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December/January 2010/11 33

new

s Redundant teammarches on andopens new storeA SHOE shop team who haveovercome recession redundanciesby opening their own store arelooking forward to a successful firstChristmas.

The six women lost their jobs whentheir former employer the FaithFootwear chain went in toadministration back in April.

The Faith name and remainingstock was eventually purchased byanother company, but not before all72 high street stores were closedand the majority of employees weremade redundant.

However, former store managerJustina Pay, her deputy RoxanneRansom and the rest of the teamdecided to fight against theprospect of unemployment by takingsteps to open a new shoe shop inthe very same premises.

Seven weeks after administratorsshut their Chelmsford store, itreopened as a new independentbusiness with new stock, a newlook and a new name, ‘Hope’.

Justina said: “We have been on areally big learning curve. We’vetravelled the UK to visit oldsuppliers, rehired formercolleagues, refitted a tired old storeand launched a new brand onto thehigh street.

“When we opened Hope fourmonths ago we did not know whatto expect and we are so grateful tothe people who have got behind us,both locally in store and nationallythrough our website.

“We’ve still got a lot to learn, butwe are confident that we can beatthis recession.”

So far the response to the store bycustomers shopping in the area hasbeen very positive and the teamnow hope to repeat this success ina second store next year, and arealready viewing empty shops in thenearby towns of Basildon,Colchester and Ipswich.

Roxanne said: “Being maderedundant was one of the worstexperiences of my life, but

reopening the branch has been oneof the best.

“Where our previous employerstruggled to meet local demandwe’ve been able to respond andreact, for example, Chelmsford ishome of the ‘V Festival’ and for thefirst time in years we had enoughwellie boots in stock for hundredsof unprepared festival goers.

“Right now we’re trying to sourcemore shoes suitable for Christmasparties, we’re being challenged tokeep up with demand.”

The team are now working onkeeping one of the promises theymade when they opened the store -to help charity – and have identifieda group of disadvantaged childrenin Romania to support.

To do this they have joined forceswith the local Anglia RuskinUniversity ‘Raise and Give Society’and are asking the public to bring inshoe boxes containing gifts ordonate funds atwww.christmashopeappeal.co.uk.

Adventure footwear brandTeva has launched acompetition giving fans thechance to escape toparadise. The lucky winners will begiven the opportunity tovisit Fiji’s Viti Levu Island,experience the UpperNavua Gorge and sail aluxury yacht in the southPacific. Liz Ferrin, Teva Globalbranded content manager,said: “Through the TevaHouse competition, we’reoffering our tribe a chanceto escape from theireveryday lives and takepart in something bigger.“It’s about enjoying andparticipating ininspirational adventuresand experiences.”For your chance to makethe trip with Teva visit:www.tevahouse.co.uk.

Liberty hunting out creative passionNEW designers are being given thechance to have their products soldat Liberty in the 2011 Best ofBritish Open Call.

Now in its third year, the compet-ition aims to recognise and supportnew and emerging British designstalent and is calling for new talentto come forward with their ideas.

A panel of experts includingLiberty’s MD Ed Burstell and his

buying team, will pick the bestdesigns to be sold in store, as wellas offering support to help thedesigners get their product selling.

From handbags to hats and fashionto furniture, Liberty is encouraginganyone with a creative passion tobring in their designs for the panelto judge. Some of the storescurrent best selling products havebeen developed at previous Open

Calls including Michael Birch andRichard Weston scarves and LostProperty bags. The event will takeplace on 5 February and designerswill have three minutes to pitchtheir products to the panel.

The successful candidates will thenbe invited back to the store for aformal meeting with the buyingteam to discuss becoming asupplier.

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4 December/January 2010/11 News

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Clouds

Femme fatalewins throughfor studentWORK has started on a designcollaboration between footwearretailer Brantano and a competitionwinning Leicester College student. The project came about following acontest set up for footwear designstudents at the college to design ashoe for one of Brantano’s topselling in-house ladies brands.The students had to develop a shoedesign as well as investigate if itwould sell in volume, be comfortableand practical to wear and costeffective to produce. In order to do this, they visited alocal Brantano store to look at stylingand prices, visited other competitorsand worked on exploring differentcolours, materials and themes todecide what style would sell in storesnationwide. They also had to make afinal prototype and decide on arealistic retail price, so that thewinning design could be used toinfluence a style available in thebrand’s new collection.

In January Leah Cox was announcedas the winner, with her theme of‘femme fatale’ and ‘gothic chic’ forthe final winning shoe design. She was also awarded Brantanovouchers and a work experienceplacement in the buying departmentat the retailer’s head office.Paula Newman, ladies footwear buyerat Brantano, said: “Working with thefootwear design students at LeicesterCollege is a great opportunity tomeet some new talent, and to havean insight into some fresh, creativeideas of new innovative footwearstyles. There are very few colleges orstudents who specifically study justfootwear, so at Brantano, we want toencourage and support this fantasticcourse and talented designers.”Brantano Footwear is now keen tocontinue working in collaboration withLeicester College on an annual basisand is looking at developing a newproject for the new intake of studentsfor 2010/2011.

THE British Fashion Council hasannounced it will be looking tothe public to choose one of thewinners at this year’s BritishFashion Awards. Based on the success of lastyear’s British Style Award,introduced last year for theBFC’s 25th anniversarycelebrations and presented toKate Moss, the award aims torecognise an individual who isan international ambassador forLondon as a leading creativefashion capital.

For the first time, members ofthe public who vote online at www.britishfashionawards.com/britishstyle will have the chanceto win tickets to attend theawards ceremony in December.A list of suggested nomineesincluding Alexa Chung, EmmaWatson, Georgia May Jagger,Lily Cole, Stella McCartney andTilda Swinton, has been drawnup by a panel of fashion opinionformers and all other awardsare judged by a panel of leadingfashion editors and retailers.

Alexa Chung, one of the British Style Award nominees

Looking to public vote

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News December/January 2010/11 5

Online firmon awardshortlistBy Louise Cordell

ONLINE footwear retailerCloggs.co.uk has been shortlistedfor Best Specialist Etailer in thisyear’s Drapers Awards. The company has recentlycelebrated the one year anniversaryof the opening of its flagship storeand has been nominated for itsuccess in adapting to the changesthat have occurred in e-commerceover the past year.Cloggs specialises in brandedfootwear and will be competingagainst a diverse range of othercompanies, including maternityclothes suppliers Seraphine andlingerie supplier Figleaves. Damian Scarlett, Cloggs.co.ukdirector, said: “We began operatingonline ten years ago and since thenwe have never stopped growing.”The online store now receives over20,000 hits each day and stocksbrands including UGG, Converse,Crocs, Dr Martens and HunterWellies. Damian added: “All you need to do

is look at our position on Ugg Boots– we are in the top spot in thesearches through Google and I thinkthis is a reflection of our specialismin this area.“Customers love shopping with usebecause we always have the lateststyles from the latest brands andwe are constantly looking for whatwill be the next trend.” For example, the company made thedecision to back the fitnessfootwear market throughout thesummer, stocking brands includingReebok Easytone and FitFlopSandals, which turned out to besome of the fastest selling productsfor the year. Damian added: “Our ability to spottrends and act on them, highlightsour standing as one of the leadingfootwear specialists. “We are very pleased to beshortlisted for this award and areeagerly awaiting the results."The company will find out whetherthey have been successful in thecategory at the final awardsceremony in January 2011.

