Sussex Indies Day 2012
The 2012 national Campaign featuring UK’s independent retailers has just been launched by Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail.
Independents’ Day encourages the public to buy at least buy one thing from their local, independent shop on 4th July 2012.
Never has there been a better time to celebrate than in the very busy Queens Diamond Jubilee Year – Torch Relay around Great Britain – the UK Olympic and Paralympic Games – to give custom to our local independent stores.
Over the next four months, retailers will be encouraged to download the campaign posters from http://www.retailindieday.com, celebrate the day in their stores and join forces with other retailers and town centre teams to hold special events to capture the public’s imagination.
More Information is available Twitter @Retail_IndieDay – facebook.com/independentsday or on the news section of www.retailindieday.com
Promoting British Fashion around the World
Visit Britain, the UK’s national tourist agency has recruited Victoria Beckham, to act as an international ambassador for the GREATS campaign, helping to promote the best of Britain around the world, whilst under the spotlight this year, with the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Victoria’s ready-to-wear range is now sold in over a credible 300 stores globally. Photoshoot taken with Vogue’s supremo Anna Wintour at New York’s Grand Central Tube Station before the start of AW 2012/2013 NY Fashion Week.
The Great British Campaign in New York
New York’s Grand Central Station saw British Fashion Greats gather including Victoria Beckham, Anna Wintour and Cover girl Karen Elson helping to raise overseas awareness of British fashion talent, focusing on reasons for investment and visiting the UK. Victoria acting as an ambassador for this initiative being photographed in front of a subway train covered in a Union Jack flag.
The ‘Greats’ campaign is promoting aspects of UK culture; including technology and innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, knowledge, green, heritage, sport, shopping, music and the countryside and now being unveiled around the world for 2012 UK tourism.
The Sussex Fashion Trust ‘Made By’ Product Marketing Campaign
The Made By Campaign – Made By Britain – Made By Sussex – Made By Brighton & Hove. With an anticipated change in tourist profile across Sussex during the Olympic buildup starting with The Torch Relay landing in Britain 18 May 2012, and continuing over the summer months, businesses were being urged during Autumn 2011, and continually, to consider their domestic marketing strategies and buy British manufactured products to retail, wherever possible, for tourists visiting the UK and regionally across Sussex, to take home with them souvenirs and mementos made from the region.
Summer 2011, Julius Arthur Quinn, a post-graduate designer from Brighton University, nominated in the MP’s ‘Made By Britain’ Hove & Portslade entry, designed a portfolio of Olympic inspired designs for fashions for the UK, Sussex and Brighton & Hove on behalf of The Sussex Fashion Trust. Designs were versatile and translated into graphics which could be used for various business 2012 promotional projects highlighting the diversity of designs and of course, promoting the various regional products on offer. Read more > ‘Made By’ project
Saving Our Famous British High Streets
The heavyweight retail experts are starting to pile in with their sector’s overview of what can be done to regenerate business across UK high streets including Justin King, boss of Sainsburys, reported to be highlighting the need for schooling to be integrated into high streets, along with Harold Tillman, boss of Jaeger & Aquascutum, Chair of British Fashion Council and London Fashion Week, whose talking a relaxation of visas for Chinese visitors to the UK, highlighting the enormous growth by this sector and the value of their three times spend compared to other overseas tourists. With a bumper year of mega events – The Torch Relay across the UK, The Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations and London 2012 – the debate appears to be starting on how sectors view development of the famous British High Street.
Previous news >
New Fashion/Film UK Initiative
Fash/On Film is a new British Fashion Council initiative sponsored by the retail store group River Island. The scheme aims to support and develop relationships between fashion designers and film makers, providing a showcasing opportunity at London Fashion Week. It recognises the ongoing growth of fashion film as an important creative product of the industry and London’s position at the centre of this film revolution.
Launching this new initiative, River Island will produce a short film showcasing their new Design Forum collection designed by Royal College of Art graduate Julian J Smith; it’s premiere being during London Fashion Week.
As part of this new Fash/On Film showcase there will be special filming presentations during the late Spring in London. It sees the launch of its first nationwide search for emerging film making talent, inviting up-and-coming creatives to submit film ideas in response to a brief set by a leading British designer in conjunction with Fash/On Film.
One filmmaker will be selected to receive professional support and mentoring through the production process, offering a unique opportunity to gain insight into and experience of the fashion film industry. This film will be shown at London Fashion Week September 2012, creating a prestigious launch pad into the fashion and film industry.
Read more > British Fashion Council
BBC Dragons’ Den
BBC Dragons’ Den are back.
