When you are looking for fashion of the beaten track, alternative trade shows Londonedge and Londoncentral could be the answer. This September the fashion fairs feature neo-grunge designs characterised by heavy layering, natural colours and a fusion of tweed, knits and flannel. The upcoming style incorporates key garments including lumberjack shirts, kilts, bleached jeans, colourful…
Sports Direct performance improves
Sports fashion retailer Sports Direct has revealed that its sales performance has improved at the expense of margins. In its Interim Management Statement on 18 February 2009, the Company, whilst commenting on the challenges in the retail market and across the economy as a whole, announced that the Board remained comfortable with the full year…
Y-3 launches accessories with Adidas and Samsonite
German sportswear giant Adidas and travel goods company Samsonite have joined forces in which the maker of travel bags will manufacture and distribute Y-3 accessories. Y-3 is a collaboration between Adidas and Japanese ready-to wear designer Yohji Yamamoto. The apparel is a combination of fashion and sportswear, and the new accessories lines will reflect the…
Cutler & Gross: fashion shades of Hollywood
It is said that the Roman emperor Nero liked to watch gladiator fights through emeralds, and in 12th century China flat panes of smoky quartz were used to protect the eyes from glare. Fast forward to last century when the use of sunglasses became more fashionable, especially among the pioneering stars of silent movies. Rumour…
Topshop.com expands to meet international demand
Topshop.com has expanded its international shipping to include twelve new destinations: Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Hungary, Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey. The move follows huge demand in those countries, shown by high traffic on the website as well as customer comments on Topshop’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Topshop.com…
Technology shrinks handbags
Has the ‘it’ bag shrunk or are women fashionably downsizing? According to a new report, the average weight of the contents of a lady’s handbag has decreased by more than half. The majority of women’s staple handbags now weigh around 3.3lb, which is 57 per cent less than the average of two years ago. A…
Moschino motor helmets
The Moschino Fashion Helmet will see its world premiere next month at the 65th Motorcycle Show in Milan. The motor helmet collection is the result of a 5-year licence agreement between Moschino and the helmet manufacturer Max Safety Fashion. The unisex collection features three styles and combines the reliability of Max Safety Fashion products with…
Cautious March for consumer spending
Another month has passed and retail sales are cautious in the current economic climate. Retail activity remained subdued in March with high street stores reporting flat year-on-year sales according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey. About a third (36%) of retailers said their sales volumes in the first half of the month were higher…
Theatre de la Mode
‘Willows’ is the debut collection of emerging London label Theatre de la Mode. Designers Chris Kelly and Sara Flamm blend the realms of fashion and art, which is conceptualised by using miniature mannequins. The showcase gives a taste of what’s to come, and is on display at the Brompton Design Project until 15 March. The…
Tommy Hilfiger TV
After launching their interactive website dreamingaboutyou.com for fragrance lovers last February, the American fashion group Tommy Hilfiger introduces the music website Tommy TV. The global launch was held at London’s BAFTA offices and hosted in association with Sony BMG Europe. Working with Papervision 3D technology, the website promises to present the utmost sound and viewing…