

Moda GentThis summer will see Moda Gents biggestshow so far as a host of new arrivals join theunbeatable line-up including established shirtlabel Poggianti, which will showcase its latestspring/summer 2013 collection made fromthe finest Italian fabrics, and British brandBrook Taverner, which will present limited-edition tweed jackets alongside itslatest range. Other names to look out for thisseason include Irish label Vedoneire andSwedish brand Boomerang. With a moderntake on tailoring, cult labels Farah andGibson London make a welcome return thisseason alongside favourites Maddox StreetLondon, Joules, Florentino, Camel Active,Remus Uomo and Roy Robson.

12-14 August 2012 NEC Birmingham

The UKs most essential fashion trade show isgearing up for its biggest summer so far, with itsunbeatable line-up boosted by brand-new launchesand international names taking part in the showfor the first time.

NEW!

Quiksilver Photograph: Morgan Maassen

The biggest date on this season

mwb July12 Moda 21

Moda FootwearNew labels joining the Moda Footwear line-up thisseason include Panama Jack, with a collection offootwear handmade in its native Spain, and Swisslifestyle brand Mistral, which debuts three distinctivefootwear lines for spring/summer 2013, includingthe Mistral Authentics range, which is characterisedby its lived-in look and nautical colours. Also addingto the line-up of newcomers this season are Israelilabel CoupleOf and British outdoor lifestyle brandBrakeburn. Mustang returns following its hugelysuccessful debut in February alongside returningfavourites Rocket Dog, Iron Fist, Rockport, Geoxand Fly London.

Modas Sunday Social With Sunday 12 August marking the opening of theUKs biggest fashion event and the closing of theLondon Olympics, Moda will be celebrating Britainsmost momentous summer season with a party not to bemissed! Once the show closes at 6pm, head straight tothe event area outside, where we will be getting thisone-off party started with a drinks reception and loadsof fun including, Bar and Pimms Tent, BBQ and hogroast, live music, DJ sets and more.

Showcasing contemporary menswear andfootwear brands, Select is the area to findkey collections for the modern manswardrobe. Selects expanded area returnswith a raft of new names including thefootwear collection from leadingmenswear label Jack & Jones and Swiss menswear brand Jay/K, which willshowcase a vibrant range of denims,shorts and trousers in bright and boldcolourways. Also look out for debutsfrom Palladium, Jekyll & Hyde, Mohawk,Mish Mash and Andy Richardson.Returning to Select this season will belabels including Wrangler Footwear,Original Penguin, Gabicci Vintage, 1Like No Other and Guide London.

Want to keep pace withretails digital revolution?Dont miss Modas freeseminarsSmartphones and tablets:How to use your new shop window effectivelyRay Buckler, head of business development, andNick Pratt, MD, Sitemakers The consumers new shopping accessory is now asmartphone or tablet. This seminar is relevant forretailers who want to learn how to keep pace withthe revolution of the internet, and how they can usethe latest mobile technology to interact and engagewith customers.

How to use Google and social media to increase your online salesWarren Knight, founder, GloopleWarren Knight of Gloople, the social sharing e-commerce platform, will help retailers understandthe benefits of using Google and different socialnetworks such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+,YouTube and LinkedIn. Social media is here to stay,and this topic will help visitors to integrate socialmedia into their retail business.

Other topics on this seasonsprogramme include: How to build an exceptional sales and customer

service planDennis Reid, chairman, Retail PerformanceSpecialists (RPS)

How to develop an upward cycle of customer engagementClare Rayner, The Retail Champion

How to bring the shop floor to life with retail theatreKate Hardcastle, founding partner ofInsight With Passion (IWP)

To register for your complimentary ticket to the show visitmoda-uk.co.uk

Jay/K

Rockport

the fashion calendar

mwb July12 Timothy Everest 22

Interview

Timothy Everest

Bespoke tailor and designer with a difference, Timothy Everest hasbeen embarking on a series of collaborations including outerwear pieces withJohn Boultbee at Januarys Pitti and with Hancock in June. But surely themost unexpected of all was his partnership with Superdry, which launchedduring London Collections: Men last month. Tom Bottomley gets the details.

mwb July12 Timothy Everest 23

Tom Bottomley: Superdry might be considered astrange link up for you, how did the collaborationcome about?Timothy Everest: Its very strange like all ourprojects. We were introduced around 18 months agoat Bread & Butter Berlin. They said they wanted tocreate more of a lifestyle brand. I couldnt see howwe could work together because we were polesapart. Six months later, they took the old AustinReed building on Regent Street and seemed verykeen to get into tailoring. A meeting was set up inLondon. There had been an article in the FinancialTimes that had a picture of an Austin Reed posterfrom the 20s, which was rather fabulous. It featureda gentleman wearing a three-piece suit, but thecolours were all wrong bright orange, yellow andbrown. It got me thinking that maybe we could worktogether and create more of a punk approach totailoring. We could be more playful and have funwith it. Were also creating some amazing accessoriesin bright colours.

