Rich List continued

Adding to my previous post you may have noticed that three sportswear companies made it into the top ten of the fashion millionaires rich list 2013.  Surprising, eh?  I hadn’t considered where sportswear brands would fall in terms of income generation.  I know there seems to be ever increasing tide of runners  and cyclists all over the country appreciate that the Olympics was incredibly inspiring and know that going to the gym still figures highly in many people’s worlds but has this sector of the market always been so busy?  Do these figures represent an amazing growth in fitness pursuits, or are we all wearing more sportswear as fashion items?  Certainly trainers can be pricey and have long been essential fashion items for many fans, but please, please don’t tell me that we’re heading back towards everyone and their parents slopping around day and night in jogging bottoms again.

//Photography by Street Peeper and Jak&Jil

The Fashion Millionaires RIch List 2013

The Sunday Times Rich List 2013 shows us just how much money revolves around clothing outlets and the individuals or families that own them.  I was frankly amazed to see the ratings for the fashion millionaires:

1. George Weston and family - Selfridges, Primark, £6.65bn.

2. Sir Philip and Lady Green- Arcadia Company  £3.88bn.

3. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay - Littlewoods, £2.35bn.

4. Mike Ashley - Sports Direct, Sportsworld, £2.3bn

5. Bernard Lewis and family - River Island, £1.25bn

6. Stephen Rubin and family - JD Sports Fashion, Speedo, Berghaus, £1.12bn

7. John Hargreaves and family - Matalan, £1bn

8= Richard Caring - International Clothing Design, £700m

8= Christina Ong and family - Mulberry, £700m

10 David Bromilow - Adidas, £650m

Primark, Littlewoods, Matalan?  Who would have guessed – certainly not me.  Does this mean that the consumer continues to purchase cheap disposable fashion, choosing quantity over quality, or do most of us have so much less in our purses that there seems to be no option?  I have never understood how Primark has managed to produce clothes at such low costs and in such quantity.  Stock definitely turns around quickly and I wonder what happens to all those garments that aren’t purchased?  And how will the terrible recent factory collapse in India impact on the company?  Will they be investing more positively in the communities which supply their clothing and, if this means an increase in price point, will the customer continue to support them?  I was equally astonished to see Selfridges alongside Primark – this seems an incredible contrast in markets and quality of goods.