Retail concepts

Fashion meets function at The Natural Shoe Store



Natural Shoe Store Charlie May

 

The Natural Shoe Store and I go back a long way. To the eighties to be precise, when its Bass Weejun loafers were the height of cool, albeit far out of reach of my meager pocket money budget. Founded in 1976 by Robert Lusk as a destination for all things earthy and comfort-soled, it was always a bit of a stealth influencer. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: H&M BEAUTY, SUPERGA, BROWNS, DIOR, RAF SIMONS



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

1. H&M’S BIG BEAUTY PUSH

H&M beauty launch via The DRG Style Index

There’s something interesting kicking off in the high street beauty space. I think it’s similar to what happened with jeans and shoes a while ago, when the UK chain stores invested heavily in fashion-forward designs, outdoing the specialists at their own game. Topshop’s make-up is five years old this month and the product quality, design and branding are as good as many of the more premium brands. & Other Stories shook things up with its experiential retail approach, while Urban Outfitters is also jumping into the beauty space in a bigger way, stocking Tonymoly from Korea among others. Next: H&M is launching a 700 piece beauty line in September. Yes, H&M has dabbled in beauty before but not in any serious way. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: Christopher Kane, Net-a-Porter, Nowhere, Hermes



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

1) CHRISTOPHER KANE HAS A PROPER WEBSITE!

Christopher Kane launches website

This really is shaping up to be a big year for fashion and tech. From Chanel’s move into ecommerce, to Apple’s positioning of Apple Watch as a luxury fashion item, tech has never been more fashionable. And to top it off, here’s Christopher Kane’s new website – very cool and a little bit futuristic. No e-com yet, but it’s a start… (more…)



Things to see and do: May 2015



1. PHOTO LONDON 21ST-24TH MAY

Better Days - copyright Bill Bernstein

Big news for photography buffs and collectors; Somerset House is hosting London’s first international photography fair, Photo London. It’s like Frieze for photography, or so I’m reliably informed, and will include up to 70 of the world’s biggest photography galleries, as well as exhibitions and an impressive programme of talks (speakers confirmed include Steve McCurry, Stephen Shore and Mitch Epstein). (more…)