This 12 months noticed us delve into the minds of a few of vogue’s most attention-grabbing characters who’re shaping the way forward for the trade. As we’re about to step into 2025, right here’s TheIndustry.vogue’s choice of prime 10 interviews – with lots extra being lined up for the New 12 months.
The Interview: Peter Alexander on bringing his pyjamas and distinctive method to retail to the UK
TheIndustry.vogue’s co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Lauretta Roberts, headed to Westfield Lonson for the grand opening of Peter Alexander’s new retailer, the primary of three to open within the UK in November, with the others at Westfield Stratford and Bluewater in Kent. She met the person behind the model and bought an actual perception into how the favored Australian pyjama firm – with the Penny the Dachshund emblem (a tribute to Alexander’s former beloved pet) – ticks. When there’s a lot doom and gloom on the excessive avenue, Alexander’s infectious optimism and distinctive method to retail makeS for a enjoyable learn. He discusses how he bought the place he’s at present, from humble beginnings within the Nineteen Eighties as a mail order enterprise to working 135 shops throughout Australia and New Zealand and now taking a look at kicking on with retail growth right here.
Learn the total interview right here.
The Eric Musgrave Interview: How Caroline Attwood is rising the quiet consistency of Margaret Howell
It’s superb to suppose that the now 78-year-old Margaret Howell began her eponymous model again in 1970, initially assisted by her then-husband Paul Renshaw, making high-quality males’s shirts, which turned out to be fashionable with ladies too. In fact, it grew into a lot extra, however its “restrained, sensible and exquisite” garments stay on the core. Our contributing author, Eric Musgrave, caught up with former CEO of Ally Capellino, Business Director at Anya Hindmarch and Head of Gross sales at Mulberry, Caroline Attwood, who’s been steering the ship as Margaret Howell’s Managing Director since February, following former MD Richard Craig’s retirement. Attwood talks in regards to the prospects for development for such a specialised and revered model as Margaret Howell, and begs the query why it has taken others within the vogue trade so lengthy to get up to Howell’s sustainable “gradual luxurious” method.
Learn the total interview right here.
The Eric Musgrave Interview: Why Strathberry founders have baggage of confidence
In one other of Eric Musgrave’s intriguing ‘on the highway’ interviews, we heard from Strathberry founders Leeanne and Man Hundleby, with its fashionable purses seeing gross sales leap by 40% up to now 12 months to achieve a formidable £40 million. Eric headed to the posh Scottish model’s Edinburgh HQ for an in-depth account of how the husband-and-wife staff have managed to sidestep the woes affecting a lot of the posh and premium equipment sector. They reveal their deep ardour for the enterprise, why they make all their baggage in Spain, and why they intend to as soon as once more stress their Scottish roots extra clearly.
Learn the total interview right here.
The Eric Musgrave Interview: Paul Platt of Midlands menswear mini-chain Pockets
With so many once-mighty UK menswear independents falling to the sword – or into the fingers of Frasers Group – lately, it’s nice to see that Midlands mini-chain Pockets remains to be thriving and holding off the unfold of Flannels, with its personal premium model supply persevering with to ring a bell with its loyal buyer base. Eric Musgrave headed to the principle retailer within the centre of Shrewsbury to speak to Pockets founder Paul Platt, who runs the enterprise with fellow director Mark Taylor. The dynamic shopping for duo is commonly seen trawling the halls at Pitti Uomo in Florence for the most recent must-have premium menswear finds. Eric hears all about Platt’s background – together with how he bought began within the enterprise, why he hasn’t offered out to Frasers like so many have, why he’s now including womenswear to Pockets, and why he’s actively seeking to open extra outlets so as to add to the present 4 (the others being in Nantwich, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Hanley).
Learn the total interview right here.
The Interview: Matt Shotton, Head of 247 by Signify on rising the health meets excessive vogue model
Matt Shotton solely joined luxurious streetwear model Signify to go up its fast-growing, performance-focused 247 sub-brand in July, however with a previous that features senior roles at each Adidas and Nike, the model knew it was getting somebody of the proper pedigree. job too, because the grasp plan is for 247 to account for 20% of Signify’s general gross sales within the subsequent two years. Shotton definitely talks the discuss of a person on a mission to our Contributing Editor, Tom Bottomley. We hear all about how his previous roles are serving to to form his technique for 247, plans for worldwide development, retail growth, deciding on the proper model ambassadors, and the model’s “unrelenting concentrate on group”.
Learn the total interview right here.
