Lifestyle retailer Urban Outfitters anticipates its the transatlantic expansion of its Anthropologie brand with the appointment of James Bidwell to the new position of managing director of Anthropologie Europe. Bidwell joins the company from Visit London, previously the London Tourist Board, where he was chief executive since 2005. He was previously marketing director at department store Selfridges.

“We are excited that James will spearhead Anthropologie’s growth in Europe and the UK,” Urban Outfitters chief executive Glen Senk said. “James is a perfect fit with Anthropologie’s culture, which values creativity, initiative and genuine love of the customer. His significant experience in brand development and marketing combined with his global perspective will make him essential to Anthropologie’s successful expansion abroad.”

Anthropologie is the slightly more grown-up and sophisticated sister of Urban Outfitters, which already has 14 stores in the U.K., Ireland, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden.

Bidwell will be based at the brand’s new London office and report to Glen Senk, Chief Executive Officer of Urban Outfitters.

“Anthropologie is an amazing concept, business and brand,” said James Bidwell. “By combining a truly innovative and inspirational store experience with highly creative and engaging product, I am sure that Anthropologie will be as well received in London and the rest of Europe as it is in the United States.”

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The Milan men’s spring summer 10 catwalk presentation resonated a sign of the times. Designers showed less formalwear, instead focusing on delivering inventive and luxe collections that were accessible and ‘clean.’

Travel is a key trend, whether it is back to the 1980s, the 1970s and its hippie tie-dye looks revisited, or just practical weekend wear with accompanying sportswear shoes and roomy bags, according to the Herald Tribune. Patterns, from graphic checks and stripes to leafy prints with a hint of “green,” are also evident. To give you an idea, Thomas Maier opened the Bottega Veneta show with a baseball jacket and Missoni first look was a patchwork jacquard sweater worn with rolled up khakis and loose fitting coat.

Christopher Bailey at Burberry brought a utilitarian aspect to the house, where form following function gave the clothes an edge, particularly a yellow parka resembling a lifeboat man’s sou’wester, or a multi-pocketed long coat in waxed-cotton canvas.

The Jil Sander message for next season “is a message of love — very pure, very simple,” Raf Simons told Suzy Menkes backstage. The tone of the show set off the rounded softness of the illustrations against the clean, geometric lines of an elongated tunic top or a streamlined polo shirt.

Angela Missoni came up with a quote from the writer Bruce Chatwin to sum up the nomadic poetry of her menswear collection: “Travel does not merely broaden the mind. It makes the mind.”

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With a minor decline of sales by one percent to CHF 229.6 million (£137.4), due entirely to currency effects, the Calida Group achieved an operating profit of CHF 15.9 million (£9.5) and a net profit of CHF 10.6 million (£6.3). The Swiss market held up with solid growth better than the export markets. The cash flow and the liquidity of the Group developed positively. The equity ratio rose to 68.4 percent. The Board of Directors recommends a dividend at the previous year’s level of CHF 8.00.

The Calida Group asserted itself well in 2008 despite the rapid deterioration in consumer sentiment from the second quarter onwards. Sales declined by CHF 2.4 million or one percent to CHF 229.6 million. This decline is attributable entirely to the weakening of the Euro against the Swiss Franc. Adjusted for the currency effect, sales growth of 1.4 percent or CHF 3.2 million was achieved in comparison with the record year 2007.

The operating profit (EBIT) in 2008 was CHF 15.9 million, equating to 7.4 percent of net sales. Net profit amounted to CHF 10.6 million. It therefore declined in comparison with the previous year (2007: CHF 15.3 million) by 30.7 percent. The cash flow and liquidity of the Group developed positively. Cash flow rose by 65.7 percent from CHF 13.4 million in the previous year to CHF 22.2 million. Whilst the CALIDA-Group was still recording a modest net debt of CHF 2.6 million in the previous year, 2008 brought positive net liquidity of CHF 4.7 million. The equity ratio thus rose from an already high level of 65.3 percent in 2007 to 68.4 percent in 2008.

The Swiss market proved to be considerably more crisis-resistant than the European export markets. Whilst the demand in the most important export market of Germany held up very well indeed, there was a clear decline in other European markets. Within the three product groups, that of lingerie proved to be more susceptible to the crisis than daywear and particularly nightwear.

