Cover page 26/7/11 16:36 Page 1

02 - Sirco 26/7/11 16:23 Page 1

August/September 2011 33

new

s

New path for Felipe

Page 5

Simply’s the bestPage 6

News

Hop,skip andjumping ...

Page 8

INDEPENDENT shoe shops fromacross the UK are being asked tojoin forces to demand the govern-ment force websites to issue healthwarnings to parents.

The move comes after the Societyof Shoefitters realised that manyshops were spending time measur-ing children’s feet – only for parentsto try to copy the measurement andbuy the footwear online instead.

Spokesman Laura West said:“We’ve noticed more and more par-ents coming into shops to try to getsome sort of measurement for theirchildren’s feet but that means did-dly squat because is just a guidepoint for a qualified shoe fitter.People think they can come in andget the size – but it’s not that sim-ple and it’s so dangerous to theirchildren’s feet. There is no stan-dardisation in children’s footwear –each shoe fits differently. You can’tjust get a centimetre measurementand think that’s fine.”

Many online retailers offer print outguides to measure feet – which canactually come out the entirely wrongsize if your printer is not calibratedcorrectly. Some even offer videos,showing advice on how to measureyour child for a shoe.

Laura added: “To be frank, it’s bull.We are seeing more and more nineand ten-year-olds coming in withtrouble like damaged joints, toesturning inwards and it just illumi-nates what a massive problem weare facing with the internet allowingthis self service fashion when itcomes to children’s footwear.”

The Society believes the matter hasnot been helped by fashion either –slouchy boots, canvas pumps andeven high heels are all contributingto the declining foot health ofyoungsters.

She added: “We are now activelydiscouraging shop owners from giv-ing out any size information to par-ents and hoping to make themempowered to know that it is forthe best. We have to explain to par-ents that there is no straight for-ward sizing when it comes to chil-dren’s feet. It is a nightmare we arereally hoping to get the support ofshops on this – not just those whoare members of the society butevery one.“We are not saying that children'sshoes should not be sold onlinebecause we are realistic enough toknow that it would be impossible tostop and items like, Wellington's,slippers are only worn occasionally,so wont do too much damage, butwhat we are saying is that if chil-dren's shoes are advertised onlinethere should be a ‘GovernmentHealth Warning’ like on cigarettepackets, warning parents of thedangers of not having their chil-dren's feet professionally fitted and

any websites not displaying thiswarning in a predominant positionshould be taken to task by TradingStandards.“Shops are continually being askedto measure and having their timewasted when the customer walksout to buy elsewhere – more oftenonline.“With good shops closing monthlyand not being able to get a line ofcredit to bridge these difficulttimes, it is becoming harder to com-pete and therefore a lot of expert-ise is being lost due to this generalignorance and malaise of the sub-ject of fitting.”

Independent shoe shops are being asked to join a campaign to try to force the government to put health warnings on websites selling children’s shoes. Nicola Hyde reports.

Independents urgedto unite in call foronline health warning

Independent shoe shops are beingasked to join the campaign

Laura West

ITALIAN footwear brandSuperga celebrates its100th anniversary thisyear and has marked theoccasion by shooting anew campaign with Britishmodel and TV presenterAlexa Chung, left.Simon Bamber, CEO ofGLinvest – which owns therights for the brand in theUK, said: “We are excitedto have Alexa be part ofour story, especially for

the centennial yearanniversary. She is one ofthe most influential styleicons of our time and ahuge Superga fan. Her effortless style and personality suits our collection and brand.”The brand will showcaseits new collection for thefirst time at ModaFootwear on 14-16 Augustat Stand SE19.

Alexa helps Supergracelebrate centenary ...

03 26/7/11 16:50 Page 1

04 - Panama Jack 26/7/11 16:25 Page 1

News August/September2011 5

English stylemeans newpath for FelipeBy Nicola Hyde

AN American footwear designer whocame to the UK to learn how todesign trainers has ended up build-ing his brand around traditionalEnglish brogues.Felipe Simoes – originally fromArizona – came to London to studyat Cordwainers and was swayed bythe craftmanship that went intomaking traditional footwear.He said: “I started off really narrowminded – I just wanted to make myown sneakers. But now I’ve beenexposed to this whole idea of gen-tleman’s shoes made in a tradition-al way – and they had such class. “I really wanted to learn more aboutmaking them, I emailed anybespoke shoe maker in the worldthat I could find on the internet andoffered to go and work for threemonths for free, just to learn moreabout the craft.”A bespoke shoe company in Japaneventually offered to put Felipe upfor three months and teach him thecraft. He added: “These guys really werethe best you can get. They werethese three guys in a tiny workshopmaking these incredible shoes,these £6,000 red crocodile skinbespoke shoes. They hardly spokeEnglish and could barely understandme, but just to watch their skill wassomething I will never forget. Theirwork was impeccable and they were

my inspiration.”Felipe’s first collection features tra-ditional men’s shoes with a moderntwist, broguing which is hand-craftedwith brave colour palattes and anod to his more eccentric, sneakerroutes.He added: “My focus is always toend up with a genuinely craftedproduct. The manner in which it ismade is important. The materialchoices, the colours, the purpose ofit all. I want to try to fill spaces indesign by making products that Ipersonally would love to wear and Ifeel are different, or at leastattempted to apply details in a dif-ferent way than what is normallyseen. A shoe should be createdwith care and designed with everydetail in mind.”

Felipe Simoes

05 26/7/11 15:58 Page 1

6 August/September 2011 News

By Nicola Hyde

A FOOTWEAR graduate hassparked interest with her newcollection of leather shoes –which have only an upper andno inner.Chloe Stanyon, pictured right,who went to Cordwainers, hasbased her collection on theappearance of nudemannequins in shop windows.The design is focused on thequality of the finish of thestitching – with littleadornment or jazz.She admits she raised a feweye-brows when she revealedplans to focus on thedevelopment of wet-moulded construction –where the leather is soaked in water andshaped and formed around the wooden last.She said: “In the beginning, it was just aboutdoing something different and creating a newform.“Tan is one of my obsessions, I have nevergone for glitzy shoes. I never look twice atthose studded, bejewelled ones. I like to keepthings simple and highlight the way it isdesigned – the small details that can only beshown up on a plain canvas. “People who first heard my concept of wet-moulding with no inner were a bit dubious as towhether it was going to work but actually it

solves a lot of problemstrying to smooth outsurfaces only the once.”Chloe’s aim is to launch herbrand to cater for abespoke and handmademarket – as she believesconsumers are losinginterest in High Streetduplicates.She added: “I’m not one ofthose people who is anobsessive shoe lover – butthe idea that footwear is atrade for a way of making aliving and having a skillreally appealed to me. “I love vintage – all of my

shoes are second hand because I find themmore interesting and I just think that when youfind something like that – something one of akind – you get a real buzz.“That’s like having a handmade pair of shoes. Ithink footwear is drowned by the High Streetand I think there will be a shift back to qualityand care taken over things that will last sometime and have a bit of personality to them.“It is much better to walk down the streetknowing you have a pair of shoes that you wontspot ten other people wearing – somethingquite special. “That is disappearing a little but always be a place for someone producing qualityitems.”

Simply’s the best

CAMEL Active is further developing its women’srange after noticing an increase in interest forfunctional shoes.The company admits it has a long-standingrelationship with WL Gore – for the Gore-Textechnology – and that is set to continue as thecompany looks to capitalise on the women’strend.A spokesman said: “The many years ofcollaboration with Gore-Tex is best known in winter footwear, but that’s just thebeginning. “Through the close partnership with WL Gore

and Associates, Camel Active footwearhas by now integrated functionalelements into all shoesegments in the collection,any time – with anespecially increasing trendin women’s shoes.