TB: Was it your initial intention to launch it duringLondon Collections: Men?TE: Not at all. We started talking properly about it in September last year. We started working on thecollection in January this year, and presented inJune. The process has been extremely fast. We wereasked to do something for London Collections: Men,so we created a presentation and concept in alibrary setting with models in the Regent Streetshop, which is such a lovely building. It was deliveredvery well. In fact, what they did in that top-floor areagives an idea of what theyre going to do with theSuperdry + Timothy Everest (SDTE) product in-storein the future. It still works with the rest of the shop.

TB: Is it going to be rolled out?TE: It will go into their key flagships. They need thespace where they can service the customer, becauseputting a tailored jacket on someone is a littledifferent than just buying a T-shirt, but I think theywant to use that approach to service right throughthe store. So were going to try and look at old-fashioned retail in the nicest way even if yourebuying a T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

TB: What are your views on Superdry in general?TE: Well, it is a huge business, but not one that thefashion press would necessarily normally look at. It put 100m on its turnover last year alone, andadded another 60 shops. What a lot of people dontsee, but I travel a lot, are the labels moves intoSouth America, Asia and the Middle East. Its one ofthe biggest success stories not only as a Britishbrand but as an international brand, so I thought itwas an interesting opportunity if we could have thisroad crash between the two of us. Could people bepleasantly surprised? I think people came to see itwith a pre-conceived idea of what this older tailorand this fashion brand were doing. But, I feel,certainly from reading the press, that weve pulled it off.

TB: Is it going to be wholesaled?TE: It wasnt going to be, but I believe it now will be.They really like it, and I see a natural extension to itthat we can work on.

TB: How is it going to be priced?TE: Extremely competitively. Jackets, for example,start at 175 retail and trousers at 75. They want toshow people that you can get a good product forfantastic value for money. A lot of young kids wouldlike to buy this sort of product, but they dont havedeep pockets, and it has to cut with the price points

of the existing products. Rather than it just being a poncey and pretentious tailoring offer sitting inthe corner.

TB: Tell me more about this punk-rock approach?TE: We had models dressed as different characters.For example, we had Shoreditch guy, the preppyguy, and the LA rock n roll guy, with the coolesttattoos. Its appealing to different people, but thecommon link is the product is similar. Its moreabout how you style it within that collection.

TB: And there are four different stories within thecollection?TE: Yes, it was just a case of plundering all thingsBritish. So weve got Super Spy, which is looselybased on James Bond and 60s US TV series The Man From Uncle. The concept is that we havejackets and trousers that match you can wear themas suits, but theyre not sold as suits, aside from theSuper Spy one, which is a great grey sharkskinnumber. We also have the San Franciscan, whichfeatures a couple of tweeds and is based on the early70s west-coast detective TV shows such as TheRockford Files, with a bit of Steve McQueen inBullitt from 1968 thrown in. Then there is CountryRebel, which is the original character I showedthem, influenced by a young Mick Jagger and theDavid Bailey photograph of him when hes wearinga shrunken tweed jacket and a tight penny collarshirt. A lot of people think the 60s was all crushedvelvet and bad teeth like Austin Powers. It wasnt.People were using traditional things in a cooler way.So this is more about the lost rock star in thecountry. The last character is Bank Robber, which isMichael Caine meets Gordon Gekko. Thats why wehad the guy polishing the shotguns at thepresentation. On one button of each jacket sleeveweve got a logo inspired by the cuff link shown onthe poster of Get Carter, where Caine is holding thegun. The idea is to create a story. It makes it veryeasy for everyone to understand.

TB: What about branding?TE: Of course, one of the things theyve beensuccessful with is branding, but this is much moregrown-up, in the sense that its almost putting all thebranding on the inside. If you want to show it off,you can turn the collar up, but its actually a little bitmore sophisticated.

TB: How will it be taken forward now?TE: We will play on the word tailored. We have

already prototyped a playful version of a JermynStreet shirt. It could even end up with a tailored T-shirt or a jean, to give them a different area withintheir business, because as their business is growing,it needs new product and areas, and this could be aseparate area in that business something thatcould be broken out as a concession. We need to beat a premium end for them.

