Make it British

Watching our carbon footprint has been a big topic in fashion for the past few years.  It seems that companies are looking more and more to produce products in Britain, with logo such as ‘Make it British’ being launched (at LFW in September) to identify what has been made in the UK.

Labels such as ‘Closet Clothing’, ‘She Likes’ and ‘The Orphans Arms’ are a few examples of brands which supply products made in Britain.  These labels may not be as cheap as fast fashion brands, but prices are not completely awful- for example, a tee shirt from The Orphans Arms comes to roughly £30, which I consider a reasonable price for a quality product with British provenance.  

Made in Britain is definitely a market which is becoming more and more appealing.  Highstreet brands have tapped into movement with Topshop bringing out a Premium Boutique line, Marks and Spencers introducing a ‘Best of British’ line for Autumn 2013 and River Island increasing British production by 50%- okay so this may not seem like much, but we are definitely heading in the right direction in terms of keeping green!   

Increasing British manufacturing may cost a little more but has to be easier on the mind than recent horror stories about child labour and unsafe working environments in distant lands where companies have no relationship with (or adequate responsibility for) their underpaid workforce. 

Rumor has it

Rumor has it that Andy Murray and his girlfriend Kim Sears could be the new face of Burberry!  Is it coincidence that he has been seen wearing the label twice in one week- shock, horror!?  First sighting was at the Wimbledon champions ball and then again when meeting David Cameron at number 10 Downing Street.  Okay, so this could just be people talking, but it would not be a complete surprise if the brand were to take on this couple as their new faces; in previous campaigns couples such as Sienna Miller and fiancé Tom Sturridge have been used, as have Cara Delevigne and Eddie Redmayne- Burberry loves an attractive couple!

It seems Burberry have cottoned that men and women are attracted to labels where they can relate to a ‘real’ and attractive couple, particularly if they have a high public profile.  Do famous celebrities draw us in more easily?  Certainly sports personalities sell well – think David Beckham running around in those tiny boxers!  Case closed. 

Up and Down on the Highstreet

It seems the success of fashion on the highstreet is very up and down at the moment!  One minute we’re hearing good news about Britain looking up and being the centre for new luxury brands, then we hear all the bad news about designers going down the pan.  The latest bit of bad news is that design company Nicole Fahri has gone into administration with more than 100 jobs at risk;  part of the latest wave of retail downfalls along with brands Dwell and Modelzone.

Many people assume designers are still involved in their own outlets, this is not the case with most – and Nicole Fahri is a case in point.  She has not been involved for some time now.  The label has six stores, 10 concessions in department stores and sells to stores such as John Lewis.  Although French Connection originally founded the brand in 1982, in 2010 it was sold for £5m and since then had two separate equity holders.  However, good news is that Nicole Fahri is rumoured to want to buy the label back herself!  Similarly, the Dwell chain has recently been bought out of administration by its original founder Aamir Ahmad, from which 23 stores are expected to reopen and 150 jobs saved!

So perhaps this is the answer!  Designers stepping up and taking back their original brands- I like it.  As a customer, knowing the designer drives the brand can only be positive.  Good luck Nicole and can we start with a good sale to get some of your investments back?          

The Last Frame

Bert Stern, self-taught American commercial photographer, died on 26^th June 2013.   A contemporary of Avedon and Penn, his most famous piece of work was The Last Sitting; a huge collection of photographs of Marilyn Monroe he took for American Vogue just six weeks before her death and which he first published in 1982 and again in 2000.

Marilyn actually died in between the photography session and the publication of her photographs in Vogue, which may be why they selected pictures of her wearing a black dress.  What is interesting about The Last Sitting is that when he published the book he left in the images Monroe had discarded because she didn't like them.

So what is different about these specific images to make Marilyn physically scratch through them so that they would not be used?  Just as there are conspiracy theories around the circumstances of her death we can’t help but wonder if she damaged these images simply because they weren’t her favorites or if she felt they did not portray her as the perfect Hollywood pinup?  Would they have had a negative impact with her fans?  What do you think?  Can you see the difference in these comparable images?  Personally, I think that one of the strengths of The Last Sitting is that it gives us an insight into Marilyn’s perspective of herself.  Many of us do not like our own photographs, is this because we see ourselves so differently from the images in front of us? I think she had the right to do that as we all feel the pressure to project the most positive images of ourselves that we can.  But all said and done there doesn't seem much difference between the images she liked and disliked.  

Welcome to our new shopping meccas

Apparantly Regent Street and Conduit Street are set to become shopping meccas of our capital, if not the world, with new arrivals set to arrive later this year. 

& Other Stories has already landed, but now Regent Street is looking forward to the American brand J Crew opening their flagship store- the first outside of North America!  This label is renowned for its style, quality and design, with fans such as Michelle Obama shopping regularly.  Lovers of accessories can look forward to the arrival of the French brand Longchamp, which is set to open on Regent Street soon, along with United Nude and Kiko Cosmetics; an exciting year of shopping to look forward to!

Over on Conduit street, the luxury brand Dior is set to return after opening their first London store 60 years ago!  Dior has agreed a new 10 year lease for a 3300 sq ft store for which it will pay £308,500 pa- the highest rent to date on this street!  Head of central London retail, Anthony Selwly, said “This new store will be in addition to the Dior shop on Bond Street.  Its arrival will galvanise Conduit Street and we expect to see several major brands take space in the location during the next 12 months.”

Onwards and upwards London!