The Jackson 5are set to launcha fashion line inthe spring thatwill includeclothes, footwearand eyewear.Jackie, Tito,Jermaine, Marlonand RandyJackson, alongwith the estate ofthe lage MichaelJackson, have allcollaborated onthe range, whichis to be calledthe J5 Collection. Pieces willinclude t-shirtsfeaturing iconicimages of theband alongsidereplicas of theclothes and shoesworn by Michaelin his Thriller andBeat It videos.

Landmark achievement for brandPERFORMANCE footwear brandNew Balance has successfullyreached ISO 9001 certified statusafter an independent audit. The International Organisation forStandardisation, maintains ISO9000 – a family of quality manage-ment systems which monitorsquality control within companies. Andy Okolowicz, New Balance’sfactory manager, said: “The ISO

9001 registration is an importantand far-reaching accomplishmentand stands as a landmark achieve-ment for the brand. We are cons-tantly seeking ways to improve thelevels of production at our factoryin Flimby, Cumbria and our Euro-pean Headquarters in Cheshireand this certification recognisesthe significantly high standards wehave attained.”

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6 December/January 2010/11 News

TO prove that the British-madefootwear industry is still alive andwell, the British FootwearAssociation has developed a BritList.

The Association came up with theidea following growing demand forshoes to carry the ‘Made inBritain’ label and has been work-ing to find those companies thatcontribute to the home grownfootwear industry.

It has now identified a number of

small manufacturers who are pro-ducing a wide range of stylesusing British-made components.

Richard Kottler, BFA chief execu-tive, said: “The BFA started thisinitiative as our members kepttelling us that customers aroundthe world, but especially in the FarEast, are asking for premium levelproduct to be genuinely made inthe UK.

“This not only applies to high qual-ity men’s welted shoes, but casu-

al, sporty and elegant dressyladies’ footwear as well.

“Apart from the marketing poten-tial, this makes sound economicsense given the position of thepound against other currenciesand with labour costs risingstrongly in many footwear produc-ing countries.”

The BFA has also been working tomatch customer need to UK manu-facture and a number of theBritish companies involved in the

scheme are already producing forwell known brands – all with the‘Made in Britain’ endorsement.

Full details of the manufacturersinvolved with this initiative, includ-ing the type of constructions avail-able and the specialities of eachfactory, are posted on the BFAwebsite.

Brands that have already signedup include Daisy Roots, NormanWalsh, NPS Shoes and ChanceryFootwear.

Brit List proves industry is alive and well

FRENCH sneaker brand Feiyue hasannounced the opening of its firstinteractive pop-up shop at Selfridgesin London.

The shop will appear at the entranceto the Shoe Galleries and will beconstructed from wooden buildingblocks, integrating benches, salespoints and digital pads.

These digital pads will feature theFeiyue i-PAD application, offeringcustomers the opportunity tocustomise their own shoes live and

direct in-store.

Visitors will also be encouraged tointeract with the design of the shopitself and will be offered differentcoloured blocks, allowing them tochange the existing building design.

The shop will stock an edited unisexselection from Feiyue’sautumn/winter 2010 range, aimingto display the best of the sneakersoffered by the brand in a range offabrics, including the original canvasstyle, leather and suede.

Interactive shoppops up in Selfridges

Envoy appointedJIMMY Choo founder Tamara Mellonhas been appointed as a global tradeenvoy for Britain by David Cameron. She will be joined by other styleexperts, including handbag designerAnya Hindmarch, in travelling abroadto promote the UK’s fashion industryby taking part in official visits,meeting foreign ministers anddelivering speeches.

New collectionTHE Jacobson Group has released anew collection to cater for increasingmarket demand for high fashionladies’ footwear. The Glitterati rangeis aimed at 18 to 24 year olds whoare looking for catwalk inspiredpieces at low price points.

By George! Websiteannounces new clientFASHION business websiteTheRagtrader.com, which connectstop designers with manufacturersand retailers, has announced a newclient – George at Asda.

The retailer joins Marks andSpencer, Primark and New Lookwho have all signed up to the site,which is now also launchinginternationally.

The Ragtrader.com enables fashionmanufacturers and retailers tocommission projects from over 700

fashion designers worldwide – on aflexible and cost-effective basis.

Steven Young, TheRagTrader MD,said: “We foundedTheRagtrader.com because wecould see that fashion businessesneeded a way to connect toexperienced designers worldwide ona flexible basis.

“The model has proved reallysuccessful, with some great Britishclients and we’re delighted to nowbe launching internationally.”

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feat

ures

December/January 2010/11 7

EMILY Lamb has launched her firstsolo collection aged just 23, aftergraduating with a degree in fashiondesign technology from Cordwain-ers. Following university, she spentsome time working for custom-madeshoe brand Emmy, before returninghome to Glasgow to set up on herown. She said: “Setting up my own labelwas something I had always wantedto do. “My aim is to create shoes that areelegant and sexy, and also to comeup with styles that can be worn yearafter year.“I don’t want to follow trends, Iwant to produce somethingindividual.” Emily set up the company with thehelp of The Prince’s Scottish YouthBusiness Trust and has alreadylanded a contract to stock The RockShop at The Eden Rock Hotel onthe Caribbean island of St Barths. She added: “I was thrilled to signup my first stockist – and a bitsurprised that my shoes will beavailable in the Caribbean beforemy native Glasgow!“I got in touch with The Rock Shopwhen I saw that they were greatwith taking on new designers, wemet up in London a week after mysamples were ready and they endedup ordering four different styles – itwas so exciting.”All the shoes in the Emily Lambcollection are handmade in the UKwith Italian leather. She uses materials ranging frompatent and nappa to suede and thespring/summer 2011 colour paletteincludes emerald, red, nude, silver

and pink. The collection is made up of 11styles, with both high and mid heelheights, and each shoe has its ownoriginal toe shape, pattern andstitching features. Emily added: “The shoes are reallyhigh quality and the fact that theyare handmade gives them a highprice point, which is why I wantedthem to be something special thatwas created to last.“My spring/summer collection isaimed at women who are looking forthe very best quality footwear thatcombines wearability – they aredesigned to be suitable for everyoccasion, from work to the club –with real style.“I want my designs to be simpleand elegant, but with acontemporary edge that will appealto women who are looking fororiginal footwear that they won’tfind on the high street.”Emily is now working on a muchbigger collection for autumn/winter2011 in order to build up herproduct base before exhibiting atindustry shows. She is also keen get to get thedesigns stocked in more retailersaround the world and in the UK. She added: “My aim is to stick withUK production – it is really nice tobe able to produce and export fromthe UK rather than the other wayaround. “I am also very hands on, so it’sgood to have the factory close byand stay involved. “My plan now is just to try andpromote the brand and get as manypeople wearing the shoes aspossible!”