The Camel Active licencepartner Gabor Footwear GmbHsupplies to the increasing female consumerdemand for functional shoes and the collection has been significantly extended in thatdirection.”

Company opts fora functional feel

06 26/7/11 15:25 Page 1

07 28/7/11 16:55 Page 1

8 August/September 2011 News

A DESIGNER from Huddersfieldwho hasn’t even graduated yet willsee her footwear and bag designshit the shops in 2012 after win-ning a competition with Gola.Jennifer Brook, a second year stu-dent at De Montfort University,was one of 36 students chal-lenged by the brand to come upwith new designs that reflected itshistory and heritage.She took inspiration from sportsactivities such as running, swim-ming and the long jump with thelayout of running tracks and printsof the words ‘hop’, ‘skip’, and‘jump’ featuring prominently in thedesign.Jennifer said: “I really enjoyed thewhole experience of this chal-lenge, from working on the brief tointeracting with designers and vis-iting the head offices in London.“It’s exciting to know that thedesigns I created will be availableto buy in the shops. My designsare innovative because they inte-grate aspects of athletic activitieswith fashionable designs that canbe used for branding across notonly the shoes, but bags, t-shirtsand packaging.”In April 2011, Gola’s PR and mar-keting manager Donna Hill andhead designer Andrew Sutton invit-ed the students to their studios in

London to present their collectionsand judge the competition.Donna Hill said: “We wanted toset a brief for a capsule collectionthat would get people excitedabout athletics and sport. Wewere really impressed by thethought process behind Jenny’sdesigns and were excited to see

how she would progress with heridea. From start to finish, Jennyexecuted her ideas very well andproduced something that wouldwork commercially for our targetmarket.”Jennifer was also awarded £500for creating the collection, whichGola has named Next Generation

to celebrate and represent youngand upcoming design talent.Fellow footwear design studentLoretta Glendinning, 23, fromHackney, London, was named therunner-up of the competition, win-ning £150 for her trainer designsbased on vintage styles worn in1948.

Hop, skip and jumping to success

Independent shoe shop owners Tony and Carole Baker have won a two-night break in Dorset. The couple – who own Peppermint in Dartford –won the weekend break after entering a competition run by the JacobsonGroup that rewarded customer loyalty.

Jon Paul Grogan as beenappointed as sales execu-tive for the Jacobson Groupfor the Babycham footwearbrand. He will be responsible forselling the brandedfootwear and accessoriesto key, targeted accountsalongside his current roleselling Gola Classicsfootwear and bags.The Babycham collectiontargets the young femalewho likes fun and spiritedfootwear and will retailfrom this season (Spring,Summer 2011.)

08 26/7/11 15:28 Page 1

09 28/7/11 14:45 Page 1

10 26/7/11 16:08 Page 1

feat

ures

August/September 2011 11

Welcometo Moda ...

Starts Page 13

Californiatheming ...

Page 16

Features

Made in England Pages 20 & 21

Six up-and-coming footwear designers have been hand-picked to beshowcased to the trade as part of a special partnership between Pureand the British Footwear Association. Nicola Hyde reports on who madethe grade.

Chelsea Paris

CLEO B

Michael Lewis

Minna Parikka

‘THE Designer Collective’ willlaunch at the August show witha talented line up of emergingfootwear designers, picked by ajudging panel of industry lead-ers.

Chelsea Paris, CLEO B, FreyaRose, The Michael Lewis ShoeCollection, Miista and MinnaParikka made it through theselection process and will beshowing at Olympia’s UpperGallery this season.

Their collections will also beshowcased to British fashionicon Zandra Rhodes, who will be given a tour of theirstands after she appears on the Pure stage on theMonday.

Pure’s head of footwear VickyOgden said: “It is one of ourkey objectives at Pure Londonto nurture emerging talent, andnot only will the FootwearDesigner Collective give theseamazing brands a springboard,it will offer our buyers some-thing fresh and innovative tomake their collections standout next season.”

The brands are:

� Fashion-forward footwearbrand Miista is based inLondon’s Hackney, founded byLaura Villasenin. Standingagainst uniformity in a worldthat has become cluttered withcarbon copies, Miista brings anuncommon beauty to thestreet.

� British luxury label, CLEO B,which launched in 2008,embodies the charisma anddesign flair of its founder CleoBarbour. With a standaloneboutique in Belgravia, andstocked by London’s DoverStreet Market, Cleo B has beennamed as the new shoe

brand to watch by BritishVogue, The Financial Times andGrazia.

� Luxury womenswear design-er Chelsea Paris combines bolddesign elements from the oldworld of French culture, withAfrican heritage and Britishsensibility. The shoes are allhandmade in Italy.

� With exquisite special occa-sion and bridal shoes, FreyaRose will showcase the veryfinest materials, such asFrench lace, freshwater pearls, cubic zirconia and heels adorned in mother ofpearl.

� Fast gaining internationalrecognition, The Michael LewisShoe Collection are known fortheir high-fashion design aes-thetic and superb Milanesequality.

� Helsinki-based MinnaParikka’s accessories havegraced the feet of women allover the world, including LadyGaga, Fergie from the BlackEyed Peas, Paloma Faith, BethDitto from the Gossip, and Ditavon Teese.

Richard Kottler, chief executiveof the BFA, said: “Pure has gota proven record of dealing withyoung and up and comingdesigners but because it’s aLondon show that means it’san expensive one and somenew companies just can’tafford it.

“Shops always have to offersomething different but theydon’t have time to see everydesigner that comes knockingon their door.”

Pure London will also be sup-porting the Footwear DesignerCollective once again on 12 –14 February 2012.

Showcaseopportunitygiven toemergingdesigners

11 28/7/11 16:36 Page 1

12 August/September 2011 Features

Out on a Limb cover storyEditor’scomment

INDUSTRY experts are planningto appeal to retail guru MaryPortas for help in stopping thegrowing trend of independentshoe shops going out of business.The week, Out On A Limb spoketo Laura West, from the Societyof Shoefitters, who says shethinks it’s about time the industry asked for help from anexpert.Laura’s biggest concern is oneshared across the industry: credit. There was a time when retailershad halcyon days of being able toforward order on credit withouthaving to worry about scrapingthe cash together up front andhaving to turn over stock fast togenerate cash to buy new.An increasing number of suppli-ers have been forced to tightenup their regulations as they haveto insure the debt – and insur-ance companies have becomemore strict.People who might be thinking ofsetting up as an independentshoe shop are soon put off whenthey discover they may not beoffered any credit at all – andmay have to pay up front for alltheir orders – of which only 60per cent may sell, leaving themwith a cash flow issue for nextseason.If retailers are late paying a bill, ifthey forget, or delay the paymentdue to a lack of cash – it’s allnoted and goes against theircredit lines.As Laura put it: “It’s a slipperyslope – there has to be some-thing we can do. I would be de-lighted to speak to Mary Portasabout this nightmare situationour industry is heading towardsto see if she has any ideas.”Added to this, rising rates, apathyfrom consumers and independ-ents who feel they are beingsqueezed out of the High Streetand it is a worrying time for theindustry. But we have faith: wethink there’s good news outthere.OOAL would love to hear fromindependent shoe shops who feelthey have story to tell. If youthink you offer something uniqueand would like to be featured inour magazine for free, emailnl@whpl.net with a brief outline ofwhy you think we should featureyou.