TB: Are collaborations the way forward for you interms of getting your name out there?TE: I think the business models we were trying tofollow, probably for too long, were trying to be thenext Paul Smith. But that was a different time, and a different era in which he built his business aphenomenal business. I think a lot of people of mygeneration saw it as first you develop a retailbusiness, then a wholesale business but, actually, thewhole collaborative thing has become interesting.Weve always had a different approach. We set ourbase in Spitalfields years ago when it was a reallyduff area. Then we got into British tailoring, whichwas dying, and now weve stuck our neck out onSuperdry. So we have a culture of a point ofdifference. Were tailors who design rather thandesigners whove discovered tailoring. Were nottrying to be fashionable. Were tailors who have apoint of view, so maybe the collaborative side of our business is a much more interesting business model.Well still have Timothy Everest bespoke tailoring,and now we have a bespoke casualwear line, butmaybe our ready-to-wear, which would normally bewhat we would try to grow, will be collaborative. Wehave this idea over the next three years, with somepartners, to create retail and e-tail spaces. Ratherthan be reactive to collaborations, were going to be more selective and work with the ones that workwell for us.

DIE MARKE DER VERBUNDENHEIT.

FOR CONTACT:

NIGEL PINNOCK (for London and the South of England) (for London and the South of England) (for London and the South of England)

Morley House (Suite G. 03)320 Regent Street , London Phone 0044 2073230478

Mobile 0044 7968344969

MICHAEL BENNETT (for Midlands, Nor th of England and Scotland)(for Midlands, Nor th of England and Scotland)

Suite 3 Wilmslow House /Grove Way / Water Lane UK - Wilmslow SK9 5AG Cheshire Phone 0044 1625540666 Mobile 0044 7973211655Mobile 0044 7973211655


01Gent

Product: Sporting hero/p26Brands: Ones to watch/p27Review: Pitti Uomo/p29Profile: Crombie/p34Review: London Collections: Men/p36

mwb July12 In-season 26

Gent

Classic polos and tailored shorts create a smartsportswear option this season.

Sporting hero

Hackett, price on request,020 7939 6800

Hilditch & Key, retail price79.95, 020 7930 5336

Simon Carter, 48,020 8683 4475

Blue Marlin, price on request,0012 128682590

Nicole Farhi,27, 020 7036 7500

Robert Graham,24, 020 7603 4500

Ltd, 39.58, 020 8438 4913

Nicole Farhi, 52,020 7036 7500

Eden Park, 40,01732 852281

Pod, 12.20,01234 240440

mwb July12 Gent 27

Ones to watch

Lysander neoprene wellington boot. The most casual style in the range is the

Valiant sneaker. Made from wax fabric, the Valiant is boxed with a sachet of refinishing wax just likeall Barbour jackets. Cord details and tartan liningsprovide a link to Barbours famous outerwear, whilekey colours include navy, brown and olive.

The launch of the full footwear line followsthe successful collaboration with Northamptonshoemaker Grenson, which continues as a separateproject into a/w 12. The new range will be soldalongside Barbour clothing as well as in specialityshoe stores. A capsule collection of ladies footwearis planned for s/s 13. Wholesale prices range from21.98 to 116.96.

Contact:01629 530416

Chester Barrie

Chester Barrie takes inspirationfrom 30s style this season.

Suit label Chester Barries s/s 13 collection isinspired by the fashion of the 30s, producing arefined and sharp tailoring line.

New this season is a wide arched peak lapelwith a single-button fastening that is rooted in anArt Deco aesthetic. Other details include a pleatedpatch pocket with scooped edge, and deep turn-upson trouser styles.

S/s 13 brings with it a new shirt collar shape the tab penny which is a modern interpretation of a30s classic. The colour palette, meanwhile, runs fromrich chocolate brown to pale grey, duck egg and deepblue. Solid colours are bold and strong, but contrastcloths, such as pinstripe and birdseye, add texture.

In turn, the tailoring is complemented byboldly hued shirts in stripe patterns of coral andraspberry, which sit alongside stripes of yellow or redon backgrounds of crisp white. Wholesale pricesrange from 45 to 65 for shirts and 260 to 350for suits.

Contact:020 7439 6079

Barbour

Barbour launches its first fullcollection of mens footwearfor a/w 12.

Heritage label Barbour is releasing its debut fullfootwear range for a/w 12 with a broad line-up of22 styles.

From sturdy brogues in leather to canvassneakers in the brands signature wax cotton, each shoe is designed to be high quality andhardwearing, with performance or weatherproofelements utilised across the board.

Traditional styles take on modern updates,such as the Bavian brogue, a tan wing cap stylegiven a modern twist via Barbour waxed fabric. Keydesigns include the Ilkley brogue, also in tan, whichis designed to be worn at more formal occasions.

Less structured looks include suede chukkaboots and leather deck shoes, plus active footwearsuch as the Gore-tex nubuck game boot and the

John Smedley

The knitwear brand offers arange of spring classics and newsummer staples for s/s 13.

John Smedleys fashion collections for men andwomen are undergoing a transformation.

