Kylie Barnes

20/05/2024

The British Fashion Council has named London-based womenswear brand Chopova Lowena as the 2024 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner.

Founded by Central Saint Martins graduates Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena in 2017, the label has become known for its British and Bulgarian craftsmanship by juxtaposing folklore references and sportswear, as well as its use of recycled materials and deadstock textiles.

As winners of the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, the designers will receive a cash prize of 150,000 pounds to support the label’s business growth, alongside access to bespoke business mentoring and professional services.

The fund, established in 2008, receives support from British Vogue, Burberry and Paul Smith, to showcase emerging designers and support their contribution to the British and global fashion ecosystem.

Previous winners have included 16Arlington, Richard Quinn, Bethany Williams, Wales Bonner, Molly Goddard, Christopher Kane and Erdem.

13/05/2024

The primary objective of any fashion or beauty brand is to make an emotional connection to motivate consumers to make a purchase - whether they are selling the latest anti-aging serum or a simple pair of socks. Brands who have successfully developed a solid branding strategy are more likely to establish a solid foundation for growth, and have a higher likelihood of attracting both new and returning customers. In fact, data from a study from marketing agency Red C found that 82 percent of online shoppers prefer to purchase from brands with which they are already familiar.

As fashion brands across the globe continue to vie for consumers' attention - and their wallets, analysts from BusinessFinancing.co.uk delved into Google search data to identify the most popular consumer brands worldwide. However, in the shifting landscape of fashion, brand popularity can change rapidly, prompting analysts to take another look at which major global brands recently increased in popularity in specific countries. Studying Google search data from 2021 to 2023 to determine which brands have gained or lost popularity in the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia, the new study lists these trends in the map below:

24/04/2024

American heritage menswear brand Robert Talbott will make its debut appearance at men’s fashion trade show Pitti Uomo in Florence in June.

The move is described as a “significant milestone” in the brand’s journey and will introduce the first collection by new creative director Sebastian Dollinger, who joined in March to reestablish the label as a premium menswear brand.

Dollinger, who was the creative director of Swedish shirtmaker Eton for 15 years, has been brought on to infuse a fresh perspective to Robert Talbott by blending the brand’s craftsmanship and heritage with contemporary design sensibilities.

His debut collection represents a fusion of “modern sophistication and understated luxury” that reflects the brand’s signature California-inspired casual yet refined aesthetic. The collection will showcase a range of shirts and ties, as well as elevated sportswear.

Commenting on the collection, Dollinger said in a statement: “Our team has meticulously crafted one of the best and most technically diverse shirt collections globally. From the capacities of our supply chain to the final product, we’ve set a new standard of excellence in the industry.

“This collection exemplifies creativity and quality in every aspect, from the ground structures to the performance, cut and sew, patterns, prints, and styling. It’s truly phenomenal!”

16/04/2024

Full year revenues at Digital Brands Group increased 6.8 percent to 14.9 million dollars excluding revenue from Harper & Jones.

Gross margin increased 10.2 percent to 6.5 million dollars and gross profit margins increased to 43.9 percent. Net loss per share reduced to 10.2 million dollars or 20.46 dollars per share.

"Despite lower revenue contribution from Sundry in the fourth quarter, we almost achieved break-even net income due to our cost savings. Based on first quarter wholesale shipments and second quarter wholesale bookings, we are excited to see revenue growth meaningfully re-accelerate," said Hil Davis, CEO of Digital Brands Group.

For the fourth quarter, net revenues decreased to 2.8 million dollars, gross profit decreased to 0.5 million dollars, while gross profit margins decreased to 18.3 percent.

Net loss per diluted share reduced to 3.7 million dollars or 8.76 dollars per share, compared to 15.8 million dollars or a loss of 511.54 dollars per share, a year ago.

16/04/2024

Omni-channel beauty retailer Douglas Group has secured a new refinancing of 1.3 billion euros.

Following its listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange at the end of March, the company had used the proceeds and a capital injection to partially prepay an existing facilities agreement amounting to 675 million euros. With the fresh financing, the group has redeemed the remaining existing financial indebtedness.

In the second quarter, the company’s sales increased by 11.5 percent based on preliminary and unaudited figures backed by strong development in all areas and consistent performance of the omnichannel business model.

“With this important step, we have established a strong financial foundation for the coming years. At the same time, we are in a position to make investments from our cashflow into our successful business model and future growth. It is our firm goal to further reduce our debt and to start paying dividends in the medium term,” said Mark Langer, CFO of the Douglas Group in a statement.

The company added that the new financing includes a term loan facility of 800 million euros, a bridge facility of 450 million euros. The company has further secured a revolving credit facility (RCF) of 350 million euros.

The company's second quarter store sales improved by 12 percent, while ecommerce sales also rose by 10.7 percent.

Commenting on the preliminary second quarter update, Sander van der Laan, CEO of the Douglas Group, said: “After a very good start to the financial year during the Christmas period, we have followed up with another excellent quarter: The results for the first three months of the 2024 calendar year are an impressive demonstration of the attractiveness of our offering, our exceptional customer loyalty and the resilience of our omnichannel model.”

05/04/2024

Valentino has named star ex-Gucci designer Alessandro Michele its new creative director, the brand announced Thursday. Michele will show his first collection for the Roman couture house during Paris Fashion Week in September.

“I feel the immense joy and the huge responsibility to join a maison de couture that has the word ‘beauty’ carved on a collective story, made of distinctive elegance, refinement and extreme grace,” Michele said in a statement.

The announcement answers the question of where Michele, one of the industry’s biggest names, will end up after exiting Gucci in late 2022.

In the end, Michele won’t be headed to luxury’s biggest group LVMH, as many had speculated, but rather to Mayhoola for Investments, the fashion group backed by the Qatari royal family that owns Balmain and Pal Zileri, as well as Valentino.

20/03/2024

Jean-Jacques Guevel, chief executive of Balmain, is stepping down “to pursue other interests” after four years leading the Parisian fashion house.

Guevel steered Mayhoola-owned Balmain through the pandemic and subsequent surge in luxury demand, during which the brand worked to activate its “army” of fans with large-scale fashion shows (including a 10th anniversary bash for designer Olivier Rousteing) that were open to the public, as its entry-level business got a boost from a monogrammed canvas range that reduced its dependence on logo tees and other merch.

Under Guevel, Balmain also inked a licensing deal with luxury beauty giant Estée Lauder, which is set to launch a revamped fragrance offer for the brand later this year.

Guevel’s departure follows the exit of marketing chief Txampi Diz last week.

In a statement, Mayhoola CEO and Balmain Chairman Rachid Mohamed Rachid thanked Guevel, voicing confidence in the brand’s prospects. Balmain has “the potential to become a true global luxury goods leader, thanks to its unique heritage, talented creative director Olivier Rousteing and our exceptional colleagues,” Rachid said. “We will be building onto the significant growth of the last years and will announce a new CEO in due course.”

11/03/2024

29/02/2024

The BoF Podcast | Arizona Muse on Modelling and Fashion’s Dirty Roots
Model Arizona Muse joins BoF founder Imran Amed to discuss her journey to the fashion runway, the biodynamic roots of fashion and why she sees self-care as a form of environmental activism.

21/02/2024

Inside Chanel’s ‘Ultimate Luxury’ Push: Jewellery, But Make It Tweed
High jewellery is shaping up to be a key battleground for big luxury. At Chanel, the ‘booming’ category is also an opportunity to elevate the brand further, watches and jewellery president Frédéric Grangié tells BoF.