Image: Calida Bodywear

Independent sports retailer King’s Road Sporting Club (KRSC) launches a new e-commerce site offering its brands to customers across the UK. The company established in 1994 specialises in men’s and women’s activewear and swimwear. The new site, designed and built by Eurostop, enables customers to purchase a select range of the company’s brands some of which are not readily available in the UK. KRSC uses Eurostop’s retail management system, e-rmis and e-pos to manage sales and stock in its London store.

KRSC has set up the website as a self-contained branch with its own stock system. Since the company sells only small quantities, it does not hold large volumes of stock and uses the automatic re-ordering system to ensure stock levels are managed, freeing up the buyer’s time to focus on sourcing new products.

KRSC plans to utilise the customer loyalty functionality within the website to promote special offers and new products to particular customers. The stock range will also be increased as the company offers its suppliers the opportunity to provide product details for the site, while still maintaining the company’s reputation for stocking items that are more exclusive.

Most of KRSC’s activewear comes from the USA and selected suppliers from Europe. Brands include Deha, One Step Ahead, 5th Street, Yoga Bella, Nike, Casall, Venice Beach, Shock Absorber, Gore and Odlo. Swimwear is mainly sourced from America, Australia , New Zealand as well Europe and Brazil and is sold on an all year round basis.

Image: Seafolly available from King’s Road Sporting Club
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Dr. Martens shoes is launching its first pop-up shop in London in September. Inspired by Dr. Martens’ heritage and attitude which catapulted it from a working-class essential to a counter-cultural icon, the brand chose Campaign to design its pop up store. Their concept playfully turns the store inside out, with customers entering into the back of house stock room – an area traditionally out of bounds. Located in the heart of the bustling old Spitalfields Market, Campaign have worked with creative brand managers Fresh to create a warehouse complete with customised off-the-shelf industrial fittings, shrink-wrapped furniture, metal caging, yellow PVC hanging barriers, bespoke graphics and a myriad of artworks alongside found and recycled collections for display.

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Selfridges has finally embraced the internet and launched its first online store. The company, which celebrated its centenary last year, has run a website for many years, but not until this week could shoppers make purchases online.

Despite the success of high profile online retailers, like Net-a-Porter or even contemporaries Harvey Nichols and Harrods, Selfridges was the last to enter the online market. Many high street retailers have been slow to embrace the internet and according to the Office for National Statistics just 3.9 per cent of retail sales took place online last year.

Selfridges online offer is relatively modest stocking just 10,000 items, compared with the more than 100,000 that are available in its physical shops.

However, the company is confident that its website is better than rivals’ sites. A spokesman said: “The site is head and shoulders above what our competitor department stores currently offer in terms of interaction, product selection and services. So, this is a net gain for customers everywhere in the UK, especially those who were not able to shop easily from Selfridges in the past.”

The company has just four department stores, one in London, one in Birmingham and two in Manchester, but it promises that it will – for a price – deliver to anywhere in Britain.

Using couriers, it will charge between £4.95 for standard delivery and £15 for same day delivery within London.

Amy Shields, news editor at the fashion industry magazine Drapers, said: “They were very slow to market, but it’s difficult to get a fashion website right. If you are selling designer clothes people usually want to see and feel them, but I think Selfridges has done a good job. The website captures some of the fun and theatre that the Selfridges stores have.”

Though it is stocking a relatively small number of items, they do give a taste of the full range on offer in the stores, with the cheapest item a £4.95 giant Hershey chocolate bar, and the most expensive a £7,560 silver bracelet by designer Vincente Gracia, featuring fairy tale animals heads in gold, silver and copper.

Source: Sunday Telegraph

Accessory brand Knomo is launched a new store at Ashford Designer Outlet. The Knomo shop offers a selection of men’s and women’s bags at up to 70 per cent off high street prices. The London-based brand also carries its own range of laptop sleeves, iPod cases and wheeled bags. Various celebs picked up on the brand, including Samuel L Jackson and Girls Aloud.

Natasha Phair, marketing manager at Ashford Designer Outlet, said: “Knomo has a fantastic selection of stylish, yet functional bags that are great for all occasions. Its arrival at the outlet is a great addition to our mix of retailers and will be very popular with style conscious shoppers.”