Nicola Hyde Editor

FOR Spring Summer 2012, HushPuppies welcome's everyone onceagain to ‘Feel the Hush’. Not just abrand campaign, ‘Feel the Hush’ isa celebration of Hush Puppies’ corebrand values – casual, comfortable,style. The campaign takes inspira-tion directly from the brands her-itage and iconic Basset Houndwhich combines a soft, lovable andyouthful spirit that has defined thebrand right from the start. Hush Puppies continues to draw onits heritage for SS12; successfullycombined with young innovativedesigns to create stylish, desirableand comfortable products. The 1958 collection continues to be

one of the brands key focuses. Thecollection is inspired by the rich andauthentic heritage of Hush Puppies.The 1958 collection brings forwardHush Puppies’ original comfort,offering a classic approach to con-temporary styling. SS12 sees theintroduction of a collection of ladiesleather veneer stacked heels allwith wolverine suede uppers in aselection of vibrant colours, ideal for

the summer season. ‘Laid back luxe’ a collection

of men’s casual footwear is introduced for SS12.

This very simple uncomplicated footwear withovert comfort embodiesrelaxed style and isoffered as a boot, laceup and slip on, all with

wolverine suede uppers. This greatcollection of ultra casual footwear isabsolutely Hush Puppies – soft,unlined, deconstructed and laid-back. As the general trend in ‘sports’footwear continues to look morerelaxed. The Body Shoe collectionfor SS12 offers the casual stylethat the consumer is looking forwhilst maintaining a strong holdwithin the health and wellness cate-gory. For the children’s collection, onlyHush Puppies is able to offer aunique set of precisely calibratedfoot beds for each shoe, allowingeach foot to be fit individually forboth width and depth. For SS12,there is an extensive back to schooloffering providing a wide array ofchoice. Hush Puppies the Global leader incasual footwear. Hush Puppies will be exhibiting atModa Footwear on Stand X4.

For more information call AndyCockayne on: 0207 860 0100 orvisit: www.hushpuppies.com/uk

Feel thehush ...

12 26/7/11 16:54 Page 1

13 26/7/11 16:16 Page 1

14 August/September 2011 Moda Preview Features

Welcometo Moda ...SEMINARS on e-commerce selling,stock management and turningprofit will be on offer at thisseason’s Moda event, to be held atthe NEC.The free seminar programme willsee experts covering a variety ofkey topics – Dennis Reid, chairmanof Retail Performance Specialists(RPS), will talk about taking abusiness to the next level of growthand look at the strategies used byan award-winning independentretailer to increase sales by 20 percent inside 12 months.David Mackley, managing director ofIntelligent Retail and SEOconsultant Peter Shorney, will leada discussion focusing on drivingsales on e-commerce websites.Retailers will have practical adviceto act upon to increase Googlerankings and how to create the rightfirst impression for a home page.A spokesman said: “Other expertspeakers addressing various retailissues include Thierry Bayle,director of fashion retailmanagement company,Management One, who will guideretailers through the golden rules ofstarting and developing a business.

The seminar aims to leave retailerswith a clearer vision of how toimplement practical tools for stockmanagement, marketing and alsohow to be a more effective buyer.Tony Scott, managing director ofRetail Spa, will be looking at howmoney can be saved in a businessif considered properly, advice willinclude keeping track of stock levelsand forecasting what these will beby the end of the season and howhaving these disciplines in place willultimately save cash and increasesales.”Iconic American brand Wrangler,urban trendsetters Drunknmunky,Italian plimsoll label Superga asworn by many famous faces andRocawear from hip hop star Jay-Zare just some of the major newnames that will be in attend-ance this season. German label Ara hits Modafor the first time with its range of high quality waterproof boots, newcomers Cocorose London will show a design-led range of hand-crafted

foldable pumpsand American new arrivalsZigiNYwill deliver a selection ofglamorous flats, heels and boots.The three-day event takes place on14-16 August 2011 at the NECBirmingham.

14 26/7/11 15:31 Page 1

Features Moda Preview August/September 2011 15

The new Front London range combines classic formal styles with modern touches. The aim of the brand is to provide styles that are in line with current trends and to give the wearer the comfort hedeserves.Shoes that can be worn all day in the officeand still look good and feel good when outfor the evening with mates.A spokesman added: “We also offer a goodinstock service which is a big plus for themodern independent retailer. By doing thisthe brand has become stronger by backingstyles that have sold well.”Front has aimed at the younger customer toowith key formal styles in boys sizes startingat size 33. see us on stand T5 – HALL 20Moda NEC

CAPRICE’S new Spring Summer2012 collection once again mar-ries up fashion and comfort.The colour palette goes from light,natural hues to indigo, orange andyellow with materials like velour,nubuck leather and smooth leather.Styles are trimmed with jewelstones, rhinestones and beads andCaprice has also attached a greatdeal of importance to sole design. A spokesman said: “For this newcollection, Caprice’s shoe creatorshave developed beautiful wedge

coverings which give the shoes thatspecial something. Highly flexiblesoles with a range of heel heightsmake walking a particularly comfort-able and pleasant experience.”A new H width catalogue for spring/summer 2012 with hand-sewn,ultra-light and highly flexible H widthdesigns will also be made availableto shoe stores ready for when thenew round of orders begins.

Shoes withthat specialsomething

ChathamMarine willlaunch itsSpringSummer 2012footwearCollection atModa onstand Y7. The companywill alsorelaunch itsentire clothingline at theshow building on the existing suc-cess of the G2 footwear line,which offers a unique two-yearguarantee.Managing director Philip Marshsaid: “The two year guarantee onour G2 range shows we really careabout the quality of our products,reflecting the confidence we havein them, and offers a real USP for

the retailer. “Our G2 deck shoe styles, Sloopand Schooner, were big sellers thisyear, really flying off the shelves,and for next summer we haveextended the range to include san-dals. “For the retailer, it’s an opportuni-ty for even greater growth in ourkey summer business.”

15 26/7/11 16:20 Page 1

16 August/September 2011 Moda Preview Features

Legero will be launching its lat-est SS12 collection at Modathis season.The range features sport san-dals and casual wear which fea-tures things like breathableleather lining and fashionalwedge heels.A spokesman said: “Sport san-dals are the convertibles of theshoe world. When the weatheris hot, they’re more than justan essential piece of footwear –they’re also a fashion

statement. Simply being openon top is not enough. Fortrekking and athletic activities,they also have to have a lotgoing on on the inside – forexample, super-light, non-sliprubber soles, soft neoprene lin-ing and an anatomically correctwellness insole covered inmicro-suede. In other words:the best sandals have to offer acomplete package if they wantto attract the attention of cus-tomers.”

THE Rocket Dog footwear collectionfor Spring/Summer 2012 launchesat Moda with a mix of colours,textures, prints and finishingtouches. Ranging from beach flats throughsporty pumps to glamorous heels,the collection encapsulates theCalifornian roots of the brand.Additional animal and tribal printsadd depth to the variety of patternsavailable across the collection andthe spectrum of styles incorporatecut out detailing, metallics and

animal textures. Pure and simple is also a theme forthe SS12 collection, mixing floralprints alongside textiles includingcrochet, macramé and lace. Anatural vibe is embraced by thedesigners for summer and layeringand woven textures appearfrequently in a colour paletteinspired by canvas, hemp, cottonand raffia.The Rocket Dog SS12 collection willbe at Moda Footwear on standW10.

California theming

16 26/7/11 15:33 Page 1

17 - Noel 26/7/11 16:44 Page 1

18 August/September 2011 Moda Preview Features

The Gant FootwearSpring/Summer 12 collectiontakes inspiration from threethemes – All American Prep,An American in Morocco, andNavy Nautical.

