There’s only a week and a half left until the UK’s biggest buying dates. From 13 – 15 February, Pure London in Olympia and Pure Spirit in Earls Court are bringing more brands, catwalks, seminars and features than ever. With so much on offer, and with free shuttle buses running between the two venues every few minutes, make sure to plan in at least two days to your diary to take it all in.
Registering for your free tickets to attend both shows is quick and easy at http://www.exporeg.co.uk/visit/sites/emap/pure/feb11/vis/reg.asp?PC=ebuzz – and you’ll save yourself £20 on the door.
Here’s how we recommend starting off the show to make the most of it.
On Day 1, head to Earls Court for Pure Spirit, kicking off your day at the buyers’ survival breakfast. Here you can enjoy a tasty complimentary breakfast of bacon baguettes, pastries, tea and coffee. Plus, catch a glimpse of Olly Murs on stage; pick up a free event guide and bespoke Spirit shopper bag; and take advantage of a number of exclusive offers from media partners RWD and Drapers.
At 11am, experience the Next Generation designers and Best of British brands on the catwalk at Earls Court, before heading to Pure London for midday to see leading trend forecaster, WGSN, translate their exclusive insights into a live catwalk.
Pure is your oyster, and to sum up, there’ll be:
1,100+ brands showing across the two venues
Contemporary and high-end brands exclusive to Pure London including DAY Birger et Mikkelsen, Stefanel, Nougat, Winter Kate, Fenn Wright Manson, Tatty Devine Jewellery, Veja and Bernstock Speirs
Trend-led men's and women's young fashion brands exhibiting at Pure Spirit including Pepe Jeans, Firetrap, Iron Fist, Custo Barcelona, Rare, Mina UK, Desigual and Skunkfunk
22 catwalks – twice as many catwalks as ever before across three stages to bring buyers the best of AW11
40% more seminars than ever – from easy steps to taking your shop onto the web, to advanced ecommerce, trends, range planning, to inspiring shop layouts from around the world
Celebrities and industry leaders – confirmed so far are Mark Heyes from Daybreak (formerly GMTV), Jessica Brown from Drapers, Eric Musgrave from UKFT, Katie Price, Olly Murs and Zandra Rhodes
Stitch – the UK's dedicated menswear and accessories trade show is co-locating with Pure Spirit at Earls Court
For the full event timetable click here
For the list of exhibiting brands click here
I had a terrible nightmare last night which I thought I would share with you. I was in my showroom and had two customers at the same time (this is something that becomes inevitable with Irish timekeeping habits!) and is something I dislike, as each customer really needs and deserves my undivided attention. I was trying to convince one of them to buy Falke tights and I was getting quite het up when they wouldn’t take notice of my brilliant message. Into the showroom walked about thirty members of my family including those I don’t get on with, as well as three strange French men!! It was a total nightmare as I was very obviously out of control and losing the customers.
That nightmare illustrates exactly where I am at the moment. It’s always the same at this time of year. Preparing for the beginning of the season is like preparing for a marathon. The build-up is intense and demands a huge amount of work and lots of perseverance.
I spent yesterday in London going through the two Jaeger ranges on their way in, Boutique by Jaeger and Jaeger London. There is always the worry before I see a new collection that it is going to be awful luckily they didn’t disappoint, each of them with great strengths and a completely different theme and customer. I know that Jaeger are already hugely successful in Ireland so I am hoping to build up the Independent Boutique trade so that women will be able to buy those gorgeous coats, knits and dresses in their local Boutiques.
Making appointments is on my ‘must do’ list at the start of every day and my pet hate. Anyway time to get back to the phone. Have a fashionable week ahead….
UP TO 85% OFF!
* Suecomma Bonnie from €99!
* Dresses from €25!
* Tops from €15!
* Jeans from €50!
Officially starts Friday but for our valued customers you can avail of our blitz prices from today!!
Must end Sunday!!
Here’s a taste of what’s in store!
Suecomma Bonnie Once-Off Blitz Offers!!
Were €500, Blitz €149.99!
Even more offers in store!!
Open until 8pm Thurs, 10-6 Mon-Sat and 2-5 Sunday!
For more info call 01-6799547
And check out our Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Alila/15182072612?v=wall
Look forward to seeing you all soon!
