Monthly Archives: April 2009

April 28, 2009

Landlords work with retailers to save costs

Fashionista can report that six prominent landlords led by Land Securities and more than 25 retailers led by TopShop have devised a “10 point plan” to reduce service charges at shopping centres and retail parks across the UK. The plan as reported by Property Week is based on a trial service charge reduction which ran [...]
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April 25, 2009

"Aura of luxury" as Dior squeezes Copad in corset clash

Fashionista is pleased to say that, with her hourglass figure and svelte lines, she has never yet required the use of a corset. If she did have such a need, she is sure she’d add the upmarket Christian Dior product to her “must-try” list — but where would she go to buy it? Her choice [...]
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April 24, 2009

The champagne will keep flowing for LVMH

Fashionista likes nothing better than to sip on cold champagne whilst leafing through the fashion glossies or dressing up for a night on the town, and so is puzzled by sceptics who question the benefits to owning both “luxury fashion” and “fine spirits and wine” brands. Such scepticism has been raised this week amidst rumours [...]
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April 23, 2009

Credit Insurance Top-up Scheme – Darling Disappoints

Further to her posting on 21 April, Fashionista notes that somewhat unsurprisingly the Chancellor’s plan to assist suppliers experiencing difficulty obtaining credit insurance has not met the industry’s demands. Under plans announced yesterday, the Government will provide up to £5 billion of extra insurance to top-up cover from insurers in order to help businesses that [...]
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April 23, 2009

Budget 2009 – The Retail Summary

Fashionista has called upon her knowledgeable tax contacts to help explain the impact of the budget on the retail sector. The attached scorecard looks at what measures the Chancellor has taken in the Budget to assist retailers. This has been prepared by reference to the BRC’s Budget Submission dated March 2009 to see if the [...]
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April 21, 2009

Will Darling Bring Relief?

Fashionista keenly awaits this week’s Budget amid reports that Alistair Darling will unveil details of a government scheme to underpin vital supply-chain credit insurance. The Financial Times reports that the scheme will target medium-risk businesses and is expected to offer guarantees for companies that have seen cover reduced but not withdrawn. Many retail businesses have [...]
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April 20, 2009

Manhattan in May, will AA have to pay?

Manhattan in May is a great place to be. Central Park is in full bloom as spring turns to summer while Fashionista and her friends test out their wardrobes in the warming sun. But it’s not such a fun time and place for humourist and film director Woody Allen, since that’s when he confronts his [...]
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April 17, 2009

Designer fashion at High Street prices

Fashionista is looking forward to the summer in the knowledge that she will be able to add some desirable designer pieces to her summer wardrobe without the designer price tags – and given the continuing credit crunch this has to be a good thing. Next week Fashionista is poised to visit H&M to snap up [...]
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April 17, 2009

Lipstick index is no more

The term “lipstick index” was apparently coined by Leonard Lauder in the weeks following the 9/11 attacks in New York to explain the growth in sales of lipsticks despite the grim news on every television screen. He explained “When things get tough, women buy lipstick,” he said at the time. “ The Telegraph reported at [...]
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April 16, 2009

London lettings up

Fashionista can report that London is showing resilience with a fall in the number of vacant shops in the centre of the capital. Figures released by Colliers Cre surveyors have shown that the number of vacant units in central London fell by a quarter in six months to stand at 6% at the end of [...]
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