A Scottish shoe designer is making a splash in the Caribbean with

her first footwear collection Out On A Limb found out more.

Why Emily’s shoesget their first airingin the Caribbean

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8 December/January 2010/11 Features

How Nicolefilled a gap inthe market ...MULTI-talented Nicole Robinson runs twochildren’s footwear stores, designs all her ownproducts and has now been named Student ofthe Year by the Society of Shoe Fitters.She was presented with the award by theSociety’s president Bernard O’Brien for herperformance on the course. Laura West, SSF secretary said: “Nicole was anoutstanding student and wanted to learn asmuch as she could to make her own business aneven greater success.“She will make a great ambassador for theSociety.”Nicole and two partners design all the shoesthemselves under their Papillon label and havetwo shops in London, one in Belgravia and one inMarylebone.They came up with the idea of creating andselling their own shoes after finding it difficult tobuy the styles they wanted for their own children. She said: “We couldn’t find what we wantedfrom other brands, so we thought that the onlyway we would get exactly what we wanted wasto design them ourselves. “It was a big learning curve but we had theadvantage that we could test out the shoes onour own children.”They created their Papillon shoes in classic designs

with a contemporary edge in the full range ofchildren's sizes. However, they also expanded the collection intobigger sizes, due to popular demand. Nicole added: “We found that more and moreten and 11 year olds were coming into the storewith adult shoe sizes, but their parents stillwanted to buy them shoes that were designedfor kids. “A lot of other shops and brands don’t cater forthat – so we spotted the gap in the market andfilled it!” The brand produces a spring/summer andautumn/winter collection each year, as well as acore, year round range of school shoes and babywalkers. The designs are also available wholesale and thisis an avenue that has been very successful, aswell as being a good way of introducing thebrand to other stores in the UK and abroad. Nicole added: “Our plans are now to expand andwe hope to open up a couple more shops in thenext few years. “We have already come a long way since startingout, but we have had such a great reaction fromcustomers and others in the industry, I hope wecan take things much further.”

Nicole said: “I was so proud to be named Student of theYear – I think that the SSF qualification is vital,

especially if you are catering for children’s feet becauseit is so important to know what you are talking about.

“The course was really helpful because it covers fittingbut many other aspects of the industry too – it would be interesting to anyone in the business.

“I think it is essential for success to learn as much aspossible about what you are doing and there are greattips from the instructors’ long experience and you can

share best practice with others on the course.”

‘You can share best practice with others on the course’

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12 December/January 2010/11 Features

PREPARATIONS for the 111th GDS– International Event for Shoes and Accessories are well underway. From March 16-18 2011the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre willonce again become the sectoralmeeting point and information plat-form for orientation in the interna-tional shoe business. Some 780 exhibitors from over 30countries will be presenting to theinternational trade audience theirshoe, bag and accessories collec-tions for the 2011/12 Autumn/Winter season. With its approximate 1,850 collec-tions, GDS provides a comprehen-sive market overview of the progres-sive and classic premium segment,of the high-selling, colourful sportsand denim wear segment whilepresenting design newcomers andbrands with broad market accept-ance alongside the latest in kids’fashion. New from March will be the alteredsequence of days for the event, soas to better meet the needs of bothtrade and industry GDS and its sis-ter event GLOBAL SHOES will infuture now be held from Wednesdayto Friday.Kirstin Deutelmoser, GDS director,said: “We are once again expectinga varied and, more specifically,

broad-based event featuring anexciting blend of market leaders alongside smaller newlabels.“Even at this early stage the stateof play is very gratifying: exhibitorinterest in all range segments ishigh and demand is particularlygreat in the Premium and YoungFashion segments. “And this is why we are lookingahead to the next event with greatoptimism.”The next GDS and GLOBAL SHOES

fairs will be held from 16 to 18March 2011 and from 7 to 9September 2011. A total of approx. 1,190 exhibitorsfrom 41 countries will be presentingtheir shoe, bag and accessoriescollections for the 2011/12Autumn/Winter season at the fair.All activities relating to GDS andGLOBAL SHOES as well as numer-ous features like exhibitor contactdata and collection descriptions canbe found at: www.gds-online.comand www.globalshoes-online.com.

Out on a Limb cover story

Exhibitor interest highahead of the 111th GDS

Editor’scomment

2010 has been a challengingyear for the footwear industry,but the overall impressionfrom both brands and retailersis that this is set to changeover the next 12 months. No one is expecting a returnto huge profits, but many arefinding that by thinking out-side the box they are manag-ing to keep sales up and evenmaintain steady growth.One example of this isCowbridge store LiquoriceLaces, which has been utilis-ing events including fashionshows and food and drink fes-tivals to drive sales – seepage 14 for more details oftheir secrets for success.This month our Issue of theIssue looks at the challengesfaced by children’s footwearretailers when fitting shoes. Many are encountering prob-lems ranging from customerscoming into store for fittingsbefore leaving to buy theshoes online, to complaintsfrom parents that styles arenot offered in large enoughsizes. We hear from industry expertLaura West on what shopscan do to tackle these issues– and get in touch if you haveany ideas of your own.In the meantime, keep follow-ing our tweets atwww.twitter.com/OOALMagazine to keep up to date with thelatest news and to contributeto our upcoming features. Finally, we are proud toannounce that OOAL will besponsoring the Retailer of theYear category at the IFRAFootwear Awards in February– we look forward to seeingyou there.

Louise CordellEditor

Thinkingoutside thebox worksfor many

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Features December/January 2010/11 13

THE British Footwear Associationhas announced the winners of the2010 Footwear Friends Awards.The ceremony took place at theLondon Canal Museum and bignames from the trade attended tocelebrate the achievements of the18 nominees. Those entered had submittedthemselves to a Dragon’s Den typeprocess to identify those who hadthe right combination of beautifulproducts and credible businessplans and winners were finallyannounced in three differentcategories. Kat Maconie was presented withthe Designer Award, a £5,000bursary to further her business

expertise and a 12-month tailoredmentoring programme with industryexperts. The Meltzer Travel Awardwent to Northern Cobbler, whoreceived £750 to help the brandattend key trade shows and amentoring programme.

Finally, the FN/Platform Award,which gives three winners thechance to show at Magic in LasVegas, went to Kat Maconie, LucyMacNamara of Aspiga and NatalieDean of Beyond Skin.

The Footwear Friends AnnualAwards are now in their fourth yearand are recognised as an importantway of spotting and rewardingBritish talent in the footwearindustry.