The colour palette on thewomen’s range spans fromburnt tomato to azure blue witheverything in between. Wedgesare a key part of the collection,a variety of uppers on anespadrille sole.

There will also be a new sandalrange in soft leathers andsuedes with subtle branding tosit alongside shoe boots withlight suede uppers.

For Men, suede and canvasplay a big part in the Springrange with a fantastic selectionof loafers and chukka boots.Also on offer are a wide rangeof deck shoes with iconic Gantstyling.

Gant Footwear will be showingat Moda in August, stand X10.

Wedges play key rolein 2012 collection

MARUTI Footwear is workingwith Dutch shoe designerDick Boons to create a san-dal collection for Spring 12. The philosophy of Maruti andits passion for footwearensure a perfect collabor-ation; focusing on designinga sustainable collection usingunique products. The collect-ion consists of four sandalsin earth tones, consistentwith the Maruti colourpalette. Sitting alongside thisis a selection of ballerinas in

corresponding colours. Alsofor women are a good rangeof wedges, some bright,some tonal. The men’s collection seessporty sneakers on a uniquesole unit outlined in rope,inspired by the espadrillelook. There are also brushedsuede brogues in tonal col-ours and laceless shoes inwashed leather. Maruti willbe showing at Moda inAugust, stand X10.

A perfect collaboration

18 27/7/11 09:16 Page 1

19 - Camel 26/7/11 16:45 Page 1

20 August/September 2011 Features

IN THE 1990s, the Van Dal factoryin Norwich employed over 300people who were manufacturingaround 600,000 pairs of shoesevery year – but increasing costpressures meant eventually thecompany had to buckle, and sourcesome of its manufacturing overseas.It is still one of the UK’smanufacturing strongholds, with its

dedicated factory in Norwich stillemploying about 80 people whodeliver around 15 per cent of thecompany’s goods (roughly 1400pairs a week.)The family-run company has alwayssworn to remain committed to UKmanufacturing, and says the gapbetween UK manufacture and Chinais ever shrinking. This year, whilecelebrating its anniversary, the

Established for over100 years andmanufacturingshoes in Norwich for75 of those, theFlorida Group isleading a campaignto keep it Britishand is fighting for aresurgence of theMade In Englandethos. Nicola Hydereports.

Proudly keeping it Britishcompany plans to push forward witha drive to bring back interest in theMade In Britain ethos.Managing director Tony Linford said:“The whole idea about Made InEngland and handmade is becomingmore and more important in theminds of consumers and that trendis really growing. This whole idea ofenvironment and organic is makinga comeback. Cost pressure is stillenormous – but that gap isnarrowing all the time and I thinknow is the time we have tocapitalise on that.‘It’s certainly happening in otherareas, but the unknown quantity ishow quickly will consumersrecognise and pay the premium forMade In England footwear.“It’s not in our industry yet but Ithink its going to come and wewould be very supportive of thathappening.”At the moment, Tony estimates thegap in cost between UKmanufacture and China/ India isaround £5-a-pair cost to thewholesale price – adding around£20 onto the tag for consumers. Headmits its a big leap for retailers tomake in already difficult times.“I don’t have a magic wand but wehave to figure out how to squarethat circle for our retailers that arealready facing high rents andincreasing pricing demand fromconsumers.“The starting point has got to bethat the consumer is prepared to doit and we are keen to support thateducation process as to the workwe do here. We are in a position tobe a catalyst – we have to dosomething to protect the Britishpart of our industry as we havebuying functions and design goingout of the country all the time.”Florida Group chairman SimonGoodman says the shoe trade is inhis DNA. He took over from hisfather in 1984 and admits it waspainful for him to watch themanufacturing numbers drop fromalmost 10,000 pairs a week to1,400 now.

He added: “We don’t want to seethe skills dying out in the UKindustry. It’s all well and good goingto over seas manufacturers but wehave to say we can do it ourselves.Ilove it in the factory – it’s been mylife for a long time.“It’s been terribly sad watching thedemise of skills in the UK but nowthere is becoming a kudos for theMade In Britain label and peopleare realising that China is not thebe all and end all.“I remember the people who workedhere through the years, I rememberhow it was in the 50s when you'dhear the screams of the equipmenton the concrete floor and Iremember you had to walk theentire length of the factory to get tothe loos – and when you where inthere you could talk to the womannext door.“My first memory being taken by myfather in to the factory which was atthe top of a hill and he let me ridethat bike down the hill, gainingspeed as I went. I love it here – it’smy DNA.”

Florida Group chairmanSimon Goodman

PADDERS have designed acollection of special ladies shoeswith a regal red, white and bluetheme for the Queen’s Jubileecelebrations next year.

The two ranges have four super softleather moccasins Elizabeth,Victoria, Alexandra and Catherineand two elegant leather wedgesZara and Anne.

Both ranges reign with soft leatheruppers, linings and insoles,lightweight rubber or PU outsoles and a trade price of

£33.60 and £31.95.

The company is also offeringretailers the chance to win £500 ofhotel vouchers for the best windowdisplay during the Diamond Jubileefestivities.

Full details of the competition willbe released at Moda.

Padders will be holding court on standQ10 at Moda in August and G24, Hall 6

(new location) at GDS in September.Details from Mike on 01536 534970 or

email mike@padders.co.uk

Right Royal celebration

20 28/7/11 16:42 Page 1

Features August/September 2011 21

ONE of the UK’s last footwearmanufacturers celebrated its 75thanniversary in style by opening up itsfactory to shop owners so they couldsee how shoes are made.The Florida Group – behind the Van Dallabel – have been manufacturing inNorwich for 75 years and – despitegrowing pressure from overseas – stillmanufactures around 15 per cent ofits goods in the UK.During the 1990s Van Dal employedover 300 people who – in one yearalone – manufactured over 600,000pairs of shoes. In 2001, due toincreasing financial pressure,operations were established in Indiaand later, in 2005, in China – but thecompany is still determined to keepthe Norwich base going.

Managing director Tony Linford said:“In these 75 years, we have developeda lot of long-standing relationships.We’ve got a retailer that has beenwith us trading since 1957, andseveral others who have been with ussince the 60s and 70s – these arereally long-standing customerrelationships and we thought it wouldbe nice to just get together and tipour hat to them and the staff thathave remained loyal to us.”Around 80 staff are still based at thecompany now – Yvonne Lake and herhusband Alan have clocked up nearly100 years’ service between them afterthey both joined the company in the1960s and still work in themanufacturing side now.

Made with tenderloving care ...

21 26/7/11 15:36 Page 1

22 August/September 2011 Moda Preview Features

IKON Footwear continues torespond to current fashion trends,incorporating contemporary styleswith new leathers and a targetedcolour palette. Boots continue to beon trend with an evolving collectionof semi formal fashion shoes exem-plified by the ubiquitous brogue.For Spring/Summer 2012, Ikon are

expanding their offering of the cla-ssic brogue, with washed leathersproviding a vintage feel along withvibrant suedes, adding a splash ofcolour into your summer wardrobe.Key trends include a new A lineloafer and boat shoes in new exciting leathers and suedes.The Original Ikon range provides

“echoes of an era” with its retroinspired fashion footwear. From atassle loafer to a desert boot, or abowling shoe to a spatz style class-ic, the Original collection featurestimeless styles with a modern twist.

