Business of fashion

130 years of Hanro: Archive in progress



Hanro archive Liestal museum Baselland

Fashion archives have become quite a thing in recent years. But have you ever wondered what goes into creating them? It’s something I’m a little obsessed with. When I ask brands about their archives, I usually hear either that everything is kept in an off-site, temperature-controlled, white-gloves location (think heritage luxury brand) or, more commonly, “it’s all stuffed in a back room full of jumbled up rails and we’d never allow visitors inside.” (more…)



New-look Coach AW14 arrives at Net-a-Porter



Coach-Stuart-Vevers-AW14-RTW-netaporter

It’s crunch time for Coach. Will Stuart Vevers’ new ready-to-wear vision sell or not? (They’ve certainly spent considerable budget on the launch.) You be the judge.

Net-a-Porter has first dibs on the Coach AW14 collection
which is pitched at the more luxury end than Coach customers would expect. (more…)



Perfect pairing: Mansur Gavriel and Il Bussetto



Mansur-Gavriel 3 Il-Bussetto-Card-Holder

Could there be anything chicer than vegetable tanned leather right now? Those saturated colours, that unmistakable polish? Mansur Gavriel thinks not. The brand is all the rage at the moment, for its pared-back totes and bucket bags. This article in the LA Times last week explains its success. Simple, modern shapes, a reasonable price point and their signature contrast-coloured innards contribute, but the leather is a key factor. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: BURBERRY, RAF SIMONS, MCM, CHANEL, LYST



Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands currently buzzing on my radar…

1. BURBERRY WINS THE #ALSICEBUCKETCHALLENGE

As with all pop culture phenomena, there’s a bit of a debate raging around the #alsicebucketchallenge. Sure, it’s a great vehicle for self promotion, but if it raises awareness and cashola then who cares? One of my favourites was Saks Fifth Avenue’s Marigay McKee (AKA the goddess of grooming) who then nominated retail rivals Bergdorf’s, Barneys and Bloomingdale’s. Naturally, Burberry utilised its iconic trench (clever Burberry), and here’s the Topshop team taking on the challenge having been nominated by ASOS. (more…)