NATALIE Dean, the founder ofBeyond Skin, said: “This prizehas come at a great time for usbecause we are refocusing ourwhole business model. “We have been online since2003 and wholesale tradingsince 2008.“However, we have now decidedthat wholesale in the US is justnot our market at the moment,even though our retail sales inthe States are still doingincredibly well. “So we will are changing ourmodel and will be focusing ononline retail and UK wholesale forthe foreseeable future – it iswhat makes the most sense forus. We will carry on brandbuilding through our online store,continue expanding our popularwholesale in the UK andreassess at some point in thefuture. “The brand is doing really welloverall and in fact turnover hasincreased significantly over thelast two years. “We have just decided to sharpenour focus on where we can bestinvest our resources for the mostreturn, and really play to ourstrengths.”

Lucy MacNamara set up Aspiga aftervisiting Kenya on holiday and falling inlove with the country and its handmade sandals. The company has expanded rapidlyover the last few years and she nowhas six suppliers in Kenya, where themajority of the products are made bylocal communities. This way the brand works to fightpoverty in Africa, through trade, andalso donates a percentage of itsprofits to a children’s orphanage inNairobi to help them carry out theirwork.She said: “I was delighted to win theawards - it is particularly nice to berecognised by the industry. “Our sales are going really well andbusiness is increasing each year, butit is also great that what we aredoing has been noticed by peoplewithin the trade.”Picture: Leslie Gallin, of FN Platformpresents the award to Lucy

LucyMacNamara,

Richard Kottlerand Kat

Maconie

Footwear Friendsaward winners are announced

‘Playing to ourstrengths’

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14 December/January 2010/11 Features

Retailer Nikki Jones is using community spirit to drivesales at her new store inCowbridge. She talks toOut On A Limb abouthow thinking outsidethe box has been thekey to their success.

Community at the root of LiquoriceNIKKI Jones opened the doors ofnew venture Liquorice Laces just asback to school was reaching itspeak in late August.

Nikki and her husband Jefflaunched online in July beforemaking the physical shop a realitythe following month.

Located in the market town ofCowbridge, they found a propertyjust off the main high street and setabout transforming the run downunit.

Nikki said: “We spent a lot of timeon creating the right store identitybecause we wanted to havesomething different.

“I think people need to feel thatthey are making a positive choicewhen they shop – it has to be anice place to visit.

“I wanted it to feel funky – we havea fireplace and re-worked furniturethat the shoes are standing on andproducts are displayed in lots ofdifferent ways.

“We also trawled the shows forquirky accessories, very retrolooking things that reminded me ofmy childhood and we have had a

fantastic response to these.

“I am always looking for things thatstand out from the crowd forsecondary spend or gifting.

“It gives people a good reason tocome back to the shop andmaintain a relationship with us, inbetween their need for shoes whichmight only be every six months orso.”

The store also has a range ofgourmet liquorice in stock, whichNikki introduced as a way ofanchoring the shop name inpeoples minds – an unusual moveaway from footwear, but one thathas been very successful.

Many customers now regularly comein to stock up and a range oftasters are left out for customersand their children.

Nikki added: “For us, it is aboutgiving people a reason to come andsupport you – we need to dodifferent things to what has beendone before.”

To take this further, the store tookpart in the town’s Fashion Week,using local kids to model theirshoes and the local Food and Drink

Festival.

Here, they introduced liquoricetasting out in the street and held ashoe design competition for children– giving them the chance to winstore vouchers.

Nikki added: “You wouldn’t thinkthat shoe shops can get involved inthings like this, but we found waysto take part and be supportive andit really worked for us.

“It shows that taking a risk anddoing something different can haveunexpected benefits – and thecommunity element iscritical.

“Being anindependent in asmall town it isimportant to makethe effort to makecontacts.”

Nikki’s plans for thefuture includeexpanding intoadults’ footwear andeventually opening asecond shop.

She is also keen onthe idea ofdeveloping some ownbrand products, usingideas and feedbackfrom her storeexperience so far.

She added: “Youcan’t ever stand stillin retailing, you needto keep looking atwhat you are doingand why you aredoing it.

“It is important tohave the courage totry new things – thecurrent economiccircumstances areout of our control, but

we can try to find new ways tocounteract it.

“It is going to be a hard grind, sowe need to find ways to adapt andthrive.

“We need to be learning from eachother – as independents shouldn’tsee each other as the competition.

It is about respecting where youtrade and complementing eachother.”

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Features December/January 2010/11 15

RECENT news that the BBC’sWatchdog programme planned toair an investigation into children’sshoe fitting has resulted in anindustry backlash. Laura West, secretary at the Soci-ety of Shoe Fitters, was approa-ched last month by a societymember who had been contactedby the BBC. She had been toldthey wanted to cover the ‘cost ofchildren’s fitted shoes’ and revealhow consumers were beingcharged for measuring services. Laura West said: “When I heardabout their plans I was confusedas I had never heard of any of ourmembers charging extra for theservice. So I was concernedabout what the programme mightcontain – there is already a lot ofinaccurate information about shoefitting out there and I didn’t wantit to make things any worse.”

The programme was beingadvertised in the Radio Times, onthe BBC website and in nationalpapers, so, three days before itwas due to air, Laura got in touchwith the programme makers tomake her concerns clear. She added: “If they were going togo ahead then I wanted them toknow the facts and not fall prey tothe misinformation out there. “I told them that as far as I knewnone of our shoe fitters chargedextra for their services and were not paid extra compared toother staff for achieving the qualif-ication. I didn’t want to allow themthe bliss of ignorance.”Watchdog went on to withdraw thefeature and said: “The story wasnot as strong as we had been ledto believe, so an editorial decisionwas made not to go ahead withit.”

Laura West, Society of Shoe FittersSecretary, said: “I really believe that a fitting serviceshould always be free – butindependent retailers are facing a lot ofchallenges to keep it this way.What is happening is that many peopleare getting measured in shops andthen telling staff that they don’t want tobuy the shoes because they can getthem cheaper online. This is very daunting for stores, whenthey have spent time and effortcarrying out the fitting – sometimes forseveral children. But what customers don’t understandis that the sizing won’t work for everystyle of shoe.One possibility for the future could befor stores to make a charge for fitting,but to drop that charge if a shoepurchase is made.However, this is a risk for shops, as itmight put people off coming in in thefirst place.Another idea is for stores to not passon the exact size and fittingmeasurements to the parent.They are not obliged to and they canexplain to customers that their reasonsare partly to stop them using theservice but buying elsewhere, butmainly to help prevent harm to theirchildren’s feet – because just knowingthe sizing, with no other information orexperience is no guarantee of a wellfitting shoe.”

