Hunter's new campaign shows off its wellies and ‘water-resistant clear smocks’, aka cagoules. Photograph: Viviane Sassen/Hunter
When Kate Moss rocked up to Glastonbury in 2005 in a pair of Hunter wellies and denim hotpants, she certainly put the Scottish brand on the fashion map. Now the world of high fashion and wellingtons are set to collide again as Hunter prepares to send models down the catwalk in boots at London fashion week this month. "We have always maintained that a unique opportunity exists to develop Hunter from a British heritage brand into a global lifestyle brand," said its creative director, Alasdhair Willis.
The move sees Hunter vying for a place alongside British clothing brands such as Burberry, Barbour and Mulberry which have shaken off dowdy reputations to reinvent themselves as covetable fashion brands capable of dressing the affluent from Buenos Aires to Beijing.
Hunter's chances of success are bolstered by strong links to the fashion world. Willis is half of a fashion power couple – his wife is designer Stella McCartney – while its global design director, Niall Sloan, was previously a designer at Burberry. It also has financial firepower, after US private equity firm Searchlight bought a stake in the business in 2012. Originally the North British Rubber Company, it has a long history for Willis to draw on. Founded in Edinburgh in 1856 by American entrepreneur Henry Lee Norris, its manufacturing operation expanded rapidly when, following the outbreak of the first world war, it was asked to "construct a sturdy boot suitable for the conditions in flooded trenches".
Boasting Royal Warrants from both the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, the brand has long been a favourite with the home counties green welly brigade, but following unofficial celebrity endorsements from the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and the Olsen Twins, the wellies are now as likely to be seen in Manhattan as Sandringham. In 2012, turnover was in touching distance of £75m.
International catwalk shows are usually reserved for rarefied designer brands such as Dior, Chanel and Givenchy, but in recent years ambitious high street brands have started to take advantage of these fashion summits which draw the gaze of the world's media. Last year, Whistles, run by former Topshop boss Jane Shepherdson, took the plunge by hosting its first invite-only seated show at London fashion week.
"Commercial brands like Hunter and Whistles have a lot of potential reasons for showing during fashion week, despite not quite fitting in with the 'designers' we expect to see there," says Dhani Mau, associate editor of Fashionista.com. "One is to get the validation that potentially comes with being associated with an event like New York or London fashion week. Another is that it puts the designer on an international stage, giving brands who want to expand internationally the opportunity to present to press and buyers from across the globe." She also gives the example of J Crew, Michelle Obama's favourite brand. It started showing at New York fashion week, which turned out to be a precursor to entering the UK market. "It will be interesting to see whether or not editors will make time for these commercial brands in their schedules," says Mau. "Fashion people love Whistles, but we wonder if Hunter will be able to drum up the same excitement."
Not all brands are able to make the transition to global powerhouse as Burberry has done, with worldwide sales of £2bn. Mulberry is currently in the doldrums after its attempt to move upmarket hits bumps in the road. The label has abandoned customers prepared to pay £150-£500 for a handbag in a bid to become a full-scale designer brand that appeals to high-spending shoppers in Asia – its Alexa satchel starts at £800 but can cost up to £1,250 – but profits are sharply down as it encounters stiff competition.
Despite the resurgence in popularity brought about by the "Kate Moss effect", Hunter's return to glory has not been straightforward. High manufacturing costs were blamed for a collapse into administration in 2006, and two years later it called time on production in Scotland with the closure of its plant at Heathhall, near Dumfries.
"Hunter was born out of a passion to innovate, advances in manufacturing techniques and a British thirst for discovery," says Willis. "The vision for the brand is to celebrate that pioneering spirit and its rich heritage, making it relevant for today's customer."
The fashion show will preview its new clothing range, which includes a "water-resistant original clear smock", a garment which sounds suspiciously like a cagoule, and a bespoke version of its Hunter Original boots that were first produced in 1956.
The trenchcoat-maker now holds its head up alongside the likes of Louis Vuitton. But uncertainty looms this year as boss Angela Ahrendts departs for a top job at Apple and creative director Christopher Bailey takes the reins.
After several years of stellar growth, the Somerset handbag firm has issued profit alerts and had a terrible Christmas.
Collaborations with department store Liberty and a Steve McQueen collection have injected some cool, and profits are healthy. Its manufacturing plant in South Shields is also still going strong.
via fashion - Google News http://ift.tt/1ijp7X7
0 意見:
張貼留言