Listed here are a few of this week’s information and options highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.trend staff.
M&S shakes up management, appointing ex-Boohoo CEO to drive clothes enterprise
In its final set of numbers, protecting the essential 13 weeks to twenty-eight December 2024, Marks & Spencer achieved a 1.9% like-for-like gross sales development throughout its clothes, house and wonder departments. That may be a nice efficiency in a troublesome market and underpinning that was a very robust efficiency from its trend enterprise, which is steadily regaining market share.
The person credited with the style renaissance at M&S – Richard Worth, who has served as Managing Director of Clothes, Dwelling & Magnificence since 2020 – is now leaving. It appears Worth is off to pursue a portfolio profession and I can see no scarcity of retail companies (and people outdoors of the sector) eager to faucet into his experience and get him onto their boards.
He’s passing the reins to John Lyttle, previously of Boohoo and Primark, in what has been described as a deliberate handover. Lyttle is credited with serving to Primark obtain beautiful success when he was COO. Whereas Boohoo initially prospered beneath his management as CEO, he spent a lot of his time within the latter a part of his tenure making an attempt to fend off the advances of Frasers chief Mike Ashley, who has been decided to put in himself on the helm of the net trend group.
An govt of Lyttle’s calibre in all probability wasn’t going to be available on the market for lengthy so it is no shock that M&S went for him, nevertheless it’s maybe one thing of a shock that Worth is being allowed to go and pursue his portfolio profession proper now. That being mentioned, the facility behind the style throne at M&S is Maddy Evans, previously of Topshop, who has been credited, fairly rightly, with injecting fashionability again into its supply. She has been promoted to Director of M&S Girl, so there’s continuity there. And Worth has left a gradual ship for Lyttle. Let’s hope he retains that ship on target.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
Will the inflow of Inventive Director strikes revitalise the posh sector?
Are you able to imagine the quantity of comings and goings at Europe’s most prestigious homes? Even I ended up dizzied – who might presumably sustain? Even yesterday, Gucci threw its hat within the ring, asserting Sabato De Sarno was stepping down out of the blue.
Within the early days of 2025, the style trade made some main bulletins, such because the duo behind Proenza Schouler exiting the helm of the model they based. This was the primary domino to fall in a string of main strikes.
From then on, rumours started to emerge that the Schouler boys have been headed to Loewe, leaving Jonathan Anderson free to take the reins at Dior – a solution to many trend insiders’ prayers. However that wasn’t all. These within the know have spilt the beans on Daniel Lee’s departure from Burberry and potential transfer again into the world of minimalism within the prime job at German model Jil Sander.
I used to be left questioning why there’s such upheaval. Will this be the treatment to giving the posh trade a much-needed increase? This function examines who’s transferring the place and what trade insiders must say about it.
Chloé Burney, Senior Information & Options Author.
Present report: Manufacturers assured at busy Moda x Pure whereas consumers tread with extra warning
It was very encouraging gauging the suggestions from among the exhibitors on the newly merged Moda x Pure present subsequent to Spring Honest at Birmingham’s NEC once I paid a go to on Monday.
Sure, there was speak of consumers treading with extra warning and putting “extra thought-about orders”, particularly now many collect information on bestselling manufacturers, shapes and sizes, however the total feeling was very constructive and the place was buzzing with trade folks.
Tiago Da Silva, Head of Ecommerce at Yumi, mentioned that the present had nice footfall and he’d seen numerous repeat clients, with consumers searching for new traits and new supplies – a shift to higher high quality clothes. He additionally mentioned he thought purchaser confidence is rising, particularly after going by way of Covid, the knock-on results of the Ukraine battle and the persevering with cost-of-living disaster.
In the meantime, Jay Chawla, Gross sales Director at Nova of London, mentioned that Monday had been a busy day for them, however Sunday had been “extraordinarily busy” with folks queuing to position orders. You’ll be able to’t ask for far more from a commerce present than that.
Moreover, first time exhibitor, Victoria Taylor, Head of European Gross sales at Trixxi Los Angeles – a preferred model in its house market making its first steps outdoors of the US – spoke of putting “a number of orders” with loads of extra retailer curiosity to comply with up on. That’s precisely what commerce exhibits are all about and lengthy might those that stay within the UK ship good outcomes all spherical.
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
What to anticipate from trend month: New York, London, Milan and Paris
Vogue fanatics, together with the staff right here at TheIndustry.trend, are gearing up for an inflow of designer debuts and returning massive names to hit the style week runways this February and March.
With New York Vogue Week now underway, designers can be displaying their autumn/winter 2025 collections with trade heavy weights and celebrities little question gracing the entrance rows.
Recognized for its daring creativity and cutting-edge designs, London Vogue Week then returns from 20-24 February and can function the standard suspects, together with Paul Costelloe, Emilia Wickstead, Erdem, Richard Quinn and Roksanda, in addition to Burberry, which additionally stays one of many highlights of the LFW calendar.
You should definitely hold a watch out for our upcoming interviews, present highlights and social media content material throughout London Vogue Week, however within the meantime, this is a abstract of what to anticipate from New York, London, Milan and Paris this trend month.
Sophie Smith, Information Editor & Senior Author.
Secret Shopper: Abercrombie & Fitch, however not as you already know it
Earlier this week, I took a bit journey to Abercrombie & Fitch’s new Covent Backyard retailer. The final time I shopped at certainly one of their shops was once I made my dad and mom queue outdoors with me after which dragged them round at midnight till my dad put his foot down. This was final 12 months. Solely kidding.
Anybody who remembers the unique format of an Abercrombie & Fitch retailer from the times will surely have a number of preconceptions about what their newest bricks-and-mortar presence would possibly entail.
First, an nearly full lack of lighting which permits you the singular expertise of buying an merchandise of clothes with out really figuring out what it seems to be like. Second, a syrupy aftershave aroma that smells precisely such as you’re in an Abercrombie retailer but additionally smells like all different aftershaves. And at last, a military of rippling, partially-nude gross sales assistants, a few of whom might or might not have been employed for the only real goal of dancing on the spot to the lyricless beat blaring overhead. Lastly, numerous picket decor and doubtless an infinite taxidermy moose head.
The brand new retailer match is fortunately very completely different. Learn how in the function.
Katie Ross, Content material & Occasions Govt.