For s/s 13, the word sport will be added tothe brands iconic John Smedley logo, motivated bynew-found athletic influences and a genteel IvyLeague styling. Collar and rib details as well as cabletexture subtly fuse together, creating a preppy moodaccompanied by bold colours combinations and stripes.

The Classics range, meanwhile, showcasesthe best of the labels heritage, incorporating bothtimeless styles and new additions. Extra-fine Merinoand Sea Island cotton are the key fabrics, while thecolour palette includes a broad spectrum of 25 tonesincluding rosebud and eggshell. Wholesale pricesrange from 5.90 for accessories to 144 for sweaters.

Contact:0800 009 988

For more brands to watchvisit mwb-online.co.uk

mwb July12 Pitti Uomo 29

ReviewFirenze furnace of fashionPitti sizzled in 100 degrees, but the looks were super cool and driving the trends for colour, sharp dressing and aflamboyancy not seen in menswear for quite some time. Tom Bottomley selects his six of the best super-fresh collections.

Riding HighThis is purist kit for sure and only for those who havea select band of savvy customers who know their stuffand are prepared to spend on quality. On the surface,to your average Joe at least, it looks like a collectionof vintage-look tees and sweats with quite a heavyprice tag. But Riding Highs sweat products are madeon special loopwheel knitting machines of whichthere are only a small amount left in Japan today.The loopwheel machines were originally developedfor making luxury underwear, so premium qualityis the name of the game producing a rich texturelike a hand-knitted garment. The more you wash, thebetter it feels and, importantly, the right fit andvolume is retained. Riding High clearly takes itsinspiration from great vintage pieces, and there area couple of fine workwear-inspired pieces as well asmore modern takes on jersey knits. Its been going10 years in Japan, and will make its second showingat Jacket Required this month for those who didntmake the trip out to Florence.

CustomelloA new entry from Korea and a first-time showing atPitti, already apparently creating a bit of a stir withsome opinion-leading UK buyers, and being boughtby My-Wardrobe. Timothy Everest has alsoapparently been doing some consulting on this one.He sure gets around. The concept for the s/s 13collection is time traveller. Fair enough, just dont expect Dr Who-style kit. Its got a vintage feel to it, but definitely with a modern take. A keyeye-catching piece is a leather fronted jacket with aknitted shawl collar and canvas sleeves that zip off.All the leather comes from Italy, and its very soft.There is also floral print (big news for s/s 13) mixedlinen jackets, jacquard camouflage shorts, chambrayshirting and just a general easiness to the collectionwith nice little details you discover the more youlook. This could be a one to watch, and pricedaround the YMC kind of mark. Good accessoriesincluding paisley ties, hats and button-on braces, too.

SeriesAnother little find from Korea with some reallygood pieces and UK-friendly price points, thoughthe capsule Re-Code line, with some more uniquepieces, sits higher. Interestingly, there is nodistribution in Europe as yet, so maybe a good timeto get on board if youre looking for somethingfresh and want to get in early. Its funny to hear thethemes of the new season, with Series its chimneysweeper and gardener, but if you weed out thespiel and look at the product its definitely gotsomething. There are some great shirts, unrefinedlinen, a field jacket and a mountain parka, and it allhas an organic feel to it hence the bag that readsearth laughs in flower. Quirky without trying to betoo clever. There is also interesting footwearcourtesy of a collaboration with another Koreancompany called Cocomods. Worth investigating.

>>>


YMCIncluded in this because I didnt get a proper lookat it during the London Collections: Men show.There werent any stepladders at the back! But it didcreate a bit of a buzz among the buyers and seeing itfirst hand at Pitti you can see why. There is plenty ofcolour, checks, stripes, hooded Harringtons, subtleHawaiian-style shirting, three-button blazers justwell put together and an instant summer wardrobeif ever there was one. Commercial but clever with it.Easy pieces to wear, plus some highlights for thebrave, such as the leopard print parka and matchingcap. It also must be said that YMCs footwear seemsto keep getting stronger. Its collaboration withFestival Original shoes a mesh lace-up or slip-onthat originated in the late 50s, available in navy orred, are on the money. Not only do they look rathercool, theyll keep your feet cool with it. There is alsoa Clarks Originals collaboration which has a certainedge to it.

FryeThe boat shoe still remains the top-selling style forspring/summer, and Frye does some good popcolours. But the new shoe catching key buyers eyesat Pitti was a new woven version in navy or very lighttan. Apparently every single fashion and directionalaccount from Italy that visited the stand picked thisshoe up ahead of everything else. I did the same!The other key selling point with Frye is that itutilises traditional footwear manufacturing in the US,much the same way as some of the old guard of theUK footwear industry do. Except Frye can make inits factory in Arkansas and keep the prices morecompetitive. The Scotch grain leather boots stoodout, as did the two-tone saddle shoes, and therewere some fine brogues. The leathers really arefantastic and the history of the brand and thecraftsmanship gives it real credence, too. After all,the first pair of Frye boots were benchcrafted in1863, and theres not many American brands stillaround that can boast that.