See us on stand U4 Moda UKTel: 02476 324670

Web: www.ikonfootwear.co.uk

Timeless styles with a modern twistSpanish brand Le Freak makesits debut into the UK footwearmarket at Moda this season.The company – which ispitching small orders forindependents – will be at standU8.

‘Shoes that fit like a glove’THE exciting new Spring andSummer collection from JJ Footwearis promising to redefine thestandards for both style andcomfort.The company’s unique fittingsystem means these shoes andboots fit like a glove. A spokesman said: “For manywomen the Spring/Summer seasonis a source of intensedisappointment as they see the newstyles enter the shops only todiscover they can’t fit into them. JJ

Footwear has the solution. Therange uses manufacturingtechnology refined over the last 10years to offer a full range of widthfittings and sizes.”Meanwhile the company hasreminded retailers that its NeverOut Of Stock Programme – or NOOS– takes the pressure of having tomaintain a full range for theAutumn/Winter season. With NOOSyou never need to suffer thedisappointment of losing a salebecause you don’t have the stock.

Nina Townsend, UK BusinessManager, JJ Footwear ,

nina.townsend@talktalk.net, mb 07713 597 138 Tel 01799 531 223

Our stand details at MODA areQ41 Hall 19

22 28/7/11 16:43 Page 1

23 - Bisgard 26/7/11 16:46 Page 1

24 August/September 2011 Kool for Kids incorporating Kids @ Moda Features

WHEN product developmentcompany Aegis Shoes Ltd took onthe brand licence for Pod footwearin 2008, it was very clear from theonset the direction in which theywanted to take the infants’ shoebrand Podlers.By adopting a design philosophy tocreate beautifully crafted infants’shoes, using superior qualitymaterials such as super soft leatheruppers, sturdy yet flexible genuinerubber soles and breathable fabricand leather linings, together withthe bold Podlers’ branding and useof bright block colours, the Podlers’identity was soon becoming recogn-ised as a brand in its own right. Three years on and the Podlers’philosophy is as strong as ever. Following the release of the AW11collection, the Podlers’ developmentteam have been working hard tosource new leather suppliers toachieve brighter and more diversecolour variations for the SS12collection, which holds host to acollection of lime greens, hot pinks,electric blues and pillar box reds.And despite rising material andproduction costs, Podlers have been

determined to keep their shoescompetitively priced whilst stillretaining the high quality that thebrand is known for. With so manyfootwear brands venturing down thesynthetic route, Podlers have placedeven more emphasis on their‘Quality you can trust’ campaign,which is strongly used throughoutthe core Pod ranges. Furthermore, because Podlers arekeen to support independentretailers, they offer low minimumorder quantities, giving them anopportunity to select a variety ofstyles and colour combinationsacross the range, without having tohold a huge amount of stock, whichfor many retailers is no longerpossible. The Podlers SS12 ‘Tea Party’collection is set to be the strongestcollection to date with styles suchas Strawberry Shortcake andLiquorice as the predictedfavourites. It will be premiered atModa on stand X9. (Look out for thePodlers’ toadstool)!Wholesale enquiries:T: 01234 240

440 F: 01234 240 901 www.pod-footwear.com

Quality you can trust

A RANGE of children’s footwear which uses a diagnostic system forlittle feet is making its foray intothe UK market and is showing atModa.

Although manufactured and soldacross Europe for many years,Memo shoes are now available inthe UK from Equip To Move Ltd.

A spokesman said: “The MemoDiagnostic system recognises abrasion zones in specific areas of the foot and acts preven-tively.

“Memo also produce a range ofshoe inserts that can be worninside the shoe to protect the foot.”

Diagnostic systemrange debuts at Moda

24 26/7/11 16:11 Page 1

25 27/7/11 09:18 Page 1

26 August/September 2011 Kool for Kids incorporating Kids @ Moda Features

Agatha Ruiz De La Prada will showcase its new collection of children’sfootwear offering bright colours, eye-catching trims and lush linings atModa.The event, in August, will host the largest selection of children’s footwearbrands in the UK this season. New signings to watch out for includePablosky, MAA, Manuela de Juan, Popsies, Memo Shoes, Stuart Weitzmanand Chipmunks. Joining the newcomers will be returning brands Garvalin,Lelli Kelly, Ricosta, Robeez and Primigi.

Dinosoles, the patented shoes with a 3-D rubber dinosaur on the side,flashing led eyes and a dinosaur footprint, will be showing at Kids atModa.

Chipmunks is a new collectionof children’s shoes which willbe appearing at Moda.The majority of the range ismade from leather with boots,shoes, sandals and also light-weight canvas making up thecollections.

Designed in Italy, made in Croatia and nowcoming to show in the UK – superbrandFroddo will be making an appearance atthis year’s Moda show. The brand – whichhas sizes ranging from sizes 17-40 – hasheld super brand status since 2009. It will be showcasingits new collection.

26 27/7/11 09:19 Page 1

August/September 2011 27

product showcase product showcase

Strip awaythe pain

Page 27

Turning oldinto new

Page 28

Product showcase

Romance isin the air ...

Page 27

product showcase

ROLLASOLE is the stylish and affordablesolution to high heel pain with its patent-ed roll-up pumps.

They come stylishly packaged with a sep-arate carry bag for those painful stilettos.

The quality of the product combined withstrong branding has seen Rollasole fea-ture at the 2010 and 2011 GoldenGlobe Awards and become best sellers insome of the UK’s biggest fashion retail-ers.

Rollasole can be sold in both 'footwear'and 'accessory' departments and contin-ues to develop exciting new designs striv-ing to become a globally recognisedbrand synonymous with innovation, styleand affordability.

Funky and foldable optionfor big night-out

TIPSY Feet are catering for the add-on sale market with a funky rangeof foldable, flat shoes designed tosave the soles of ladies’ feet aftera big night out.The shoes fold up to be packedinside a handbag and have been onthe market since 2007. Now, thecompany has a wholesale-only web-site and five designs have beenupdated.Spokesman Mike Irving said: “TheTipsyfeet come in a patented,colour co-ordinated pouch thatunfolds to become a shoulder bagin which the owner can carry dis-carded high heels and other person-al belongings. The Tipsyfeet havemany uses: not only are they per-fect for after-party purposes butthey’re also ideal for travel, drivingand formal business functionswhere heels may be required forstyle and presentation – at, say, ameeting – but are impractical forthe rest of the day.”

Stylish solution to high-heel pain ...

The new Spring Summer collection by Piccadilly focuseson romance with creamycolours, delicate details and flo-ral prints.Development director AnaCaroline Grings said: “Romanceis in the air but not the obvi-ous, cliché-ridden romance withruffles and red roses. This col-lection is subtly romantic; weuse minimalism, rosy and whitecolours and delicate details.” The trendsetting collectionincludes styles in lavender, seagreen, sky blue, orange androyal blue colours in manyoptions from sandals, flats, bal-lerinas, to wedges and smartheels.The collection will be at Moda.