If you have a great idea or invention and looking for cash then make space in your diary – 23 February 2012 – 11 am to 4 pm at The Holiday Inn Seafront Brighton. Businesss Admission FREE. Read more > Brighton & Hove Business Days Event
Retailers Environmental Impact
Retailers have found that reducing waste, energy and water provides their businesses with increasing recognition and makes good business sense according to a new report out from BRC The British Retail Consortium. The BRC-led project, A Better Retailing Climate was launched in 2008 committing businesses who represented the majority of the UK retail market to sector-wide environmental ambitions. Despite the current economic austerity and price volatility, retailers seem to manage continuing to build resilience reducing environmental impact.
Waste: Exceeded target. Retailers committed to reduce waste sent to landfill to below 15 per cent by 2013. Signatories beat that target two years early, sending just 14 per cent of waste to landfill in 2011 (down from 45 per cent in 2005).
Transport: Exceeded target. Retailers committed to reduce delivery emissions by 15 per cent by 2013 (compared with 2005 levels). In fact they achieved a 23 per cent reduction by 2011.
Buildings: On target. Retailers committed to cut energy-related emissions from buildings by 25 per cent by 2013 (compared with 2005 levels and allowing for growth). By 2011, these emissions were down by 20 per cent.
Refrigeration: On target. Retailers committed to halve emissions from refrigeration by 2013 (relative to floor space to allow for business growth). By 2011, these had already been reduced by 37 per cent.
BRC’s report read more > A Better Retailing Climate
Made By Britain Campaign
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Design and Innovation with the APPG for Manufacturing, at parliament, put together a project for all MP’s to discover creative and manufacturing talent in their constituency during 2011. Across Sussex, various businesses have been nominated and Hove & Portslade is represented by the Fashion Sussex submission.
Julius Arthur Quinn, ex graduate of Brighton University Fashion & textiles course produced a number of 2012 Olympic inspired prints celebrating International Olympics, The Paralympics and regionally, The Torch Relay which were submitted as Hove and Portslade’s entry and manufactured and produced lifestyle product ranges.
“ I’m delighted that The Fashion Trust in Sussex, can support this campaign for promoting British fashion manufacturing, particularly with the Olympics less than a year away and so many global businesses and consumers observing the UK” … stated Mike Weatherley MP and Sussex Fashion Trustee, July 2011.
British Fashion Council – Fashion 2012 – Britain Creates
Created and managed by the British Fashion Council/Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation in collaboration with the Mayor of London, Britain Creates is an exciting project which is highlighting London 2012 Festival, the UK festival being staged 21st June – 9 September 2012 and is the culmination of the four year Cultural Olympiad.
The Britain Creates 2012 project will be the start of an ongoing artistic project and bursary to support and encourage further collaboration between fashion and other art forms. The money for the bursary will be raised through the auction of the pieces and through the proceeds of a Gala event. To celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games, prestigious and renowned fashion designers are collaborating with leading visual artists on specially commissioned one-off works of art.
These commissions, focusing on an Olympic and Paralympic value, will be showcased to a broad UK and international audience. 5 July – 20 July 2012 V&A Musuem London Read More > BritainCreates
The UK’s most prestigious and renowned fashioned designers collaborating with leading visual artists on specially commissioned one-off works of art ‘Britain Creates 2012’ include Sarah Burton, Christopher Bailey for Burberry, Hussein Chalayan, Giles Deacon, Erdem, Stephen Jones, Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou, Jonathan Saunders and Paul Smith, who will collaborate with leading visual artists including Jeremy Deller, Jess Flood-Paddock, Marc Quinn and Gavin Turk, Michael Raedecker and Cerith Wyn Evans. Fashion connecting with art celebrating London 2012. Part of The London Cultural Festival running throughout the summer 21 June – 9 September London 2012 Festival
Sussex Fashion Designers & Fashion Support Services
We’re seeking very special people.
Those who are based across Sussex and either students, graduates or at various levels in the fashion design industry as we are continually securing interesting creative work opportunities.
Register with us free, confidentially.
– AND
Fashion industry Sussex based suppliers that support the fashion industry, we’ll list you free on our fashion marketing page.
All product design specialities are eligible :: womenswear, menswear, childrenswears, knitwear, sports, accessories, beach, footwear, lingerie…
Please take the 3 minutes to register today. Register your details free
Sussex Fashion Awards 2012 News
Are you a fashion related business that would like to win one of the twelve coveted Sussex Fashion Awards 2012 this year?
Only one nomination is required online, but is your business ready to be judged by professionals?