Gitman BrosPrints and colour may have hit this summer, but forspring/summer 2013 theyre going to be positivelyraging. And, when it comes to shirts, ties and shorts,Gitman Bros from New York has it properly covered.There are still what they call the remakes from1979, so six or seven plaids and some Oxford solidsand stripes, but the big colour explosion is thetalking point. There are a number of prints theydeveloped in Japan, including seersucker and Aloha-inspired prints. The floral and striped walkshorts are also eye-catching. Not sure theyll work ona wet weekend in Wigan, but in terms of holidaywear, and for those now looking for a bit more thana chino short, theyre certainly worth a look (thoughyou may want to keep your sunglasses on). Thereare also some Mexican blanket shirts, and theprinted Senorita shirt is a favourite. A nauticaltheme is also prevalent with some really nice stripes,an anchor print and sailors pin-up girl shirt forthose holiday disco nights!

For further information and to make an appointment call Cord Agencies on +44 (0) 1732 852281

www.uk.eden-park.comFacebook/EdenParkUK


Review

Alistair Porteous, UK and Scandinaviaagent, Mackintosh

Were working with Lora Piana Italian fabrics,which you wouldnt ordinarily expect from us. But itwould be good to work with some key mills andfabric producers closer to home maybe in the UK.

Were delighted with the response wevehad. Were showing a lot of colour for nextspring/summer, and its attracted people to comeand look at us for the first time. They seem pleasedat the way weve developed the brand.

Ive been slightly surprised at theattendance from UK buyers. Weve seen the keystores. I thought that, with the economy the way it is, perhaps people might miss out on this round ofshows and consolidate their budgets. But, clearlythey are looking to find something that might bemissing from their businesses, taking stock of somenew suppliers to complement their selections.

Its my 26th time coming out to Florencefor Pitti Uomo and, I must say, it hasntdisappointed. Its as hot as hell, and trying to sellraincoats does tickle me. But we had a record yearlast year with Mackintosh, and it looks like we couldbe up 15-20 per cent again this year, perhapsinfluenced by the renaissance of heritage brands.

The people of Pitti

Andrea Cannelloni, vice president andgeneral manager, Napapijri

Our branding is not as in your face as it has been inthe past. Weve introduced a more understated look,including a blazer. Colour is the big driver for us.

We are an energetic and vibrant brand, socolour is very important. Its also more about thedetail and what you discover when youre wearingthe garments. Camouflage is a key trend that iscoming back, and weve done a technical jacket andswim shorts in camo, as well as a bag, which we are well-known for. Shorts in bright coloured washedcotton, meanwhile, are important for us for s/s 13,and weve added yellow, red, turquoise and purpleinto the mix.

Before joining Napapijri three years ago, Iwas creative director for Boss Orange for 10 years.That was a sporty line, too, and I want to integratemy experience and apply it to Napapijri to make itmore international and appealing for everybody.And I think we are now taking the right direction.We are a lifestyle brand, after all.

Alexia Hentsch, co-owner,Hentsch Man

This has been the best Pitti Uomo weve showed at.It is definitely the busiest weve seen and the onewhere weve written the most orders.

This is our fourth Pitti Uomo, and werefinally getting some traction. People know where tofind us, and they come specifically to see us for re-orders, along with new customers whove heardgood things. I think they are more confident inHentsch Man now, and it feels good.

Weve added prints and more stand-outpieces. I personally stay clear of saying Hawaiian,as I feel its overly trended, but prints are definitelybig for next season. This entire hall is decked outwith prints! People are wearing them, and they areon everybodys stand. I think weve got our staplesdown to how we want them so, this season, wespecifically wanted to push the brand in a morefashion direction.

Tom Bottomley gets the lowdown on the mood andemerging trends from some key faces at one of thehottest shows on earth.

www.johnsmedley.com

mwb July12 Crombie 34

Profile

Prepare yourselves for the returnof a truly iconic brand. Crombie isback on the style radar and lookssharper than ever. Tom Bottomleygets the new plans from head ofwholesale Gordon Ritchie.

Crombie must be one of the last great Britishheritage labels to need to be rediscovered, shall wesay. It had never gone away, though it might havebeen slightly forgotten about. But, what a history,what a brand and what a product.

Head of wholesale Gordon Ritchie, himselffrom Aberdeen where the company was founded in1805, joined Crombie last September. He has beengiven the task of getting the label back out thereto the finest stores and onto the backs of the styleelite a place where the brand has most certainlybelonged over the years, having provided coats forthe likes of Cary Grant, King George VI, the Dukeof Windsor, John F Kennedy, Sir Winston Churchill,The Beatles, Clark Gable the list goes on. When Ifirst joined the company, I was simply given onetask to get the brand into the top stores in theworld, says Ritchie.