FOR many retailers the issueis that, no matter how wellthey fit the shoes, often thesizes most in demand arenot available.This customer is calling onstores to put pressure onmanufacturers to make surethat everyone is catered for: “Shoe fitters preach aboutchildren wearing the correctsize shoes but perhaps theyshould direct their com-ments to the shoe manufac-turers in the first instance.I am now 58 and wear a sizenine – can you imagine theproblems my mother had inthe 1960s? In the 1980s Ihad the same problem withmy daughter and now, in2010 my grand-daughter,who is only ten, wears anadult size five. What's wrongwith this picture?Even in this day and age, mygrand-daughter has very littlechoice of ‘sensible’ shoesfor school and for otheroccasions can only getridiculous ballet pumps orheels. What has been the point ofus spending hundreds ofpounds just to have stillforming feet pushed intoshoes that don't, can't andwon't ever fit because theyare mass-produced.Give us parents a chance –please!”

Cynthia Burdon, Edinburgh

Interest from the BBC’S Watchdog programme looking atthe issue of charging for children’s shoe fitting has gotthe industry talking – but what does it mean for independent retailers?

BBC Watchdogwithdraws kids’shoe feature

Sole subject ‘Fitting serviceshould alwaysbe free ...’

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16 December/January 2010/11

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AT Anatomic and Co, design andcomfort are equally important. The Brazilian brand has been usingthe latest shoemaking technologyfor over 20 years to develop ‘themost comfortable shoe ever’ andyet have never compromised onstyle. Luxurious full grain leathers,timeless designs, stylish yet traditional shapes and naturalcolours make the Anatomic and Cocollection an instant classic.

For the younger generation contemporary suede and waxystyles have been introduced toadapt to current trends. Anatomic and Co has been presentin the shoe market for over 20years, their shoes are available inover 60 countries, including Europe,the Middle Eas and China and thebrand has just started its new stockoperation in the United States gain-ing further international recognition.

Brazilian brand ‘an instant classic’

product showcase

Sweeney stepsinto heritageTHE spring/summer 2011 collectionfrom Oliver Sweeney has beeninspired by British heritage detailing,sculpture, holidays and the brand’s20-year archive. Leathers used range from Italiancalf for formal shoes to brightlycoloured suedes for casuals andcolours includes pastels, canaryyellows, blues and reds. The Spring season also sees aexpansion of trainers featuring lowprofile cupped soles, new colourways and a mix of leathers includingcalf, suede and exotics such as eeland stingray. Whilst Oliver Sweeney is famous fora lime green flash, this seasonthere are also a range of new soles,including the Sweeney London,which has this season takeninspiration from the recent Ron Aradexhibition ‘Restless’ at theBarbican. The angular sole in themainline collection has beeninspired by the twenty-year archiveand focus on angular shapes.

J SHOES has focussed its spring/summer 2011 men’s collectionaround the idea of dishevelledelegance, using style treatments andrich, natural materials. The dirty and dressed down lookhas been created to give anunstructured look for formal andcasual styles and key features includeburnishing, mopping and handstitching detail.A harbour feel is combined withclassic shapes in soft wrinkledleathers/canvas mix, teamed upwith crepe soles for a naturalcomfort. Toes are distressed and worn down,and encompassed within this is thenew heavier welted unit in a mixtureof canvas and leather materials.The colour pallet for men includesdusky greys and stone, vintage tansand browns and classic navy andwhite.

Dishevelledelegance

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18 December/January 2010/11 Product showcase

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Modern and stylishwith great materialsand quality ...

product showcase

The Superfit 2011 Back to School collectionhas been launched this month, available in

sizes 25 to 43. There are sevenstyles for boys and six stylesfor girls with a white unisexgym trainer also available.All styles are produced innappa uppers with PU outsoles and four stylesinclude the Gore-Tex product membrane whichis guaranteed 100 percent waterproof andbreathable.Orders can be

placed now for deliveryfrom the beginning of June

2011 and the brand will be show-ing at MODA in February 2011 on stand S28.

Footwear brand Ash have taken inspiration from their main lines to create a new children’s range for spring/summer 2011. The designers have utilised their successful sportswear line by reproducing kids’ versions of one of their most popular styles, the high top trainer. Style elements include canvas, metallic leathers and studded detailing with tie-die, camoflage and chains. The new line has a European size range of 18 months to eight years and the one mid-wedge style within the collection is available in sizes for four to eight year olds.

Brand makes mini versions of its main lines

OVER the last six years Petasil school shoes haveestablished an enviable reputation for superb fit-ting and great quality.

Now stocked in most of the best independentsthe new collection from Petasil has strengthenedits boys’ offer as well as adding new fashion relevant styles to the hugely popular girls’ range.

Entirely made in Portugal, Petasil manages tocombine a modern stylish collection with great materials and genuine high grade manufac-ture.

Remember the days when the ‘big’ brands weremade in Europe instead of relabelled factory col-lections from the Near and Far East?

Well with Petasil you can relive those good olddays at a price that is both reasonable and com-mercial and enjoy all leather product that is madethe time honoured way.

Remember leather linings?

All Petasil school shoes are leather lined for opti-mum foot comfort and health.

Petasil shoes also come with arch supports, heelcups and light but durable soles, so mum can besatisfied and retailers can be confident that thechildren who wear Petasil are being given thebest.

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Making nearly two million pairs of shoes a yearwith a choice of approximately 300 new stylesannually and distributed to over 40 countriesworldwide, they continue to build on their successyear on year. The company produces three core brand names - Garvalin,Agatha Ruiz De La Prada and Biomecanics; all of whichare completely different to one another. For any shop wanting an ‘all round’ brand that hassomething for most children, offering all the expectedattributes - quality, good looks and value for money, look nofurther. The mainstream brand Garvalin offers children's boots,shoes, trainers, school shoes, casual and formal wear - witha wide range of colour-ways, fastenings and trims, all inoutstanding quality that is not too expensive - and greatprofit margins too. The full range of school shoes have been an extremelypopular collection and for 2011 have had new styling andsole units to keep them looking fresh and up to the minute. Boys and girls both need something rugged and hardwearing to cope with the playground. But this age group is now more discerning, they demand ‘the look’ too and Garvalin gets full marks as they tick all the boxes.Agatha Ruiz De La Prada is one of the most famous designers on the continent. Known for her bold use of colour and form her clothing range quickly diversified into many other areas including home furnishings and perfumes. Made under license but with the approval of this doyen of fashion, Garvalin produce a range of beautiful,eye-catching, quality shoes for girls. In bright, vibrant colours they are a ‘must have’ for everyfashionable young lady. Biomecanics is the latest addition to the Garvalin stable. This brand focuses on the healthy attributes of each part ofa child’s shoe and on the physiological development andmobility of small children. As part of the Biomecanic range (which includes school

shoes), a sub-range called Biogateo has been created for early walkers.