- Is your business website looking fantastic and with up-to-the-minute copy and designs?
- Does your business have full contacts available online?
- Is your business engaging with its customers by using social media fully?
- Has your business a marketing plan and schedule for 2012?
- Has your business media coverage planned and already achieved?
- Has your business customer testimonials about your services on your website?
- Has your business organised any events for your customers?
- So whats new about your business for judges to look at online?
Just some of the many aspects judges will be glancing over after 8 April 2012 when the nominations close and judging commences. Start making your business plans now to win one of the 12 coverted awards.
Diamonds – celebrating The Queens Diamond Jubilee
A spectacular exhibition at Buckingham Palace is planned to be staged later in the year at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace including the special exhibition Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration. Showing the many ways in which diamonds have been used by British monarchs over the last 200 years, the exhibition includes an unprecedented display of a number of The Queen’s personal jewels – those inherited by Her Majesty or acquired during her reign. The exhibition will reveal how many of these extraordinary stones have undergone a number of transformations, having been re-cut or incorporated into new settings during their fascinating history.
The Queens Diamond Jubilee
The Queens Diamond Jubilee Bank Holiday Monday takes place 5 June 2012. Exhibitions and events are now starting to be staged across the UK including portraits of Queen Elizabeth II by royal photographer Cecil Beaton at The V&A Musuem, London. This exhibition celebrates Her Majesty in her roles as princess, monarch and mother and coincides with the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. 8 February – 22 April 2012.
Fashion businesses across Sussex can also take this opportunity to learn how they can celebrate this event at the forthcoming Brighton & Hove Business Days presentations being held free for business visitors at The Holiday Inn 26 January 2012. Read more > Brighton & Hove Business
Fashion Businesses Across Sussex Invited
The ‘GREAT’ campaign was released during September 2011 showing off what’s great about Britain – a series of posters highlighting creativity to heritage, music to shopping and more. The hope that the Olympics and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee next year, to mark 60 years of her reign, will boost tourism, attracting an additional four million visitors, aided by a further billion pounds of free publicity.
LOCOG representatives – The huge organising body behind the Olympic Games – will be explaining how the campaign and Brighton, Hove and Sussex businesses can take every opportunity to market their products and services during this important year. The Sussex fashion industry is invited to the series of FREE presentations being provided 26 January 2012 along with other marketing opportunities and topics promoting @London 2012 including Business Contingency Preparation, ‘Leaders’, last tendering availability. Read More > Seminars and Workshops page
Retail Crime Survey
The British Retail Consortium’s (BRC’s) Retail Crime Survey 2011, published 16 January 2012 shows fewer incidents for many types of crime but each incident on average has been more costly and so total losses have increased sharply compared with the previous year.
The overall cost of retail crime has soared by 31 per cent to £1.4 billion as the sector is increasingly targeted by serious, organised criminals. This figure includes the value of goods stolen and damage done combined with the money retailers spend on preventing and tackling crime.
More than 35,000 retail workers suffered from physical attacks, verbal abuse and anti-social behaviour during the course of the year, excluding staff affected by the August riots. There were 26 incidents per 1000 employees last year, an increase of 83 per cent.
The estimated total value of goods stolen by customers across the whole sector was over £147 million, up £10 million on the previous year.
Read more from Stephen Roberston, British Retail Consortium Director General, and download the report from the BRC Website
Vogue Italia photoshoot
More wonderful fashion creations from Sussex designers including this stunning bridal shoot by fashion photographer, Eastbourne based, Luke Woodford www.imbourne.com and designed by Kevin Freeman of Renaissance Creative Designs of Brighton, finalist recently in The Sussex fashion Awards 2011, featured by Vogue Italia.
All rights reserved www.fashionsussex.co.uk
How to nominate your favourite fashion business 2012
We’ve added a special q&a feature about how your business can get nominated in The 2012 Sussex Fashion Awards >
Awards on offer
- Sussex Fashion Emerging Talent Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Eco Designer Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Outstanding Achievement Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Designer of the Year Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Best Place to Shop Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Model Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Photographer of the Year Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Independent Retailer of the Year Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Online Etailer of the Year Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Ambassador Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Childrenswear Award 2012
- Sussex Fashion Sportswear Award 2012
Fashion Sussex 2012 Seasons Greetings
Seasons Greetings
With special thanks to everyone who has helped during 2011 donating their time to promoting British, Sussex and Brighton & Hove design and manufacturing.
