Apple

It’s not about product so what works in bricks and mortar retail now?



what works in bricks and mortar retail now? Tiina The store Amagansett Christopher Sturman for The New York Times

News broke last week that Debenhams, one of the UK’s biggest department store chains, is closing 50 stores. I worked as a sales girl at Debenhams in Oxford Street during my art student years and I loved it. I worked with amazing people, liked selling and would pop across the road to the Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf exhibitions at the Anthony d’Offay gallery in my lunch hour.

I haven’t really shopped there as an adult, other than occasionally for beauty or pots and pans. I’m more of a high-end heritage shopper or I go to the minimalist stores like Cos and Arket. But it’s a serious warning sign that retail really is changing. Debenhams’ competitors like John Lewis & Partners and Selfridges have been much better at creating a modern lifestyle destination, which taps into the idea that stores aren’t only for shopping. (more…)



Musings with Musa Tariq



discotheque confusion cocos tea partyjpg
I don’t listen to many podcasts because I much prefer reading to listening. The exception is when I’m doing household chores. I like Garance Dore, The High Low and Big Mouth but the best one I’ve listened to in months is the Business of Fashion interview with Musa Tariq.

Musa is currently the vice-president and chief brand officer at Ford in Detroit. Before that, he was at Apple and before that, Nike. But before all that he was the digital visionary at Burberry where he had come from JWT. (more…)



Retail round up: first look at Apple’s new retail vision for Regent Street



Apple Regent Street

Call me old fashioned but I love a physical store. But the role of the high street is shifting from purely transactional to a multi-functional experiential space. Apple is spearheading this change with its stores; having unveiled its prototype San Francisco store in May, it has now unveiled its vision for Apple Regent Street. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: VETEMENTS, SPACE NK, APPLE, SACAI, LEICA



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

1. STYLE.COM IS SELLING THE VERY FIRST VETEMENTS COLLECTION*
Vetements reissues its first collection
Style.com has had a bit of stick since its launch as an ecommerce site (hmmm, Conde Nast is not having the greatest month), but one thing it’s standing out for: exclusive collabs. Latest is this Vetements one, in which you can buy pieces reissued from the very first collection*.

*except the jeans – they aren’t up yet (more…)