27 26/7/11 16:18 Page 1

28 August/September 2011 Product showcase

product showcaseproduct showcase product showcase

CORDWAINERS graduate JayRosenburg says her innovative busi-ness idea is something the footwearmarket has never seen.It’s eco-friendly, sustainable and pro-vides fashion-forward clients withsomething guaranteed to stand out. J-Berg’s first collection features an eye-catching brogue – recycled from fourpairs of Clarks shoes bought fromBrick Lane. They can be worn in threedifferent ways. Another stand-out is apair of ankle boots which was madefrom recycled Dents gloves, handedover as surplus.Jay said: “Rather than living andbreathing shoes, I was more interest-ed in spotting gaps in the market andcreating something I could take fur-ther.“Everything had been done beforeand I wanted to do something differ-ent. I worked in the buying depart-ment for a High Street retailer andthere’s a lot of wastage and duplicat-ed products with the buyers going outand finding one thing and then bring-

ing it back and using detailing fromthat with detailing from another andthen duplicating the item and saturat-ing the market.“I didn’t want to have just anotherproduct. I wanted to do somethingsustainable, something to tackle allthe wastage in the industry.”Jay says her original idea came fromresearching vintage shoes. While sheappreciated the quality and design ofsome secondhand items, she admitssome clients just don’t want some-thing that has been worn before. Butby making it into something new givesthe footwear a back story – butmakes it new again.She said: “I create footwear that canbe art as well – so each one has ahook and if you weren’t going to wearit any more you can hang it on yourwall and appreciate it that way. Theshoes are designed to be worn a vari-ety of ways they can be laced up, leftopen, folded back – they are only lim-ited by the creativity of the personwearing them.”

J-Berg has plans to expand into bagseventually – and she has alreadystockpiled a collection of secondhand shoes ready to make into some-thing else. Now she’s looking for abrand to team up with, to build a col-lection using its surplus.She said: “All factories have to dealwith wastage – through surplus, oldstock or samples. I am looking for anongoing relationship with a footwearsupplier. A lot of companies don'thave the money to invest in someonecoming in and making their businesssustainable – we are all interested inthe environment and want to moveforward in a sensible way.“They don’t want to spend money onstoring it somewhere, and I can offeran opportunity to make it profitableand turn it into money without havingthe hassle of selling it on Ebay. “I really want to go for it now, while itis fresh and new. I don’t want to lookback and think I have missed mychance.”

The J-Berg collection islaunching this season witha collection of one-offdesigns that are madefrom cutting up old shoesand turning them intosomething new. Out On ALimb’s Nicola Hydereports.

How eco-friendly Jayturns old into new ...

28 26/7/11 15:39 Page 1

29 27/7/11 10:45 Page 1

30 August/September 2011 Product showcase

product showcaseproduct showcase product showcase

SUCCESSFUL out-sole manufacturerAmazonas has unveiled its first lineof colourful eco-friendly flip flops tothe public.

The range of flip flops is made ofrecyclable, recycled andbiodegradable rubbers that aregood for the planet – and Amazonasalso sources the raw materials fromAmazonia’s native rubber trees,providing employment for the nearbycommunities.

A spokesman said: “Sustainablecreativity is the main concept thatdefines the mission of AmazonasSandals; the brand wanted to offer creative and fun designs but with little or no cost to theplanet.”

“The Amazonas flip flops are madeof ecologically sustainable materialsincluding rubber that was recycledfrom scrap materials such as tyres

and shoe soles, as well asrecyclable and biodegradablerubbers.”

“This type of vulcanisedbiodegradable rubber is completelyabsorbed by the environment withinfive years and is broken down in away that its carbons can be usedagain by living organisms. Syntheticrubbers can pollute the environmentfor up to 700 years after use.”

The official distributor of AmazonasSandals is Ghetz Footwear.Contact: info@ghetz.com –

+44 20 3115 0002 – stand P18 Hall 19 Moda UK

Roll-out for flip flops ...

Supermodel GiseleBunchen hasannounced that sheis teaming up withIpanema for the fifthyear for a trend-ledfootwear collection.This year, the newIpanema GiseleBunchen rangetakes inspirationfrom delicateness,femininity and thebeauty of flowers.The sandals areformed by flowers, insurprising and modern compositions.Feminine lines full ofmovement make upthe insole prints,while flowerappliqués with metalfinishes lend a special touch.

DAME Shirley Bassey has catapult-ed an up-and-coming footweardesigner into the spotlight afterwearing a pair of her custom shoesto a red carpet event.Emily Lamb custom-made a pair ofSwarovski encrusted silver slingbacks for Dame Shirley to wear tothe Scottish Fashion Awards afterEmily was nominated as AccessoryDesigner for 2011.She said: “I was thrilled to learnthat Dame Shirley Bassey fell inlove with the silver, hand-crystalledshoes I created specially for her anddelighted that she whisked themaway to wear for a string of sell outperformances.“I’m currently very busy with cus-tom-made shoes, which are experi-encing a real growth in demand,ahead of preparing my spring/sum-mer 2012 collection at London

Fashion Week in September –and I’ll be sending a personalinvitation to Dame Shirley to join me at London FashionWeek to thank her for her sup-port.”

Dame Shirley Bassey was intro-duced to the label by ScottishFashion Awards founder Tessa

Hartmann. She said: “She wasquite taken with Emily’s slingbacks and said they would makethe perfect performance shoes.They were exquisite and, just bylooking at them, I thought theywould be perfect for the Dame –thankfully, so did she, she lovedthem.”

Basseybreak fordesignerEmily ...

30 28/7/11 16:44 Page 1

31 26/7/11 16:28 Page 1

acce

ssor

ies

3322 August/September 2011

Inspired by thelove of origami

Page 33

Mum’s inspirationPage 34

Accessories

Company bagsnew collection

Page 33

By Nicola Hyde

A NEW, luxury handbag brand is aiming tochallenge the reputation of the Made In Chinalabel by having all her premium leather bagsmade there.

Chinese-born Eting Liu – a graduate of theLondon College of Fashion – has launched herfirst collection this season. Made fromexpensive leathers, her high-end self-namedbags are inspired by the quintessential Englishvibe of a Chesterfield sofa.

She said: “My brandposition is affordableluxury, and I fully intend tomanufacture in Chinawhich will bring down thecost even further.

“My main aim is tochallenge the Made inChina label – people relateit to a cheap, low qualityproduct which I feel isquite unfair.

“I know this is based onhistory but past is pastand the situation haschanged. Guccimanufacture in China now– it is going through a process of change, thereis a new generation of designers and ideasgrowing and the quality is improving all thetime.”

Eting’s first, flagship Autumn Winter collection iswholesaling from around £280 and usesbespoke finishing techniques with fine nappa.She has scooped a range of awards – she’sbeen nominated for The Curriers’ Cup forExcellence in Leathercraft Prize and shortlistedfor Professor Jimmy Choo Award.

She said: “I think it’s important as a new brandto test the market – buyers want somethingdifferent which is understandable as there are alot of products out there. It’s going to be veryexciting to go out there and see if people likemy style.

“I always want something that looks quiteunique and that is easy to match with any outfit.Most people spend loads of money on onehandbag and then go out and buy an outfit tomatch it. I want my bags to be an investment,something you can wear with anything, from adress to tee-shirt and jeans – that you can wearso many different ways that it is worth themoney you have spent on it.”

Etinggets ahandleon luxuryleather ...

32 26/7/11 15:41 Page 1

Accessories August/September 2011 33

Rocket Dog are expand-ing into the handbagmarket with a first col-lection next year,thanks to a new licensing deal.The company –which is knownfor its quirkypumps – hasannounced athree-yearlicensingagreementwith DSLLicensing Ltdfor RocketDog brandedbags forSpring Summer2012.Spokesman Cathy Taylor said: “Partnering withDSL will give Rocket Dog the opportunity tolaunch into a new category within the accesso-ry business. We are able to enlarge our portfo-lio and enhance our brand offerings while fur-ther penetrating into the Europe market.”The DSL team – based in London – has workedwith the Rocket Dog design team in Californiaon the styles for the new range which featuresshoppers, clutches and purses.

