17 May, 2015

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…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Beauty, Brands, Business of fashion, Design, Designers, Fashion shows, News, Online shopping, Retail concepts, Trends beauty news, Browns, collabs, Cruise 2016, Dior, DRG Style Index, Farfetch, fashion shows, H&M, Liberty, Raf Simons, retail news, Superga

23 April, 2015

ASK ALISON: IS IT A STORE OR A HOME?

Freunde-von-Freunden-Apartment 2

Here’s the latest ‘Ask Alison’ guest post from retail expert and DRG contributor, ALISON BISHOP, on how brands are merchandising their store environments to inspire customers to feel at home

More and more digital brands want to lay down physical roots and create their own permanent stores. At the same time, retailers are ramping up online sales initiatives for increasingly digitally savvy shoppers. So now we have the trend to make showroom-style spaces resemble highly curated homes and apartments. Which makes us want to buy everything and move in. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Brands, Business of fashion, Design, News, Online shopping, Retail concepts, Trends Alex Eagle, Alison Bishop, Andre Fu, Ask Alison, Central Saint Martins Lofts, Club Monaco, concept stores, Holt Renfrew, Lee Broom, long read, Louis Vuitton, luxury, Noma, Old Tom & English, restaurants, retail concepts, retail news, Soho House, The Line, The Row, Whistles

19 April, 2015

GUEST POST: Old Soho meets new Soho at Old Tom & English

DRG contributor ALISON BISHOP visits Old Tom & English, the new-old Soho eating establishment that’s perfect for sipping and snacking

They had me at ‘personal cocktail cabinet’. There’s something about the current trend for home-style retail that puts you instantly at ease, so I was interested to see how the idea could be applied to dining.

Soho’s latest ‘underground’ restaurant, Old Tom & English, is inspired by visiting a friend’s apartment for a dinner party where intimate nooks and crannies invite hushed tones for gossiping and lingering. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Design, Retail concepts, Trends Alison Bishop, design, Lee Broom, London life, Old Tom & English, restaurants, retail concepts, retail news

15 March, 2015

THE DRG STYLE INDEX: WESTFIELD, APPLE WATCH, GOOGLE, FARFETCH

It’s all about the tech this week with updates from Google, Apple, Westfield and Farfetch. Read on for my latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, rounding up the brands buzzing on my radar…

1. WESTFIELD TO LAUNCH FUTURE FASHION EVENT

Westfield future fashion digital retail theatre

Westfield is always forward thinking when it comes to experiential retail. Coming soon is its London Future Fashion event, bringing the SS15 trends to life using virtual reality and ‘interactive fashion avatars’ (above). (more…)