retail news

Introducing Jigsaw A-Line



JIGSAW AW15 Sheepskin Jacket £495 Soft Stretch Polo Neck Sweater £129 Richmond Indigo Skinny Jeans £79

How great is it to see the British high street embracing style conscious ‘mid century modern’ women with well made, classic cuts that have contemporary flair? Whistles has successfully led the charge here for a while, M&S is doing so much better and Jigsaw is the latest to up its game.

As Lisa Armstrong pointed out in The Telegraph, Jigsaw was amazing in the 90s but then it lost its mojo. I remember the John Pawson-designed store and Juergen Teller campaigns (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: GLOSSIER, ERDEM, HERMES, PAUL SMITH, FINERY



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

1. GLOSSIER GOES GLOBAL
Glossier

Did Christmas just come early? Yes, if you’re one of the gazillions feeling the #FOMO of Glossier’s much-coveted beauty products. Glossier’s Balm Dotcom all-purpose salve just arrived at Net-a-Porter, so you can order a 3-pack and get it shipped to anywhere that NAP ships to. Buy it here….


2. ERDEM’S HOME-TAIL STORE

Erdem

Shall we all just move to Mayfair and be done with it? The latest British luxury designer to set up shop in or around Mount Street is Erdem, whose first store has just debuted at 70 South Audley Street, W1. As is the current retail vogue, it has a ‘home-tail’ feel, with perfectly placed lamps, plants, furniture and of course, an expertly-selected edit of books to complement the romantic floral frocks and brocade coats. Style Bubble has the low-down


3. HERMES UNVEILS ITS MENSWEAR MANIFESTE SITE

Hermes Manifeste

For what’s considered the most storied and traditional of luxury brands, Hermès has certainly been killing it on the digital front lately. While the Hermès X Apple Watch hoo-ha hogged the news this week, Hermès also launched a new men’s editorial and e-com site. Called ‘MANifeste’, it’s witty, interactive and beautifully executed.


4. PAUL SMITH REINVENTED?

Paul smith aw15
Are we in for a big Paul Smith-shaped surprise when we see the SS16 womenswear collection at LFW next Sunday? This article in i-D hints that things on the womenswear design front are being stepped up a notch…


5 OTHER SHOP X FINERY

Finery X OTHER Shop

If you like physical shopping as much as (or more than) shopping online, you might like to know that OTHER Shop is now stocking an edit of Finery in its Kingly Street store. The highlights for me are this structured pleat skirt (above), the brilliant leather skirt and the high neck tees. The prices are crazy good, especially if you like your office-wear with a bit of a twist… Read more at OTHER Shop or shop here.

WORDS: Navaz Batliwalla/Disneyrollergirl



RETAIL REPORT: Covent Garden – should a high street be more like a department store?



Oliver Sweeney Henrietta Street Covent Garden menswear destination

In the battle between bricks and clicks, the high street has suffered, but department stores have done well to up their game. They have become nimble at keeping pace with fashion, worked harder to collaborate with brands on pop-ups and events, and just seem more dynamic places to be. It’s something the rest of the high street can learn lessons from and I’m already seeing its influence.

Covent Garden got the memo some time ago. OK, it’s not quite a high street but it’s a shopping district that misplaced its mojo for a while and has since redeemed itself. In the 80s it was incredibly stylish and vibrant. At its peak, London’s cool set gravitated towards the Meccas of Paul Smith, Jones and thrift emporium Flip. (more…)



THE DRG STYLE INDEX: CHANEL, GUCCI, GOSHA RUBCHINSKIY, FIORUCCI



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

1. CHANEL TO STAGE MADEMOISELLE PRIVE EXHIBITION
Chanel MADEMOISELLE PRIVE exhibition coming to the Saatchi Gallery in London

It seems like Chanel is never out of the news and this week it’s to announce a forthcoming exhibition that celebrates the heritage of the house. (more…)