In fact, since taking on the role, Ritchie hasvisited the best stores around the globe, and itstestament to the brands worldwide recognition that,for a/w 12, it is going into 17 countries. Shopsinclude Barneys in New York, Wako in Japan andNK in Sweden. But Ritchie is keen to point out thatthey are not just working with department storesand classic menswear accounts. Were also findingthat designer stores are buying into the label, he says. Were working with The Shop in Korea, as well as Dover Street Market here. And wereworking with shops selling a lot of heritage product,presenting the coat in a more casual way to be wornwith jeans and Trickers brogues. These stores arebuying the scarves and pocket squares as well.

Philip Browne in Norwich is one such retailerwho is a fan, and is honoured to be chosen to sellthe brand. When I was a Suedehead in 1969, Iaspired to own a Crombie, says Browne. Its aniconic product, so Im proud to have been picked asa stockist.

Crombie started out as a textile producer in1805. In the late 1800s, it started to produce ready-to-wear. The company is, of course, bestknown for coats, and it currently represents 80 percent of the brands business. It is our core productand what were best known for, says Ritchie. Andthats been reflected in the first season properlyback into wholesale for a/w 12.

Crombie hasnt actually wholesaled for atleast 15 years. Its only been available in the UK inthe brands stores in London, Manchester and

Edinburgh. We trialled it in Harrods for a/w 10, andhad amazing success, says Ritchie. The sell-throughwas over 90 per cent. For a/w 11, the brand wentinto Brown Thomas and Liberty. Three weeks afterBrown Thomas first delivery, they came back anddoubled their order, says Ritchie. The signs werethere that the timing for wholesale again was ripe.

Crombie is presenting some great tailoring,too. You can feel the quality of the cloth, for which itis globally recognised. And silk scarves the perfectaccessory to wear with a Crombie coat are provingsuccessful. Its a classic look, says Ritchie. The silkscarf and Crombie coat with velvet collar and a flashof the red lining is signature Crombie detailing.The coats are made from Scottish Melton wool andhave a half canvas lining the original horse hairand felt pressed together, no glueing or fusing.Its almost like the original technical fabric, saysRitchie. The combination of the Scottish Meltonwool and canvas lining renders them windproof.When I wear my Crombie, I dont feel the cold.

Crombie is certainly making some productsin the UK for a/w 12. Indeed, the brand has alwaysretained some manufacturing here, but Ritchie saysits something they want to do more of. For thewholesale launch, we have increased the pieces thatare made here, he says. The classic core coats aremade here, for sure. And they are not just in plaincolours; there are tweeds and district checks (whichgoes back to a time when the English moved intoScotland and started buying the land they werentallowed to adopt or create a new tartan for their area,so they created their own checks instead) as well as aselection of different coloured velvet collars, with themore luxurious accounts being encouraged to haveexclusive colours in order to offer a point of difference.

Also in the collection is a sharp short double-breasted number thats got more than a hintof Michael Caine in The Italian Job about it. The fitshave been tweaked; they are more fitted across theshoulder and in the body a modern fit of an oldclassic, if you like. Crombie has also recreated itsGreat Coat. Indeed, this is the brand that made the

first a military coat that weve seen replicated andcopied for the big designer names and the catwalksof Milan many times over the years. It has been sowell received that there has been a waiting list,though Paul Weller didnt have to wait long for his.

A classic Crombie coat retails at 795, but itsan investment piece that will last a lifetime. Forwholesale, a 2.8 mark-up is being offered. Thebrand is mainly using the best British fabrics, thoughRitchie has introduced some beautiful Italian fabricsthat have a quality and fine handle about them. We always aim to use the best quality fabrics andthe highest quality manufacturing, he says.

There is no big shouting from Crombie,though. Make no mistake, this is an understatedrelaunch, a quiet reintroduction to the rightpeople. There is no gung-ho attitude to suddenlywant to supply every retailer under the sun. Its thebest, and the best only that Crombie wants to besold by and associated with. And thats the way itshould be for a truly great brand, and a product youwant to walk out of the shop in.