Working with the companies skilled technicians, the

podiatrists and technicians from the Biomechanical

Institute of Valencia

involved at every step of their inception. For the past ten years every aspect of an infant's gait andthe shoes they wear has been examined, tried and tested. From the flexible uppers and fastenings, ribbed forefoot tomaximize flexion and prevent slipping and sliding, to thenew ergonomic sole units that spread at the heel to givegreater stability and reassurance to young walkers whenthey have a ‘wobble’. The new sole units ensure that no shoe is heavier than theproportional age-appropriate weight for the child's bodyweight too. These early walkers are something fresh to offer as they willreassure young mums keen to give their children the finestpossible start.Compass footwear is delighted to be working with Garvalinon all aspects of development, sales, marketing andensuring distribution throughout the U.K. and Ireland.

There are four agents covering Scotland and the North, Midlands, Wales and the West Country, the South East and both Northern and Southern Ireland all of whom can be contacted through Nick West, Agent, on: +44 (0)1953-851190or mobile: 07792 037370

GARVALIN are a family company established in 1968 and based in the famousshoemaking city of Elche near Alicante, Spain.

B R A N D S P O T L I G H T

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Product showcase December/January 2010/11 21

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UK manufacturers Funky Feet Fashions have beencommissioned to create a new design to celebrate theyear of the tiger.

The company was contacted by a distributor in China to design and produce an exclusive tiger design complete with the Chinese year of the tigercharacter.

Jane Hannan, founder of Funky Feet, said: “China is animportant economy and is seeing an ever growingmiddle class with a sense of taste, style and aninterest in foreign brands such as Funky Feet Fashions.

“China’s population is amongst the highest in the world and continues to grow rapidly, so we areconfident that China will continue to be an importantmarket for us.”

FOOTBALLER Rio Ferdinand has taken timeoff from Old Trafford to design a new rangeof footwear created specifically for men. The Manchester United star launched hiscollection, Five by Rio Ferdinand, at Sel-fridges this month. The range consists of shoes and boots inclassical and casual styles and accessories

including manbags, washbags and

wallets. Rio said: “Iam alwayslooking for opportuni-ties to

expand myinterestsoutside foot-ball, and fashion is apassion ofmine.

“I havebeen

involved in the development of some othermajor fashion brands, so when I wasapproached with the concept for the Fivebrand, it was a perfect fit for me.“I am delighted to be involved and I am look-ing forward to building the brand for the longterm.” Ian O’Connor, LXY brands founder anddesigner, added: “We are thrilled tobe involved in this exciting project with oneof the most famous sportsmen on theplanet. “Not only is Rio a great ambassador for thegame of football, he is also a fashion icon inhis own right with a clean-cut style that peo-ple wish to buy into. “I have been really impressed by Rio's

enthusiasm and his involvement inthe design process, and he cer-

tainly has taken a hands onapproach to the collectionrather than just putting his

name to it.”

Rio scores with a passion for fashion

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22 December/January 2010/11 Product showcase

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LEICESTER-based baby shoe manu-facturers Early Days continued theirstrong sales performance through2010. All Early Days shoes are made totally in the UK using only quality materials sourced through the UK and Europe.The company’s range of christening,special occasion and everydayshoes from birth to three yearshave been market leaders since thefamily business was established in1952.This year sees the launch of a gor-geous Gold and Silver collectiondecorated with diamante trims andbows in both pram shoes and firstwalkers.The boys’ classic range sees theaddition of a new boot to sell alongside their ever-popularGibson styles.For a catalogue and price list call: 01162 716944, e-mail: sales@earlydays.ltd.uk or visit: www.earlydays.ltd.uk.

Expert children’s fitting serviceavailable nationwideBRANTANO Footwear’s expert children’s fitting service is now available in every store nation-wide.

The service is handled by professionally trained fitters in-store who have to perform 25supervised fits before they start towork alone.

The fitting specialists are trained to

EDI standard, an accredited award-ing body and learning internationaleducation company.

EDI works in collaboration with pro-fessional bodies around the worldto ensure its qualifications andassessments are relevant and thatparent’s can rest assured that theirchildren’s feet will be in the righthands to be measured and fittedcorrectly.

HUSH Puppies have a unique set ofprecisely calibrated foot beds foreach shoe, allowing each foot to befitted individually for both width anddepth.

A child’s foot evolves from a toddlerto an adult by the age of 18 and during this growth period, thesoft bones must be carefullysupported and allowed sufficientroom to grow.

All of Hush Puppies children’s shoescome in whole sizes and selectedstyles in half sizes, with E, F and Gfittings.

Paralleling Hush Puppies adultcollections, which contain a numberof built in technologies, this alsotranscends to many of the children’sshoes.

The Peardrop style in particularcontains wave reflex, a patentedtechnology which increases flexibilityand comfort for the wearer, by theuse of reverse action waves used onthe sole of the shoe.

As a direct result to the changes inthe market Hush Puppies offer most of their fitted back to schoolshoes in a size 7 for girls and size 8for boys.

Peardrop style increases flexibility and comfort

Firm launches Gold and Silver collection

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FOR its spring/summer 2011collection bagbrand Bagsactakes a trip to theItalian jet setisland of Capri. Inspired by theisland's unspoiltnature and thesophisticatedelegance of Italianstyle icons ofyesteryear, thecreed less is more applies. Thecollection includes striking eveningbags and clutches inspired by therich and beautiful of Capri. Thesmaller, square evening bags areideal for long saunters along theboulevard. The colour pallet mainly includesnatural tints like beige, a new olivegreen and terracotta. The Bagsaccollection also includes the colourblue, the trendy colour of 2011. Everyone knows that Italian primadonnas are not afraid to show theirinner glamitude.Keeping this in mind, Bagsacdesigner Nanda Hofman paid a lotof attention to accessories thisseason. She said: “Accessories arethe finishing touch. Executed inmainly light gold and gunmetal theygive the bag a luxurious look thatwill make a real fashion statementthis summer.”

THE motto of theChesterfield Brandis ‘honour yoursuccess’. The bags andgloves, diaries andcases of thebrand’saccessories lineare a true hitthanks to theoriginal mix ofobstinate chic andEnglish upper-classdesign. Koos Hoving said:“Demand is sogreat in the shopsthat we had to produceextra units for the lastwinter collection. A verygood sign in these times.”The brand's spring/summercollection promises to raiseeyebrows. Contrasts play abig role. We see a clearpenchant for nostalgia andauthenticity, but withChesterfield's famous edgyfashionable twist. Designer Viona van Dijksaid: “My designs are rough

but rich, tough andfeminine, classical yetmodern. That makes thecollection exciting and neverout of fashion. Thecollection must suit thedesires of young women. “A woman who achieves herfirst success often wants toseal it with a timeless styleicon. Making her want tohonour her success with aChesterfield is mychallenge.”

‘Never outof fashion’

FOLLOWING previous success, Axel David, theyoungest fast-fashion bag label, has createdanother playful and attractive collection forspring/summer 2011. Axel David distinguishes itself with trendycolours and special fabric treatments incombination with the simplicity of its collections. This season's collection was inspired by theworld of the Caribbean. Axel David translates the underwater world byincluding bright colours like fuchsia and coral inthe collection. The collection's flowing lines andnatural shapes contribute to this. Pleats, plaitsand all-over stitching represent shell and coral-like shapes. With this combination of colour andshape, Axel David capitalises on thepredominant trend of 2011. The handbags and clutches in the Axel Davidcollection are perfect for sultry summer eveningsnear the water. The collection has beenexpanded with new laptop sleeves and compart-ments that provide optimal functionality.