A HANDBAG designer has used her love oforigami to create a collection which has hid-den pockets and features.Sungmin Han, pictured right, a graduate ofLondon College of Fashion, has launched acollection which sees everyday bags trans-form into something functional.She said: “When I go shopping, I always gofor the handbags. In fact, my obsession gotso bad that my family told me I couldn’t buyany more bags – so I thought I’d designthem instead.“I really like origami – whenever I am satanywhere, I am always just folding a pieceof paper into something else. It’s just fasci-nating to me that something that starts outflat can become a 3D object and I loved theidea of making this translate to bags.“It took a lot of working out but I really want-ed to push the idea of having hidden pock-ets and bits that turned into somethingelse. One of the bags, when you unfold it,becomes an ipad stand.

“I think origamiis a very goodsolution formaking aninterestinghandbag thatcan becomesomethingelse. It didtake a longtime to figureout how itwould fold inand how to sew it to hold the structure but Igot there eventually.“My starting point was if a product has afunction but it is hidden, how I can over-come the limitations of such a design. Thebag appears to be the same as other bags,but if one section is pulled out, it will be adifferent shape, or its features can bechanged if it is reorganised. So I thoughtorigami is one of solution if I use it.”

Sungmininspiredby love oforigami ...

Companybags newcollection

33 26/7/11 16:56 Page 1

34 August/September 2011 Accessories

FAISAL Shah’s love for jewellerystemmed from childhood – hismother is a jewellery hoarder andtook him on exotic trips across theworld to find bargain gemstones.Travelling through Thailand andBangkok, Faisal spent his childhoodwatching his mother barter forgemstones and commission piecesfrom designers across the globe.He said: “In the 80s, I remembergoing with my mother and shewould have the most fabulousthings. It was watching her thatmade me realise I was at acrossroads, and it was something Ijust had to do.“I always remember my mum hadthe most amazing collection ofjewellery and she also collectedprecious and semi precious stones– she would collect ones thatcaught her eye and then designsomething herself and have it made

by these most skilled crafts people.“It was the most amazing experi-ence – my mum would travel theends of the earth to find good jewe-llery and good stones. She knowsher stuff and she would knowexactly where to go to buy the mostamazing things and I would be befascinated by watching how thesepeople made something like a rawstone into something so beautiful.“One of my earliest memories iswhen in the 90s my mum wasbuying in Bangkok. She’d readabout this place that was like alittle village that sold stones andwanted to find it – she didn’t haveany road sense and we travelled forfour hours to get to this little town.It was a dusty little town but sheknew what she was about. She satherself on this chair and made itknown why she was there andtraders started coming up to her to

show her their goods.“I remember this one man came upand he was really fat – he’d gotsapphires tucked into the rolls ofhis stomach. That’s something I willnever forget. My mum was thrilledwhen I told her this was what Iwanted to do – she’s my biggest fanand she’s always coming up withideas of what we could do.”Faisal has just graduated from theLondon College of Fashion and isnow working on his first collectionwhich will be manufactured. His aimis to provide modern, fashionablejewellery made out of semipreciousstones at an affordable price point.He added: “Jewellery shouldn’t beworn once and thrown away. Itshould be kept and treasured. Ithink when you are dressing up bestpart of is it putting your jewellery on– it just finishes it off. If you aregoing to spend money onsomething, you should be proud ofwearing it. Buying a piece ofjewellery is so important, you buy itto wear for an occasion and whenyou look back it’s like bookmarks inyour life.“I have seen a lot of designerjewellery made out of rhinestonesretailing at £1,000 if you are goingto pay something like that then whycan’t you have semi precious orprecious stone – something that willlast.”Faisal’s collection was based onfossils and minerals and he usedinspiration from their shapes tocraft his jewellery. He made a namefor himself at LCF for coming upwith a faster way to create ajewellery prototype using moderntechniques.“I genuinely do believe there is amarket for my kind of jewellerywhich is very original and well madebut not too expensive.”

Jewellery designer FaisialShah is looking to providesemi precious jewellery atthe same price point ascostume rhinestones forboutiques across the UK.Out On A Limb’s Nicola Hydemet him to discuss theunusual move and how hegot in to jewellery design.

Faisal’s childhoodmemories inspireglittering career

34 26/7/11 15:46 Page 1

35 26/7/11 17:12 Page 1

By Ian Tomlinson,executive chairman, Cybertill

Power to the People

Is there anything as powerful as theinternet? It has brought down gov-ernments and businesses. Look atthe revolutions in the Middle Eastand North Africa as governmentsfall and people are mobilised by theinternet and social media. Twittercampaigns lead to advertisers boy-cotting The News of the World, so itwas unceremoniously dumped byNews International. This is trulypower to the people!

Then there is the rise and rise ofonline fashion retailer ASOS.

What can independent retailerslearn from this? For me it is ‘ignorethe internet at your peril’. There arebusinesses that believe they don’t

need an ecommerce site. This is sofrustrating on many fronts, forexample how many times have youbeen in a store and seen somethingand not bought it, only to go onlinelater that day and buy it. There arehundreds of reasons for independ-ents to set up an ecommerce busi-ness. And when speaking to inde-pendents there seems one overrid-ing reason for not being online andthat is FEAR. It is now easier andcheaper to set up an ecommercesite than ever before.

For example, Cybertill clients canmanage their ecommerce sitedirectly from the EPoS system. Theycan add and remove products sim-ply by ticking a box, and the stocklevels are all in real time so youonly ever sell what you have instock. This also removes the ongo-ing cost of having someone manage

your site for you. This is just oneway of creating an ecommerce siteas there are many, many moreoptions. Today, there is no reasonwhy an independent retailer cannotbe online taking advantage of theworld wide web.

Ian Tomlinson

36 August/September 2011

busin

ess

+te

chno

logy

Power tothe people ...

Page 36

Schuh staff setfor takeoverwindfall ...

Page 37

Business andtechnology

Organisationannouncesaward successes

Page 36

Power to the people ...

Small exporters warnedover legal minefieldBy Nicola Hyde

SHIPPING experts DHL say smallfootwear brands who are looking toexport into foreign markets havelegal minefield to get through –especially when selling outside theEuropean Union.

Experts at DHL Express say there isa raft of quirky and unusual cus-toms regulations – in Gambia onlyodd pairs of shoes can be importedand in Mexico shoe samples to besingle shoes only and must bemarked or mutilated through thebottom sole

In Nigeria, all leather and plasticfootwear is prohibited, while hand-bags, belts, wallets, purses andsuitcases of leather and plastic arealso not allowed. In South Africa,shoe samples must be mutilatedand stamped, while pairs are pro-hibited and in India they have to besingles or odd pairs to avoid highduty.

Phil Couchman, CEO of DHLExpress UK, said: “Many customsregulations are based on complexlocal issues which can be difficultfor a UK small business to antici-pate and prepare for and UK busi-nesses often take for granted thefree movement of goods permittedwithin the EU.“Just because we live in a glob-alised world of international tradedoesn’t mean that quirky customswon’t stop you getting your productto market. Not knowing thesedetails could mean the differencebetween making a sale and winningin brand new markets.”A spokesman added: “The impor-tance of export markets for growingsmall fashion businesses is not tobe underestimated – especiallywhere key growth markets are likelyto be overseas – the current valueof all British trade is already in thehundreds of billions and researchshows that half of SMEs currently

exporting expect demand for theirproducts to grow in the next sixmonths.”

Phil Couchman

THE organisation which promotesthe UK’s footwear manufacturingbase has announced two morepeople have passed its awardsscheme.