The great Crombiecomeback

Cary Grant King George VI

Oliver SpencerBeing a major force in putting menswear back intofocus by taking part in the Mens Day at Fashion

Week on the past two occasions, itwould be a dishonour to not includeSpencer in the roll-call of the best the Brits have got to offer right now.After all, Spencer is the king of thecasualised suit, the don of streettailoring, if you like. Its all so verywearable, as weve noted before, ashave many a good buyer. But thats not to say it doesnt touch on theflamboyant in places and, for s/s 13,Spencer has injected more colour thanever before. Bang on-trend, of course.Red suede double-buckle shoes are notfor your average Joe, but some of thebomber jackets, outerwear pieces andsuits with workwear details playedaround with are for anyone who likesgood honest kit with a sprinkle ofpanache and a touch of true grit.

mwb July12 London Collections: Men 36

ReviewLondon calling formenswear with a meaningGiving menswear its own London Fashion Week London Collections: Men being theofficial title was a bold move, especially given the organisation required at shortnotice, with designers needing to prepare their collections so much earlier, even pre-Pitti. But, it seems, the results were an overriding success, and expectationswere exceeded. Tom Bottomley went along to some handpicked shows and recountsthe highlights.

HackettYouve got to appreciate JeremyHacketts background in vintageclothing and own sense of style andtheatre to know hes the man to cut a dash through the decades and re-invent the classiest of looks. When it comes to dapper, he does it withdistinction. For s/s 13, hes revisitedthe Great Gatsby the iconic F ScottFitzgerald novel for inspiration, witha remake of the film, starringLeonardo DiCaprio and TobeyMaguire due out later this year. Cleverthinking from Hackett, as there isnothing like a good box office smashto inspire trends. Focusing onlightweight fabrics, Hacketts signaturetailoring epitomises 20s Hollywoodstyle, with three-piece suiting cut fromwools, linens, silks and cottons. Lapelsare wider to complement the double-pleated wide-leg trousers.Other Hackett looks included Riviera chic, which it is so good at re-creating,both in styling and colour. Models dressed as typical English gents drew theshow to a dramatic close. Donning bowler hats and brollies, so long regarded asold hat, they sprang out to the tune of Ian Durys Sweet Gene Vincent. Nowthats genius, and so very British classic with an edge.

Spencer HartThe show with the most pizzazz atthe old Selfridges hotel withchampagne and a high celeb count togo with it, and not just in the audience,but partaking in the show, too. Dermot OLeary was beinginterviewed in the front row before theshow started, with male supermodelDavid Gandy in a sharp suit proppinghim up and making all the ladiesswoon. Kicking off with a troupe ofjazz dancers, designer Hart was clearlypulling out all the stops. Sharptailoring was the order of the day, withtraditional Savile Row know-how mixedwith cultural references and styleinspiration from the likes of the Rat Pack, Miles Davis, David Bowie andthe 60s Black Panthers, as well as the British jazz-funk scene of the late70s and early 80s. It was all aboutshape and texture, with eveningwearunstuffy and caddish. A mood epitomised by actorBenedict Cumberbatch (aka Sherlock Holmes)rounding up proceedings, coming out in a black robe with a babe on his arm, smoking a cigar with a devilish look in his eyes. Good fun, andgood kit, too.

mwb July12 London Collections: Men 37

RakeStill early doors but quite the flavour of the month isRake, created and owned by Clive Darby, previouslyof Richard James and Kilgour fame. It was a greatvenue for a show, too, at the new Little House onQueen Street in Mayfair, a cocktail bar and loungerecently acquired by the Soho House group, hencethe quirky name (its not quite as vast as its usualbuilding acquisitions). Split into two lines Mainlineand Lounge Rake again proved that tailoring canbe ultra wearable and worn in a more casual way,and his pieces are also designed to be able to mixup with each other and work to a point, anyhow.The suede shirts looked great, though you wouldntwant to spill your posh cocktail down one, andchecked jackets and tailored shorts stood out.Tailored jackets worn with baggy trousers could be akey trend, and there is a very cool shiny ice bluereefer. The lounge collection is sophisticated yetlaid-back. In fact, its quite rock n roll for eveningwear, and is styled in such a way as torecount the morning after with bow-tie looselyhanging round the neck, hair ruffled and six oclockshadow prominent. Fabrics are second-to-none, andBritish Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillmanwas overheard telling Mr Darby on departure, Thatwas real quality. He was right on the pearl button.

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mwb July12 Spring/summer 2013 41

Preview

Spring/summer2013Your essential guideto the new season

mwb July12 Brand news 42

Update

Brand newsWith the buying season now well under way, MWB takes a lookat the key developments, innovations and trends to emergefrom the menswear industry for spring/summer 2013.

Atelier GardeurDue to the success of its Traveller range, introducedfor a/w 12, trouser specialist Atelier Gardeur isdeveloping the line further for the new season,incorporating Coolmax outer fabric for comfort andmoisture management. The cotton fabric is easy-careand boasts concealed safe pockets, proving extraprotection for valuables. The topic of sustainabilityremains a key focus for the brand and, after its initiallaunch in 2007, Fairtrade denim has now become its bestselling trouser option. This has furtherdeveloped into the Hybriddenim by Gardeur linefor s/s 13, offering trousers produced using partiallyrecycled raw materials with a resource-saving finish.