Caribbean twist

Italianstyle

The Healthy Back Bag Company is going greenwith the launch of a new range of bagsmade from recycled plastic. The Earth Collection hasbeen created to combineethical features with thebrand’s traditionalergonomic design whichreduces stress on theback, neck and shoulders. The bags are madefrom PET, a polyestermaterial which canbe woven andused for fleececlothing or toughtextiles. Priscilla Chase,company MD, said: “Byusing recycled PET in our latest line extention washave produced a collection that is up to date and will appeal to those consumers with a ‘green conscience’.”

BRITISH leather specialists Pittardshas agreed a new seven figurecontract which will see the UK’sarmed forces issued with some ofthe most technically advancedleather gloves available. The company has secured a dealto supply the leather to OttoKessler, glove makers based in PecsHungary, in support of a four-yearMoD military contract. The contract follows the launch ofa new camouflage leatherdeveloped at Pittards’ majorresearch department in Yeovil,

Somerset.George Stent, Pittards’ salesdirector, said: “For the first time,the armed forces will be issuedwith just one pattern for bothdesert and woodland terrain,meaning they will have ultimatecamouflage wherever theiroperations take them. Our newmilitary leather is based on this butalso includes a number of requiredadditional key technical benefitssuch as resistance to water,perspiration and oil plus long life,flexibility and robustness.”

Firm secures armed forces contract

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24 December/January 2010/11 Accessories

Cocopopswithbags of colour ...

Accessory designer Coco Barclay has brought together her own ‘tribe’ of UK based craftspeople to create her ethical collections. She has now come up with a new range designed to save money, as well as the planet. Out On A Limb found out more.

COCO Barclay has taken a roundabout route to hercurrent career as handbag and accessory designer.

After originally training in fashion design she wenton to specialise in millinery and then worked in inte-rior design before settling on bags.

She said: “For years I loved making hats and mydesigns were sold in stores like Harrods and HarveyNichols.

“But after taking time out to have children Ichanged my focus - I decided that hats were too lim-ited and fewer and fewer people were wearing them.

“I started doing bags in response to demand and Isoon realised that there are a lot of elements thatare similar to making hats, but I loved the fact thatthey are an essential element of people’s lives andsomething that they use everyday.”

Coco has drawn together a group of skilled, UK-based craftspeople who produce her designs.

All the products are made in the UK - many of themjust a few miles from the brand’s London base -with the aim of supporting local businesses andreducing the environmental impact of unnecessarytransportation.

The brand’s leather is also sourced from tannerieswithin the EU to ensure that the tanning and dyingprocesses meet European environmental standards.

Coco added: “Making the brand ethical and respon-sible is very important to me.

“I know a lot of designers talk about the benefits ofworking with the tribal women of Africa or Tibet, butI say why not make the most of the skills of the trib-al women of Deptford and Greenwich! It also meansfewer air miles!

“There is a lot of knowledge out there and it is alsogreat to be part of a tight knit community, ratherthan sourcing things out and not being a part of theprocess.

“I wouldn’t want to work any other way.”

Coco’s bags have been described as being as origi-nal as they are wearable and one of her latest cre-ations is a product designed to help women make itthrough the recession in style.

The bag is an outer leather shell, with replaceable,washable material linings, which will come in arange of different colours and fabrics.

The lining ties into the shell of the bag, making theattachments the design feature.

Coco added: “I was thinking about the recessionand how it was affecting people and wondered - ifwomen haven’t got much money to spend, what arethey really going to want to buy.

“A bag that can be re-created to match differentoutfits and seasons, resulting in a different lookeach time, seemed to be the ideal solution.

“I also hope that the idea will show that thingsdon’t necessarily need to be discarded at the endof each season, instead they can just be updated.”

She is also experimenting with the same concept inreverse, creating a bag with one lining and inter-changeable leather covers.

She will be showing both new ideas in Paris laterthis month and then launching the designs to tradein January.

Coco added: “I think the designs will be popularbecause more and more people are looking in thatdirection, they want to be more eco friendly, for theirbenefit as well as for environmental reasons.

“We also create necklaces, bag charms and cor-sages, all using leather that is left over from makingthe bags - for example our Anne Marie necklacewhich features tiny leather flowers.

“Customers love them not just because they matchthe bags, but because they are part of a widereffort to reduce waste - that has always been ourethos and that is what is important to me.”

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26 December/January 2010/11

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BUYING and selling a range oftechnology and entertainmentproducts such as mobile phones,video games, DVDs and computers,CEX were founded in 1992 inLondon and now have stores acrossthe UK as well as in Spain and theUSA.

Choosing to standardise on receiptand label printers from StarMicronics and barcode scannersfrom Honeywell across all of theirUK stores, CEX are ensuring theirhardware stands up to thechallenges a busy Retailenvironment provides.

Identifying the need to moveforward with a USB-based EPOSsystem, CEX decided to replacetheir in-store receipt and price labelprinters.

Having previouslyused the StarMicronics TSP700and the TSP400, CEXwere looking for a‘drop in’ replacementfor their old printers.

Initially looking at thedirect replacement forthe serial TSP700they were using, theTSP100 printer wasmentioned as apossible optioninstead.

Offering a low purchase cost, lowrunning costs and all accessories inone box, including the power cable,CEX decided it was an excellentreplacement for the TSP700.

Jo Leslie, First Line IT support

supervisor at CEX, said: “TheTSP100 is very popular due to thelow running costs and its ability touse the same paper as the TSP700that we previously used.”

For more information call: 01797320636, e-mail: sales@ded.co.uk or

visit: www.ded.co.uk.

CEX ensuring hardware stands up to the challenge

GOLA has revamped its website toprovide a new, contemporary lookfor its international customer base. The simplistic new design has been created to make it easier to navigate the extensiveproduct database, which is now split into focussed sub cate-gories.The site, www.gola.co.uk, also now

features a redesigned hompagewith the previous flash contentremoved to optimise the brand’sonline search presence. Other new features include anextended history section detailingthe brand’s heritage, an integratedblog to keep customers up to datewith the latest news and stream-lined Facebook and Twitter

accounts. Donna Hill, Gola’s marketing man-ager, said: “The Gola website’s con-temporary new look and improvednaviation will enhance the customer’s online experience and the updates that have beenapplied will also have a positiveimpact on our online search pres-ence.”

Contemporary, new look for Gola website

BLC Leather Technology Centre Ltdare mould experts and offer mouldinspection and testing services tohelp identify and prevent potentialand recurring issues with leatherand finished products.

The company is currently receiving ahigh level of enquiries about mouldand mould-related problems from allareas of the global leather supplychain.