Penny Fevola of Topshop andMatt Kirton of SATRA have bothreceived the SATRA AccreditedFootwear Technologist (SAFT)award after completing training.

It covers five key areas offootwear: lasts and fitting,materials and constructions,laboratory test procedures,

product design, performance andrisk assessment, and qualityassurance/supplier auditing.

Penny said: “I feel moreconfident when talking tosuppliers and more assured whenmaking decisions at work.

“It was daunting having to revisefor exams again, and it was oneof the most challenging tasksthroughout my career.”

Both Penny and Matt werepresented their awards by SATRA

chief executive Austin Simmons.He said: “It is great to see themachieve so highly in such avaluable qualification.

“There has been a lot of talksurrounding footwear engineeringand its return to the UK, so thisaward is a great way ofdemonstrating how SATRA stillteaches traditionalmanufacturing skills and how weare helping people employed inthe UK industry understand theimportance of footweartechnology.”

Organisation announcestwo more award successes

36 26/7/11 16:58 Page 1

Business and technology August/September 2011 37

A CHILDREN’S footwear retailerwhich has five shops acrossYorkshire has introduced asuccessful loyalty scheme toentice in more customers.Hopscotch Shoes was founded bymum of three, Maria Atkinson, in2005 – and all staff are fullytrained shoe fitters. And Mariasays the service Hopscotchprovides is made even morepersonal due to the loyalty

scheme. She added: “The loyaltyscheme, helps us keep track ofhistory and allows us to notecustomer accounts, this is so wecan ask customers how they aregetting on when they next visit.” All the shops use an EPoS systemfrom Cybertill which is entirelyweb-based and allows for smarterstock control, and instant accessto do mark-downs and sales onranges.

Loyalty scheme keepscustomers coming back

Schuh staff set for cash windfall after takeoverHUNDREDS of staff working forScottish footwear company Schuhare to claim a cash windfall after atakeover.The payments were announced afterUS company Genesco stepped in tobuy the company in a deal worthover £125m. It is thought that thestaff still working for Schuh at thetime of the pay-out could get anaverage of £16,000 each.Schuh currently operates around 59stores and 16 concessions in theUK – mainly selling casual and

athletic footwear.Genesco bought it for £100m – andincluded in the sale is the bonus forstaff and another one, worth £25m,for members of the Schuh manage-ment team, which will be paid in2015, subject to the businessreaching its performance targets.Genesco spokesman Robert J.Dennis said: “Schuh provides uswith an immediate and establishedretail presence in the UnitedKingdom, a highly experiencedinternational management team,

and improved insight into globalfashion trends. Financially, theSchuh business is compelling, withattractive store economics and solidgrowth prospects.”For the fiscal year ended March 27,2011, Schuh generated net sales ofapproximately £164m with an oper-ating margin above nine per cent.Managing director of Schuh ColinTemple and finance director MarkCrutchley will continue in theircurrent leadership of the Schuh management team, which

includes seven division heads over-seeing store operations, buying, IT,human resources, ecommerce,merchandising, and logistics.Colin said: “Schuh has gained mar-ket share in recent years due to astrong product assortment and agrowing store base. We specialisein providing branded casual andathletic footwear styles that are inline with current fashion trends andwith a breadth and depth ofassortment that is difficult to findelsewhere.”

THE organisers of the footweartradeshow GDS say that arestructure of the concept and anew way of laying out the eventhas attracted many brands backto the show – after years of beingabsent.The show has split into 11different themes – and footwearbrands are situated in theircategories to make it easier forcustomers to find them.GDS director Kirstin Deutelmoser,pictured right, says the newlayout has already had a positiveresponse – even attractingtraditional brands who had beenabsent at GDS for a long time,like Geox.She added: “Everyone knowswhere to find what exhibitor. And

not just out of routine butbecause the themed worldconcept works and has foundequal acceptance amongst bothvisitors and exhibitors alike.” September sees establishedbrands like Geox, Farrutx andFratelli Rossetti returning to theshow.GDS is expecting a total of some

840 exhibitors from 37 countriesthis season – including brandsnew to the fair like AlvieroMartini, Ambitious, Bourne,Gianna di Firenze, Callaghan,Lumberjack, Heschung, IlseJacobsen & Hornbæk, JohnFluegvog, Smith’s American, JohnVarvatos, Fonnesberg or UnitedNude and D'acquasparta.And this year, there will be a BritEdition in Hall 4 where – incooperation with the BritishFootwear Association – UKdesigners like Northern Cobbler,One True Saxon, Ted BakerFootwear, Po-Zu, LaidbackLondon, Esska Design, KatMaconie, Michael Lewis Londonand Cheaney Shoes – will bemaking an appearance.

Brands return after GDS restructure

JOSEPH Agencies have opened up aCaprice showroom just off the M25 and M11 – close to Stansteadairport and Stratford Olympic Village.It will be open seven days a weekbut will be by appointment only and

is set in ten acres of grounds.A company spokesman said: “Thebrand and collection are gettingstronger and stronger and in orderto support the growth I decided toopen up a showroom that is so eas-ily accessed.”

Caprice opens easy-access showroom

37 Little Me 28/7/11 15:07 Page 1

RETAIL SOLUTIONS

RETAIL SOLUTIONS

TRAINING

SalesTony Barry – Sales & Marketing Director(tb@whpl.net)Beverley Green – Sales Manager(bg@whpl.net)

Advertising ContactsTel: 01226 734456 Fax: 01226 734477

EditorialAndrew Harrod – Group EditorJudith Halkerston – Group Deputy EditorNicola Hyde – Editor

Christina Eccles – ReporterDominic Musgrave – Reporter

Editorial ContactsTel: 01226 734694Email: nl@whpl.net

Design & ProductionStewart Holt – Studio Manager(sth@whpl.net)

Circulation01226 734695 (24 hour hotline)Email: circulation@wharncliffepublishing.co.uk

Contacts

diary ddaatteessPureOlympia and Earls Court, London, 7 - 9 August 2011(www.purelondon.com)

Stitch MenswearEarls Court Exhibition Centre, 7 - 9 August 2011(www.stitchmenswear.com)

KORS showKendal, 9 - 11 August, 2011.

Moda FootwearNEC, Birmingham, 14 - 16 August 2011 (www.moda-uk.co.uk)

GDSMesse Dusseldorf, Germany, 7 - 9September 2011(www.gds-online.com)

Pure: Close To Season London Olympia, October 23 – 24

Boutique ManchesterACCESSORY and footwear event Boutique byChic moves to Eventcity in Manchester inOctober and is now re-branded ‘BoutiqueManchester’.

The event will be held at EventCity – adjacentto the Trafford Centre – and is timed just afterthe Paris and Milan fairs with the uniqueproposition of being able to buy finalisedcollections from Europe’s leading fashionaccessory and footwear brands.

A spokesman said: “Many of thesemanufacturers are reluctant to show theirstrongest, most directional collections prior tothe major European events so it is the perfectway to ensure that you get all the latest styles,colours and finishes delivered early in theseason. Many brands who will be selling forimmediate delivery for those retailers whoprefer to buy closer to the time they require thestock in-store.”

For further details phone 0161 440 7200

ARA has increased itsrange of deck shoes,pumps, casuals andsandals for SpringSummer 2012. The Jenny collection –which focuses on goodprice and fashion – ismade alongside theAra range using thesame proven lasts andmanufacturing techniques. Both ARA and JENNYare being shown atMODA UK, GDS inDusseldorf and MICAMin Milan.

38 28/7/11 16:45 Page 1

39 28/7/11 17:22 Page 1

40 27/7/11 09:22 Page 1