Eterna >>Blurring the boundaries between business andpremium segments, shirt specialist Eterna presents anew luxe two-ply fabric used in its three key shirtcategories City Dandy, a tried-and-tested entry-levelrange of classic designs; Riva del Garda, epitomisingretro Italian romance; and Club of Oxford, whichtakes on a more maritime look. New features in thesmart-casual segment include a summer peachfabric, characterised with a soft-to-the-touch feel. Interms of accessories, meanwhile, bow ties and tiesmade from Eterna shirt fabrics make their debut thisseason, complementing the current range of silkties, which will decrease in width from 8cm to 7.5cm.

Brook TavernerWith a move towards a more relaxed look, thes/s 13 collection from Brook Taverner puts thefocus on comfort and function. Lightweightwashed cotton and military stripes, for example,are teamed with linen and cotton casual shirtsand cool, breathable trousers. Summer suitsfeature in pure linen, while occasion suits areavailable in Italian mohair and wool fabrics.Created for all eventualities, the Brook Tavernerjacket collection features reversible blousons,lightweight quilted jackets, Harrington jackets inseasonal colours, gilets and quilted body warmers.

43

OlympGerman shirt specialist Olymp welcomes a newaddition to its Level Five range for s/s 13 the poloshirt in cotton/elastane in a modern basic or colourblocking style. Also new to the Olymp Level Five lineis the brands city/business collection, a range ofblue shades complete with new collar shapes, whilewhite shirts with trims in multi-coloured stripes andcontrasting buttons add essential fashion elementsto the range. In terms of colour, neon is asurprisingly successful addition, with pink, orangeand yellow-green providing accents on piping andtrims. The labels casual offer, meanwhile, featureslinen throughout for comfort and style, sitting nextto the new colour-intensive Hawaiian print and theintroduction of a new crepe cotton fabric, which iscross-dyed and washed for a lighter feel.

>Since creating a dual-brand offer in 2003 with thelaunch of Carl Gross and younger line CG-Club ofGents (pictured), parent company Creation Grosshas been focusing on making the brands as separateand defined as single entities, this season more than ever. With a clear brand orientation, brandpositioning and values have been redefined for bothcollections, highlighted in new styling, design andmarketing. Carl Gross offers classics with a twist discreet and up-to-date but still remaining fashion-conscious, while G-Club of Gents places a strong focus on the younger man, full of colourand contrast.

SkopesFor s/s 13, Skopes offers an extended collectionof forward-order suits, sports jackets, trousers andouterwear, as well as its wide range of stockservice continuity lines. Following the success of the brands Castile and Toledo linen mix-and-match jackets and trouser styles, Skopeshas introduced a variety of new colour options aswell as natural herringbone and navy/coral chalkstripe designs, both with built-in pocket squaresand contrast buttons. The Albany range,meanwhile, features stretch-waist, peached cotton chinos and shorts in French navy, stone,khaki, denim blue and coral, designed to beteamed with the collections lightweight summercheck sports jackets or the cotton/nylon four-pocket gilet.

>

mwb July12 Brand news 44

Update

PeregrineThe new season sees 200-year-old heritage brandPeregrine launch its first capsule collection of woven cotton and Merino wool garments for themenswear market. The British label will offer arange of classics inspired by the 70s Englishgentleman with a series of slim-fit silhouettes in abright colour palette. Woven cotton, lightweightwaxed cagoule and Breton-stripe jumpers come inmuted tones, highlighted by flashes of orange andyellow. Continuing with its production in the UK,the brand is keen to keep its heritage as a centraltheme running throughout, mixing traditionalBritish styling with innovative design.

MageeIn addition to Magees signature classic suit, jacketand trouser collection, the new season sees thelaunch of the brands first foray into the casualwearmarket. The range of unstructured jackets andlightweight coats has been designed to offer morevariations and combinations of looks than everbefore. Quilted body warmers, washed casual shirtsand trend-fit chinos and shorts complete thecollection, while added gravitas comes in the formof mother-of-pearl buttons, pure oxford cottonlining, printed floral lining and an exclusivesummer stripe sleeve lining in viscose.

BarrutiFollowing the success of its newly revised a/w 12collection, Barruti continues in the same vein withits s/s 13 range. Featuring two new product lines,the brand combines formal design with sportselements. Modern Classic presents a more naturaland rounded suit model, with the familiar two-buttonside slit model welcoming new billet pockets andtrouser turn-ups with side AMF seams. Smart Casual,meanwhile, focuses on the slim silhouette with 38cm bottom-hem chinos and slim-fit jackets. Top stitching with heavier threads gives the chino amore sports-inspired look, while detail comes in theform of contrasting buttons and buttonholes.

Digel >>Digel

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