Suzie Turner for wonderful couture outfits provided for the second year Sussex Fashion Awards launch and voted Sussex Fashion Designer of the Year 2011 – Sarah Bird for photography voted Sussex Fashion Photographer 2011 – Tess Dimos the face of Sussex voted Sussex Fashion Model 2011
Branding and Identity by Jan Rust of My Identity Ltd
Shot on location at The Hilton Brighton Metropole
Elizabeth Taylor Fashions in Jewels
Elizabeth Taylor collections raises $157m from the sale of film icon Elizabeth Taylor’s jewellery, clothes, art and personal effects sold at the auction house Christies last week.
1,778 items were auctioned off over four days in New York breaking seven world records and surpassing all pre-sale expectations, the auction house revealed this week.
The sale set a world record for the most valuable sale of jewellery in auction history as well as the most valuable fashion collection offered at auction. Six items sold for more than $5m each, while a further 20 items sold for over $1m mark.
The most expensive lot was a 14th-century 50-carat pearl, diamond and ruby necklace called ‘La Peregrina’ which went for $11.8m – more than $8m over the estimated sale price. The piece was given to Taylor by her fifth husband Richard Burton in 1969, who purchased it at auction for $37,000. The late actress called the centrepiece stone “the most perfect pearl in the world”.
The auction, attracted buyers from 36 countires and marked the company’s first-ever online-only sale, which ran in parallel to the live auctions at Christie’s New York. The web auction generated over 57,000 bids and $9.5m in additional sales.
Taylor’s collection of impressionist and modern art is scheduled to be auctioned at Christie’s London in February.
The actress died March 2011, aged 79. The bulk of the proceeds from the auction will benefit her charity, the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation.
*Source FT
Regional Sussex jewellers can take the opportunity to nominate their businesses in the forthcoming Sussex Fashion Awards 2012. Read more>
Lord Sugar debates the new funds for British Advance Manufacturing Supply Chain
Vince Cable recently announced the allocation of £125 million Advance Manufacturing Supply Chain Fund for British manufacturing.
Lord Sugar debated British manufacturing in the House of Lords calling for more support for British Manufacturing not just by the government but also by consumers.
In his address to the House of Lords on the 8th December, Sir Alan Sugar, highlighted two key points calling for the government to allocate some of its fund to finance incubator factories, left empty in industrial units, to help start up businesses to manufacture their products in the UK.
Lord Sugar was quoted as saying ” low cost merchandise can’t be manufactured (in the UK) but high quality can be” …
“ Remember when Made in Britain was a very proud statement for manufacturers… and I do believe that we are still capable of producing quality products in this country…”
He stated that the lack of patriotism from consumers could be addressed by a nationally recognised ‘Made in Britain’ logo which the government should ‘dip their hands in their pockets’ to fund.
Earlier 2011, a ‘Made in Britain’Marque was launched and profiled by Stoves, the renowned Aga manufacturers, who conducted research and designed an updated British Marque – highlighted by Fashion Sussex. Read more > http://fashionsussex.co.uk/new-made-in-britain-marque-for-manufacturers-in-brighton-hove-sussex-uk/
See more of Lord Sugars address on > you tube
The Mary Portas High Street Review of Shopping
Shopping and expert retail guru Mary Portas released her 28 point review of the long awaited High Street Report for The UK.
Her guidance report provided ideas and ways that the High Streets throughout the UK could aspire to attract new and retain existing shoppers and consumers of the future.
Fundamental to the report, that each town centre has it’s unique needs and that centre authority has the ability and power to address those needs to promote business as do those traders to ensure their business model fits and supports those areas.
Fashion Sussex is a growing fashion Trust, set up to promote regional fashion, where services are donated by numbers of experienced clothing & textiles retail and services professionals. The Sussex Fashion Awards were designed and awarded during 2011 which saw more than 700 interested public nominations vote for their favourites and awarded to 14 businesses and individuals across Sussex including retail outlets in a number of towns.
Winners such as
Walk In Wardrobe of Hove voted as Best Place to Shop in Sussex 2011 recently commented
…“It was just the lift we needed, and its fantastic to be rewarded“…
Suzie Turner winner Sussex Fashion Designer of The Year 2011 stated
‘I was thrilled to be chosen Sussex Designer of The Year ‘
Gossypium, the E’tailer and retailer of Lewes, Sussex winners of The Sussex Fashion Eco Award 2011
“Wining the Fashion Sussex Eco Fashion award meant alot to us simply because it is local acknowledgement”…
You can read more about what Mary Portas has to say – and it’s clear that involvement on the High Street such as The Sussex Fashion Awards can motivate the consumer and enhance the shopping experience further > Mary Portas Report December 2011
Fashion Sussex Blog 