The eight different prints available also include imagery including the Forbidden Forest, Dobby, pixies and various pets and iconic animals like Crookshanks, Trevor the Frog, Norbert the dragon, Fawkes, Thestral and even Hedwig taking centre stage. We were digital-first before the pandemic,” she told Retail Gazette. After graduating from St Martins, Marler travelled to Italy to work at fashion brand Jato. Collections were launched as seasonal. Cath Kidtson opens first flagship store in London’s Marylebone. It placed administrators from Alvarez & Marsal on standby to undertake an urgent review of the retailer’s strategic options, which announced it was racing to find a new buyer two weeks prior.

The intricate designs in this latest collaboration with all things Hogwarts have been inspired by Harry, Hermione, Ron and the gang's school lessons. DFS continues to drive forward its Carbon Mitigation commitments, working with the Woodland Carbon Trust to offset the unavoidable scope 1 and 2 C02 emitted through day-to-day business practices in the UK. For us, we’re design lead, but rather than looking at trends and making sure we follow them, I think that our trend is integral to us and is in the marketplace, which is craftsmanship and hand painting.Davide Barbero Design Port Eco Bath London ECP Designs Limited Eddingtons Emma Bridgewater Fallen Fruits Filippi Gallery Direct Grunwerg Herdy House Of Marbles Kidston received an MBE for her services to business. She sold a majority stake of the company to US private equity investors TA Associates, retaining a minority stake and remaining as the company’s creative director. Retailers that are very brand led have the additional overhead of in-house design and development teams – whilst in good times this gives the brand its distinguishing USP, in tough times the costs associated with maintaining these teams present additional financial pressures,” she explained. We’ve got all our prototypes, we’re working on how the print would fit onto a bag, or how that tablecloth works on a variety of different tables.

I am constantly looking around me for drawing inspirations, whether it’s seeing a flower on a walk outside, or a puppy. We decided to reopen the London flagship store because London is important to the brand. We have a London print every season. DFS has more than 120 stores across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain and employs over 4,000 people. The in-store concept includes “dedicated areas reflecting consumer demand and the brand’s status as a gifting destination”. The brand added that emphasis would be placed on its home and kids categories, as it has seen a “resurgence” in demand due to customers spending more time at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. These categories currently represent 45 percent of total sales. The retailer has struggled in recent years and it states that following its restructure in April it has realigned its cost base and structure to create what it calls an “economically viable operating model as a brand-led, digital first retailer”.Marler also joined Temperely London, where she worked with founder Alice Temperely as her “right-hand woman”, helping extend the brand’s collection into bridal and eveningwear. The house itself is classically English – old, stone-built, at the end of a sweeping drive. On entering one is greeted by a couple of friendly dogs (she is known to be a dog person, as well as a flower person, and both are represented in her designs). Our customers sit at the heart of our new strategy, and Holly’s experience and vision will ensure that we can maintain Cath Kidston’s role of inspiring the everyday optimist with our hand-drawn prints and joyful products. Particularly as we all face our new normal world, the role of bringing moments of joy to every day is even more relevant.” It can’t be said that the coronavirus outbreak has vastly contributed to the downfall of the brand, but it certainly wouldn’t have helped. Roxana Alam, senior strategist at FutureBrand, said that although Cath Kidston’s designs enabled strong recognition, its successes could be the same reasons behind its failure.

DFS has teamed up with a range of Exclusive Brands to create beautiful inspiring designer sofas for everyone, available exclusively at DFS, including Joules, French Connection, Country Living, House Beautiful and Grand Designs. Cath Kidston opened its first store outside of London in Bath. The retailer had its first collaboration with outdoor retailer Millets.I like going to exhibitions with an open mind and seeing what there is, so visiting the London Original Print Fair at the RA is one of the occasions I absolutely love – going in thinking, ‘Goodness knows what I might find’. Over the years I’ve bought different things there – a red-and-white Louise Bourgeois, for example, and a beautiful print by Gerhard Richter, which I haven’t found anywhere to hang yet. I never buy thinking of where something will go; I get it, then have to fathom out what to do with it.”

Handcrafted in Britain and featuring fully recycled print fabrics*, together with scatter cushions printed on 100% recycled cloth I only had a year’s worth of experience then, but because I had talent and passion, I was able to create something that people wanted,” Marler recalled .

Site Customisation

Laura Morroll, senior manager at management and technology consultancy BearingPoint, said store closures have resulted in a significant drop off in sales. Although some customers may have been successfully diverted to shopping online, the cost of online channel fulfilment significantly outweighs that of stores, eating away at profits. Piccadilly will be open from 10am-8pm Monday-Saturday and 12pm-6pm on Sunday. The store has also been made Covid-19 secure and is operating a one-way system and has hand sanitisation stations in-store to ensure customer safety while shopping. Even 20 years into my career, I still hand paint and it’s something I will continue to do at Cath Kidston, which I think is what makes us personal.