London's fashion pack turns focus to business for online sales

LONDON - Britain's emerging talent kicked off the first day of London Fashion Week with designs featuring oversized coats, geometric shapes and voluminous skirts, amid hopes online demand for luxury goods is growing stronger.

Delicate embroidered dresses paired with cropped jackets highlighted Turkish designer Bora Aksu's show on Friday, in colors of gold, dusty pinks and pale blue inspired by Irish writer Oscar Wilde's The Nightingale and the Rose.

Earlier, Korean-born designer Eudon Choi sent models down the runway in boxy leather jackets decorated with colorful geometric shapes, oversized scarves and floral printed flares.

More than 5,000 buyers, journalists and bloggers have flocked to London to see emerging talent like Aksu and Choi showcase their designs alongside leading designers Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood and Burberry's Christopher Bailey.

This season sees the British Fashion Council (BFC) focus on how designers can grow their businesses into successful brands and boost growth in Britain's 26 billion pound ($39.98 billion) fashion industry.

"It is fantastic that we are seeing these young businesses going from strength to strength," Chief Executive Caroline Rush told Reuters.

"The next stage of course is thinking about e-commerce and online businesses and again as part of our business pillar, I'm working closely with the tech sector looking at some quick wins and some really strong guys to help in e-commerce," Rush added.

With online fashion sales expected to reach 19 billion pounds in the next four years, according to research firm Mintel, designers are turning to social media like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to help drive more online purchases.

"We have been very focused on the past year or so, helping designers to understand how they can best use social media," Rush said.

Aksu said the networks were the perfect tool to help his label grow internationally and gain recognition.

Camille Juras, who three weeks ago launched what she called a vegan shoe company making footwear with micro fibers rather than animal leather, said she had already generated sales from using social media websites.

"Social media is key. It all starts with online presence and then you grow," said Juras. "On Instagram, it was instant. You would launch your page, people would start to like you, like your products and that started the sales process."

London Fashion Week, which generates more than 100 million pounds in orders each season from buyers around the world, will run until Feb. 24. — Reuters

Edgy London attracts more fashion buyers from US, Asia

LONDON - British designers are drawing increasing interest from buyers in the United States and Asia, experts say, as fashion followers turn to edgy London to keep their wardrobes fresh.

Having produced names like Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, the British capital traditionally champions designers prepared to take risks.

Buyers from big department stores around the world travel to the four fashion hubs each season - New York, Paris, Milan and London - and, while smaller than its rivals, the latter still enjoys a reputation for breaking new ground.

The Sept. 13-17 London Fashion Week for spring/summer 2014 has drawn a strong U.S. presence, including from luxury department stores Saks, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, said Caroline Rush, British Fashion Council (BFC) chief executive.

"There is a very strong attendance from the U.S.," she said.

"(Young) designers are seeing growth in American markets, various different Asian territories; they're seeing growth in mainland Europe but (mainly) a lot of opportunity through America and Asia."

Well-known British luxury goods brands such as Burberry and Mulberry are staples in many stores around the world, but newer names such as Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto are also proving popular across the pond.

"I am a huge fan of London Fashion Week because we have so many great designers that we sell at Neiman Marcus," said Ken Downing, fashion director at the U.S. store.

"The excitement over pattern and print has really happened here in London ... (Customers) love our designers from London."

Luxury spending in the United States collapsed after the 2008 financial crisis but returned to pre-crisis levels by 2012. Increased confidence among affluent spenders have boosted sales and encouraged luxury brands to step up investments there.

More foreign shoppers are also visiting stores as the U.S. government eases visa restrictions to attract more tourists.

Designer-hungry Asia

Showing a collection of bright printed dresses and skirts in shades of tangerine, watermelon and pale blue, Scottish designer Holly Fulton said she was keen to expand her brand in America after receiving positive press reviews there.

"We're quite interested in doing more in the States at the moment ... We're keen to expand on that in the coming year," she told Reuters, adding that Asia was also an important market.

"Asia has been by far the strongest for us. Hong Kong is getting really strong growth for the label over there."

With economic uncertainty still hanging over Europe, the BFC is seeking to promote British fashion in Asia.

BFC chairman Natalie Massenet said Princess Beatrice, Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter, hosted a special event for Asian buyers and press, who were seen in large numbers at shows including DAKS, Mulberry and Paul Smith.

"Going forward for 2014, there is strong push in terms of the Great campaign (promoting Britain abroad) with Hong Kong and Shanghai. And so it is very likely that we are going to probably have an Asia-dominated showroom plan for next year," Rush said.

"Tokyo is of interest to us. We were talking to some of the Japanese and Toyko-based businesses ... about how we can build partnerships and what the opportunities might be there."

Designer Paul Smith, who showed off loose shirts tucked into wide-legged trousers and 1970s-inspired loose dresses, said he planned to open some 20 stores in China in the next five years.

"(Chinese buying) is not going down," said Amy Yu, editor of luxury Great Britain Magazine aimed at Chinese residents and tourists in London. "Lots of people are still buying."

And the Chinese are not just buying at home, having pushed out Americans as the top spenders at luxury London department store Harrods. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com