Business of fashion

Retail report: The rebirth of Chiltern Street



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You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Chiltern Firehouse is the best thing about Chiltern Street, despite the fact that it’s not even properly open yet. While London’s It people have enjoyed countless dinners over the last few months, the hotel and restaurant don’t fully open for another couple of weeks (breakfast and lunch service is due to start at the end of June).

But there are plenty of other reasons to head to this genteel pocket of London, not least its new retail focus. If you skew to the types of brands sold on Mr Porter or Tres Bien and have a Scandi ‘lagom’ attitude to getting dressed, then this is your kind of shopping street. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: Public School for J Crew, Alexander Olch, My-Wardrobe, Louis Vuitton, Chanel



It’s the eve of London Collections: Men, so the latest DRG STYLE INDEX is a little bit menswear focussed. Here’s my ranking of the brands on my radar this week…

1) J CREW X PUBLIC SCHOOL

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Every good menswear designer knows there’s more money to be made from womenswear. So naturally it makes sense for (newly crowned CFDA Menswear Designer Of The Year) Public School to work with J Crew on this womenswear collab. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: SELFRIDGES, VOGUE, THOMAS TAIT, COCA COLA



My weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranks the brand stories that have most resonated with me, in order of interest. This week includes Thomas Tait’s big break and how Vogue monetises its Insta feed…

1 SELFRIDGES BETS ITS MONEY ON IT BAGS

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Selfridges loves a sweeping gesture and here’s one that’s hard to beat. It’s launching a destination accessories department which will see its luxury handbag offer double in size. (Does the world need more Celine bags? Clearly it does.) (more…)



Mastered: Bloggers doing it for themselves



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So I had a feeling 2014 was going to be a big year for blogging and I was right. Some of my blog buddies have achieved huge things this year, for starters, look how many fashion bloggers are writing books. Not e-books, but big printed things full of that weird stuff called paper. Susie Bubble is working on her second book (if you count Style Feed which she contributed to), while Sasha Wilkins/Liberty London Girl has just sent her convivial cookery book to print. (more…)