Polo buys footwear unit
Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. is purchasing its Ralph Lauren Footwear Co. Inc. unit from Reebok International Ltd. for $110 million (GBP 60 million). The footwear company, which has been a Polo Ralph Lauren licensee since 1996, is being bought in an all-cash deal. It is expected to close at the end of June at the…
Wade Smith In Administration
Liverpool retailer Wade Smith, one of the UK ‘s most influential independent stores, has gone into administration following a decision by its bank to fund the business. Owner Robert Wade-Smith told Drapers Record last week “He was determined to buy back the business, that he wasn’t beaten yet, and is in talks with stakeholders to…
Republic in possible sale
British clothing retailer Republic is in talks with Change Capital Partners about a possible sale. Change Capital is the buyout firm founded by former chairman and chief executive of Marks & Spencer, Luc Vandevelde. Republic could sell for as much as £100 million. The West Yorkshire-based company, which is backed by private equity firm 3i,…
Jessica Ogden
Girly, naïve and playful are three words to describe Jessica Ogden’s spring/summer 2006 collection. Presented off the beaten fashion track at the Sunbeam Studios in north west London, the out of the way location did little to deter the fashion set from careering across town for the show. Ogden demonstrated a predisposition towards cotton gingham…
Paul Smith opts for the masculine
Paul Smith yesterday showed his autumn/winter 2006 Blue women’s collection, inspired by masculine tailoring. Called the Men Only collection, models wore masculine trouser suits in sludgy shades of brown and schoolboy grey, crisp, white shirts worn with skinny-rib knitted vests and snake belts, traditional crombies and, of course, that mainstay of the androgynous wardrobe –…
Japanese passion for brands spurs acquisitions
Japan’s widely-reported passion for luxury brands has developed into a series of mergers with and acquisitions of foreign brands. In May 2005 apparel maker Onward Kashiyama Co. acquired British fashion group Joseph for 17 billion yen (£838.000). Only one month later, the company acquired the management rights of Italian shoemaker Iris, which sells luxury brands…
Art is the new fashion
The art world is fusing onto what was once the domain of fashion: trendsetting, pushing fashion’s contemporary boundaries and hosting some of the most hedonistic parties around. The art-in crowd are picking up and ditching new trends at the speed of fashion. This hasn’t gone by unnoticed by the fashion world, and established houses and…
Levi’s not immune to challenging climate
The world’s most famous jeansmaker Levi Strauss & Co last week reported a drop of 18 percent in quarterly net income, which it attributed to higher taxes.In a conference call with analysts, chief executive Phil Marineau said that gas prices had also contributed to the pressure on lower priced lines. “It is a tremendous competitive…
Asda to take on 7,000 new staff
Supermarket and retail group Asda is to take on 7,000 staff across the UK this year, owner Wal-Mart has stated. According to the BBC, Asda needs the staff to work at the 25 new stores it plans to open, as well as to boost staffing levels at five sites it is pumping extra investment into.…
Fashion not embracing women’s figures
According to the Independent, the fashion industry is ignoring the changing shapes of women’s bodies, a study has claimed. Designers and manufacturers still insist on making clothes that fit the traditional hourglass figure, when women’s shapes are more likely to be top-heavy, rectangular or pear-shaped. The research found that although only 8 per cent of…