Ashford Designer Outlet has more than 80 designer and high-street brands, all with discounts of up to 60 per cent off RRP. Located off junction 10 of the M20, Ashford Designer Outlet is open seven days a week from 10am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 7pm on Saturday and from 10am to 5pm on Sunday.

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The White House on Sunday blasted a recent federal court decision to temporarily block the Trump administration’s new policy requiring migrants who want certain visas to have health insurance or prove they can pay health care costs. 

“We strongly disagree with the district court’s decision to impose a nationwide injunction against the President’s policy on a preliminary, emergency basis over the weekend without even affording the government an opportunity to provide a written defense,” White House press secretary Stephanie GrishamStephanie GrishamWhite House slams court decision blocking migrant insurance rule Democrats to test Trump as impeachment moves to new stage Trump at rally says impeachment an ‘attack on democracy itself’ MORE said in a statement.  

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“Once again, a nationwide injunction is permitting a single judge to thwart the President’s policy judgment on a matter where Congress expressly gave the President authority,” she added. “It is wrong and unfair for a single district court judge to thwart the policies that the President determined would best protect the United States healthcare system — and for the United States taxpayers to suffer the grave consequences of the immense strain inflicted on the healthcare system from subsidizing uncompensated care for those seeking admission.”

She said the administration would “make its defense in court” in the statement. 

The White House last month released a proclamation saying that migrants seeking the visas would need to get health insurance so they would not “burden” the U.S. health care system. The policy, slated to go into effect Sunday, was criticized by immigrant rights advocates who said it targeted low-income migrants. 

Judge Michael H. Simon, an Obama appointee, on Saturday temporarily blocked the policy from taking effect. 

The federal judge argued that a legal challenge to the proclamation showed a “substantial likelihood of success, or at least serious questions.”

“They have already demonstrated an extreme hardship if the visa applicant were to be separated from family members,” Simon added. 

Plaintiff Carmen Rubio, the executive director of Latino Network, said in a statement that the judge’s decision “highlights the urgency of blocking this health care ban before it causes irreparable damage to our community and those we serve.”

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Facebook’s policy allowing politicians to run false ads will extend to the United Kingdom, the company confirmed Saturday.

A Facebook spokesperson told The Hill that the policy will apply to the U.K. as the nation gears up for its December election and British leaders fail to come to an agreement over leaving the European Union.

The development was first reported by CNN Business. 

Ads run by British political parties and candidates seeking election to the House of Commons will not be fact-checked, but ads from other political groups, such as the pro-Brexit group Leave.EU, will be subject to fact-checking.

Facebook’s policy has been criticized throughout the U.S., with Democratic lawmakers and presidential candidates slamming Facebook CEO Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergFacebook says its policy allowing politicians to run false adds extends to UK The Hill’s Morning Report — Presented by Better Medicare Alliance — A new phase for impeachment Twitter shakes up fight over online political ads MORE for the decision. 

Zuckerberg recently appeared in front of the House Financial Services Committee at a hearing about the company’s new cryptocurrency project, but he also fielded questions over the new fact-checking policy. 

The British Parliament voted last week to hold a general election on Dec. 12. Earlier this week, the EU also granted the U.K. a three-month extension to finalize a Brexit deal — the third extension the bloc has given the country this year. 

If the minority Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, wins the majority after the general election, the party plans to hold another referendum on whether the country should leave the EU.

British residents voted in favor of leaving the EU in a 2016 referendum vote, but politicians have failed to come to an agreement for the nation to leave the bloc since.

On the catwalk we saw that seventies shapes and denim designs are taking over. Which makes it the perfect timing to relaunch Southern Californian label Dittos. The iconic 70s brand had the legendary fit that was the ‘perfect jean’ of its time, from painted-on to the high-waisted silhouette.

Danielle Clarke, the founder and designer behind the low-riding Frankie B jeans is going back in time and decided to revive the high-waisters. On the collection Clarke comments: “My first love affair with jeans started in the early 80’s when I found a brand called Dittos. I was obsessed! I thought I was the hottest thing going when I wore those jeans, so I slept in them.”

Dittos evolved and re-launched for Spring/Summer 2007 into a collection featuring the same fit in faded candy colours. The collection meets today’s modern taste with vintage snug T-shirts.