Ali and the gals at Alila xxx
Seasonal Events.....Valentine’s Day.
Seasonal events can often be hard to portray in a boutique. Take Valentine’s Day for example I often get asked do I need to make a window for this?
Making a window or promotion all depends on if you feel the effort you put in will add any sales to your till. So if you hang three hearts in your window, will this make an impact and make people want to buy or will it go unnoticed? Many times I feel it’s best to either do something OTT and use it as a marketing idea or just let it pass on by.
Some ideas could be:
1. Use the window to promote a local wedding!
2. Prepare an event to take place in the store for Valentine’s Day!
3. Do something for all the single ladies out there!
Men are meant to buy us ladies a gift for Valentine’s Day and making it easy for them when they (or if they) dare to enter a ladies boutique is key to selling. After working in the men’s area for some years we constantly found straight lines in our displays with no frills and VERY large price signs worked best. We would always also never have any large displays near the offer area and keep it to a location near the door.
I often see stores make a red section somewhere in their store, by adding all the clothing that fits in this category into one wall area or fitting, the trouble here is so many retailers do this that it can become over kill. I would say try something subtle and keep it really clean and simple maybe just some dinner date ideas and if you can add something as a free bonus if they buy one of these ideas even better.
Over the next few months we will have lots of small events such as ST Patrick’s Day, Easter and so on, my advice is unless it relates to your business then leave the frills to the supermarkets J
Rowena
Founded by Vicky Lewis in 1987, Vicky Martin began creating eveningwear and sexy daywear for young, confident women looking for an alternative to mainstream fashion. The label quickly attracted a large and loyal following in
the North West and in London, achieving impressive sales density, and throughout its development has retained
much of that early allegiance whilst gradually broadening its appeal. Customers are women with personal style who appreciate good design and individuality, and who sometimes enjoy being a little cheeky or girly.
The strength and continued success of the label is largely due to applied creativity and attention to detail. Initiation, design and creation are still all performed in-house at a Manchester based workshop, maintaining close interaction between the various stages of production. This has provided the flexibility to execute small runs and original effects, and allowed Vicky Martin to continue to achieve constant freshness and relative exclusivity.
Collections are based on fabrics sourced mainly in Europe, and extend across soft jerseys and lycras, delicate laces and chiffons, fluid satins, silk crepes, and distinctive prints. Considerable time is devoted to sourcing unusual trimmings and decoration to further Vicky Martin's ongoing pursuit of difference. Numerous celebrities favour the label for its design-led approach, and often order bespoke pieces for major events.
Vicky Martin garments are designed and made in the UK.
Vicky Martin runs her own successful boutiques in Leeds and through a very successful concession in Selfridges. Retail price points on the main range are €50 - €400, and on the limited edition 'Exclusive' label around €120 - €1200.
Her impressive speed to market and her ability to react to and spearhead new trends attract a growing celebrity following who also utilise Vicky's bespoke service. This service continues to grow in popularity due to the approachability of the brand and the attractive price points.
For Enquiries or a list of Stockists:
192 West
20B Fashion City
Ballymount
Dublin 24
Ireland
Phone: + 353 1 6870905
Email: sales@192west.com
I have had a mad week so far, as the ranges continue to arrive in and the appointment book fills up I am reminded of a person who is moving home. As it happens I’m in the middle of that too. It’s simple incredible how much stuff I have accumulated in the past years. I must have filled about ten large black sacks for either recycling or the tip at this stage. I’m like a demented woman, packing and throwing simultaneously and usually at midnight!
I bumped into the always smiling Ruth Ni Lionsagh today whilst running out for an overdue ‘coffee to go’ Ruth is the owner of Om Diva who has recently relocated to Drury Street from their old home in the Georges Arcade. ( I will be going in with my camera tomorrow to take a look around and will post a piece on my blog about it). In five minutes we had injected each other with positive business vibes. I am buzzing with a full diary and fabulous ranges to sell. Ruth is buzzing with her new venture which includes a ‘Sip and Stitch’ class and a space for emerging new designers. This sits alongside her traditional boutique which is thriving in its own niche area. The reason I tell you this is because there is nothing like ‘positivity’ to make you feel good and act accordingly. My prescription for this year is to make sure you find people who emit those ‘positive vibes’ and make sure you get your regular fill of them!
Have a fashionable week ahead…..