The Interview: Patrick Grant of Norton & Sons and Neighborhood Clothes on Savile Row, sustainability and Stitching Bee
It’s honest to say that Patrick Grant is superb at juggling jobs. Most individuals will most likely know him as the favored co-host and choose on the BBC’s ‘The Nice British Stitching Bee’ – a job he’s exceeded in because the first collection in 2013. Tom Bottomley caught up with him earlier this 12 months to speak about that amongst a bunch of different issues, together with two very completely different books he has introduced out this 12 months, ‘The Savile Row Swimsuit’, which invitations readers into the interior sanctum of Savile Row (he’s nonetheless a Director of tailoring enterprise Norton & Sons), and ‘Much less: Cease Shopping for So A lot Garbage: How Having Fewer, Higher Issues Can Make Us Happier’, which is de facto the premise behind his Neighborhood Clothes model. Fascinating stuff from a really busy man.
Learn the total interview right here.
The Interview: Gymshark founder Ben Francis on driving development because it opens second UK retailer
Gymshark founder and CEO Ben Francis may be very a lot the person of the second as his model continues to flex its muscle tissues with a retail rollout gathering tempo. In July, Tom Bottomley chatted to Francis forward of the opening of its retailer at Westfield Stratford Metropolis. That was retailer quantity two, including to the flagship it opened on London’s Regent Road in 2022. Because the summer time we’ve learnt of extra openings deliberate for 2025, together with a retailer at Westfield White Metropolis, one other on the Trafford Centre in Manchester, one in The Kalverstraat in Amsterdam and a flagship in New York. Francis reveals how he bought began when he was 18 by screen-printing T-shirts in 2012, how he has constructed the enterprise, what Gymshark’s finest sellers are, deliberate worldwide development – significantly within the US – and the way the ‘We Do Health club’ marketing campaign was so essential to reaffirm the model’s DNA and its core market.
Learn the total interview right here.
The Interview: Christopher Donnelly, co-founder of Gio Goi, tells us all about his new model, Guidelines of Religion
Fairly a personality is co-founder of cult Manchester streetwear label Gio Goi, Christopher Donnelly. Tom Bottomley caught up with him in October to the touch on his previous, however extra importantly to debate his new luxurious streetwear model, Guidelines of Religion, and its launch in Selfridges that was two years within the making. The model is “|a groundbreaking fusion of artwork, tech and vogue with clothes that characteristic first-to-market built-in expertise” – permitting prospects to grow to be a part of the model’s unique group, or ‘Congregation’ as it’s being known as. Hoodies with luxurious velvet-lined hoods have chips in them that may be up to date with new data and invitations, which makes them considerably distinctive to every particular person buyer. It’s intriguing certainly and, with Donnelly’s intensive contacts within the worlds of vogue, music and sport, you possibly can guess it’s bought legs.
Learn the total interview right here.
The Interview: Dune’s Daniel Rubin on changing into a excessive avenue legend whereas the trade shrinks
Daniel Rubin has been on the helm of British footwear own-brand chain Dune London since he launched it with a concession of “dressy footwear” in Debenhams in 1992. He tells his and the model’s story from these early days, together with opening the primary Dune retailer at 37A King’s Street in London in 1993, to TheIndustry.vogue’s Senior Information & Options Author, Chloe Burney, who paid him a go to on the model’s HQ. It’s very a lot a narrative of survival, particularly provided that the COVD-inflicted lockdowns noticed the corporate enter a CVA in 2020. Nevertheless, it did return to revenue in 2022, and Rubin has overseen the current opening of a brand new idea retailer at Lakeside buying centre, which is now being rolled out to “fewer and higher shops in key places”, together with the brand new flagship retailer at Westfield London. He additionally talks about how the footwear sector has grow to be very fragmented, with quite a lot of specialists leaving the trade as a result of it’s smaller, maybe including to his personal surviving ‘excessive avenue legend’ standing. It is a riveting learn.
Learn the total interview right here.
The Interview: Luxe Collective’s Ben Gallagher on tapping into the posh resale market
That is one for the younger up-and-coming entrepreneurs on the market as TheIndustry.vogue’s Chloe Burney sits down with Ben Gallagher, co-founder of Luxe Collective, which has grow to be one of many go-to locations for luxurious ‘re-commerce’, together with classic gems, purses and cult basic designer sneakers. Ben based the enterprise six years in the past when he was simply 17, alongside along with his then 21-year-old brother, Joe, with a pot of simply £1,200. They constructed it to be a enterprise price over £5 million in that point, little doubt considerably helped by catching the attention of businessman Steven Bartlett on Dragons Den, who invested £100,000 for a 3% minimize. They did, nonetheless, endure a significant blow to the enterprise when, actually the day earlier than the interview befell, Luxe Collective’s warehouse was damaged into and £500,000 price of stock (roughly 50% of what it owned) was robbed. In true preventing vogue, Ben stated: “Nevertheless devastating it’s, this is not going to cease us, this can make us stronger.” His steely dedication to succeed shines by on this cracking interview.
Learn the total interview right here.
