Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.fashion team.
Frasers to close Harvey Nichols’ Birmingham store after 25 years as luxury estate is reshaped
To say it's been a busy week for Frasers Group is an understatement. With relentless pace, the group announced that it was launching a new comprehensive luxury strategy; converting two Harvey Nichols regional stores into Flannels outlets; closing the department store's Birmingham location; increasing its Burberry position and investing in sportswear company Under Armour.
Apart from Under Armour, which I'll get back to, everything points to Frasers kicking into gear its luxury growth ambitions, which it announced on Monday. By bringing together all of its UK and US luxury businesses and investments, which also include, for example, stakes in Mulberry and its nearly 48% stake in Hugo Boss, it's looking to create a larger luxury ecosystem with global growth ambitions.
For me, however, the biggest takeaway from the flurry of announcements is that Frasers' CEO Michael Murray re-emphasised the company's belief in and commitment to physical retail. Speaking to Vogue Business, Murray said the group's approach was now defined by "retail first and digital second".
Murray added that the company was open to investing in the Harvey Nichols London flagship store, and confirmed that Frasers had also acquired the buildings housing the Harvey Nichols stores in Manchester and Edinburgh, and does not plan to convert them into Flannels outlets.
As the world of luxury continues to come under strain from global economic uncertainty and market pressures, I will be very interested to see how Frasers will be reinvigorating the Harvey Nichols name and flagship locations.
Frasers' investment in Under Armour, meanwhile, speaks to the company's interest in the sportswear sector. Both Under Armour and Puma, which Frasers invested in earlier this year, are currently in a state of turnaround and aiming to redefine their brands. It looks like Frasers Group is taking the opportunity now to hedge its bets in each company's favour, suggesting it sees future growth opportunities in both.
Camilla Rydzek, Senior News & Features Writer.
Tesco sales boosted by online growth as retailer elevates F&F clothing offer
Grocery retailers are increasingly elevating their offers to drive cross-category shopping, a strategy that is gaining particular momentum in fashion. From more considered collections to enhanced digital experiences and improved product discovery, supermarkets are working to position their clothing ranges as destinations in their own right.
In recent months, this shift has become particularly pronounced. From George at Asda launching its biggest womenswear campaign in years to Sainsbury’s Tu unveiling what it describes as its most elevated womenswear collection to date for AW26, retailers are working harder to challenge perceptions of supermarket fashion.
Digital investment is also playing a key role in this evolution. Last month, Tesco launched a dedicated F&F websitewith a refreshed look and enhanced functionality, while also trialling virtual try-on technology at its Sandhurst Extra store.
And the strategy appears to be paying off. This week, Tesco reported higher sales for the first half of the yearand raised its annual profit outlook, despite warning that economic uncertainty was weighing on consumer confidence. UK online sales rose by 8.4% over the period, supported by the successful relaunch of its F&F clothing offer online.
Tesco Chief Executive Ken Murphy said the new F&F website was helping “even more customers discover and shop our full range of clothing”.
Together, these developments point to a broader shift in supermarket fashion, as retailers look beyond price and convenience to build more aspirational, digitally accessible clothing propositions.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
Karen Millen launches 30-piece collection in partnership with Harper’s Bazaar
This week saw Karen Millen launch a 30-piece capsule AW26 collection in partnership with glossy women’s fashion title Harper’s Bazaar, under a UK licensing deal with the magazine’s publishers, Hearst UK, which will see another edit launch for SS27.
It’s an interesting one as Debenhams Group-owned Karen Millen navigates its fashion way again, having recently returned to bricks-and-mortar retail after seven years in August, with three UK concessions opening in TFG stores.
Curated by the Harper’s Bazaar UK fashion team, the ‘Beyond the Season’ collection draws on Karen Millen’s specialist categories, including tailoring, outerwear, occasion dressing and elevated separates, “celebrating the enduring codes of British style through a modern editorial lens”.
The range also reimagines recognisable Karen Millen ‘hero’ pieces, such as the trench coat, blazer, occasion dress and white shirt, with contemporary proportions, modern silhouettes and luxurious fabrics.
I’m curious to know how much input the Harper’s Bazaar fashion team actually had in the range, but it makes perfect sense for Karen Millen to team up with them if its readers are its target audience. I’m guessing they must be, as it was Lydia Slater, Editor-in-Chief of the title, who got chatting to a woman wearing “a beautifully tailored Karen Millen dress” at a Harper’s Bazaar Privé members’ event - which ignited the interest.
What is also great for Karen Millen is that it now has such an authority in women’s fashion and lifestyle as Harper’s Bazaar jointly supporting the brand with a dedicated marketing programme, including social and influencer activity, affiliate marketing and an exclusive launch event.
It could be a very smart move for Karen Millen indeed, with Dan Finley, Group CEO of Debenhams Group, calling it “a powerful partnership between two iconic British fashion brands”.
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
Levi’s brings clothing repair initiative to London
One of the most useful things the fashion industry can do when it comes to sustainability is help people get more wear out of the clothes they already own. That is why I was interested in Levi’s bringing its Wear Longer Project to London, as it teaches young people practical skills to repair and look after their clothes.
My mother and grandmother are both extremely adept at mending clothes. Growing up, I would go to them after ripping my skirt in the playground or, later, when my tatty vintage jeans needed restitching in sixth form. I was always in awe of their huge sewing kits filled with colourful threads, but I was also afraid, and probably too lazy to learn how, to try fixing anything myself.
For my mother and grandmother, growing up and living in communist Hungary meant that repairing clothes and making them last was the only option. Today, when fast fashion makes new clothes so readily available, these skills can easily get lost – even though there is a desire to learn.
Levi’s research found that 43% of Gen Z consumers in Europe are more interested in repairing clothes or learning how to do so than older generations, despite many lacking basic repair knowledge. The Wear Longer Project is a positive step towards encouraging more young people to develop these skills and get more wear out of their wardrobes. It also highlights the role fashion brands can play in producing quality clothing that is designed to be repaired rather than discarded and replaced.
Catherine Rowe-Kosary, Junior Writer.