Mould can be particularlyproblematic, affecting footwear andleathergoods and it is often seenafter shipping where products havebeen stored for longer periods oftime.

Mould needs a source of food anda source of moisture to grow:leather acts as an ideal food sourcefor mould or mildew, therefore it isvital to ensure moisture iscontrolled at all stages ofmanufacture, storage and shipping.

Mould can be present in the leatherprior to the goods manufacture andmicroscopy and histologytechniques allow the origin of themould to be determined.

One of the most serious concernswith mould is that certain types can

be toxic and pose a health risk topeople who come into contact withthe spores – it is thereforeimportant to handle mouldy goodswith care.

Knowing which species of mouldyou are dealing with is important inunderstanding how to deal with theproblem and mould inspection and

testing using both light and highmagnification scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) can allow thespecies to be identified.

Mouldy leather can be prevented.BLC can help to eliminate mouldproblems in leather which can beboth costly and cause delays inproduction. www.blcleathertech.com

Leather company offersmould inspection and testing services

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28 December/January 2010/11 Business and technology/shows

ISPO is the leading internationaltrade event for the sporting goodsindustry.Every year around 2,000international exhibitors attend thisglobal trade show in Munich topresent their latest products andinnovations to more than 60,000trade visitors from over 100countries.For over 40 years ispo has provideda comprehensive preview of thecomplete selection of sportinggoods, athletic footwear and style,as well as highlighting the latesttrends in all segments.Outdoor is a key part of ispo, withthis community having its own

entrance at the East of theshowground.Here you have direct access to thehalls featuring the key players andhot new names in the outdoorindustry.Features include: ispo OutdoorAwards, Eco Responsibility Awards,show seminars, fashion shows andall the social events such as thefamed Outdoor Party (February 7,Hall A6 at the Snow Ice and RockSummit). Check out other relevantspecial features throughout isposuch as Textrends (technical fabricinnovations) and WearableTechnologies (smart kit) as well asthe annual Brand New competition.

Trade show highlights latestproducts and innovations

CHIC, commencing January 302011 will be bigger and better thanever before, filling the largestcolumn free space in the Midlandsat the fabulous Ricoh Arena inCoventry with the biggest choice ofhandbag and luggage brands to befound at any UK show.Chic is unique in many ways. It wasconceived at the request of themajor UK handbag and luggagebrands when no other show suitedthe specific buying/selling seasonof the industry, it is organised byfamily members who have ownedbusinesses in retail and wholesalewithin the sector with anunderstanding for the expectationsof visitors and exhibitors.

The mission throughout the yearshas been to provide a relaxed andenjoyable buying experience whereeverything can be seen togetherwithout walking through multiplehalls of merchandise of norelevance to your business.To celebrate the 30th Chic show,there will be a ‘catwalk with adifference’ hosted by majorcelebrities (to be announced soon),an Eco-Friendly fashion zone,seminars on leather production andother interesting topics which willenhance retailer’s knowledge of theproducts they sell. There will alsobe a fresh new look for 2011making the buying experience atChic even more enjoyable.

Chic 2011: biggerand better than ever

THE Blackpool Show takes pride inits more relaxed yet business-likeapproach and the chic ambience ofthe Barcelo Imperial Hotel, which isin refreshing contrast to the moresterile atmosphere found in majorexhibition halls. Now entering its second year, sincethe decision was made to bring allsuppliers under one roof, it has

proved to be popular with exhibitorsand buyers alike ensuring its statusas a major wholesale exhibition foryears to come. Perfectly positioned at the start ofthe exhibition calendar Blackpooloffers retailers an informal settingto start planning their ranges, in rel-ative calm, before the rush of thelarger exhibitions.

Relaxed yet business-like

Timberland looksto liquid-repellenttechnologyTHE Timberland Company hassigned up to use P2i’s ion-masknano-coating to create a newgeneration of footwear. The liquid-repellent technologyworks by applying a nanoscopicprotective layer to the wholeshoe, on which water formsbeads and rolls off instead ofbeing absorbs. The fact that it coats every partof the shoe, including differentmaterials, seams and fasteningsmeans that it stops externalwater getting in as well asencouraging evaporatedperspiration to flow out. The ion-mask lasts as long as

the shoe itself and also helps toguard against stains and dirtresidue.John Healy, general manager ofTimberland’s Invention Factory,said: “As a leader in waterproofand water resistant footwear, weare constantly searching for newtechnologies to improve ourproducts and the way theyperform in the outdoors. “Ion-mask hit our radar as wewere looking to expand ourcanvas offering for spring 2011and means that we are able tooffer truly breathable, summerweight canvas shoes that aresuper water and stain repellent.”

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Business and technology December/January 2010/11 29

IP law review could begood news for designersFOOTWEAR designers could beset to benefit following newsthat David Cameron intends tohold a review of intellectualproperty in the UK.

The Prime Minister used akeynote speach to the businesscommunity of Shoreditch toannounce: “We are reviewing ourIP laws to see if we can makethem fit for the internet age. Iwant to encourge the sort ofcreative innovation that exists inAmerica.”

The review, which will report next April, will recommendchanges to UK law, as well as long-term goals to be pursued by the Britishgovernment on the internationalstage.

Dids Macdonald, ACID’s CEOsaid: “The IP review is awelcome initiative which I hopewill focus on a relevant androbust framework to encourageIP creators and ensure thatprotection and enforcement are

key priorities. “For the majority of the UK’sSME’s the costs and difficultiesassociated with enforcing IP infringement are prohibitive. “Bringing IP to the top table as asignificant contributor to theUK’s growth and recovery will bea welcome boost for UKbusinesses.” The review will look at:� Barriers to new internet-basedbusiness models, including thecosts of obtaining permissionsfrom existing rights-holders.� The cost and complexity ofenforcing intellectual propertyrights within the UK andinternationally.� The interaction between IPand Competition frameworks.� The cost and complexity toSME’s of accessing services tohelp them protect and exploittheir IP.It will also look at what the UKcan learn from America’s ‘fair

use’ rules, covering thecircumstances in which copyrightmaterial may be used withoutthe rights-holder's expresspermission.

IP Minister Baroness Wilcox, said: “This review will look at what changes can be made to our intellectual property system to ensure it helps firmsgrow.

“The internet has fundamentallychanged the businesslandscape.

“Some sectors, such as thecreative industries, have beentransformed by the internet.

“The intellectual propertyframework must keep pace.

“An IP system created in the era of paper and pen may not fitthe age of broadband andsatellites.

“We must ensure it meets theneeds of the digital age.” David Cameron

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ISSUE 62 DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

30

RETAIL SOLUTIONS

FOOT CARETRAINING

RETAIL SOLUTIONS diaryddaatteess

FOOTWEAR

Expo Riva SchuhRiva del Garda trade fair centre, Lake Garda,Italy 15 - 18 January 2011www.exporivaschuh.it/eng/default.asp

Bread and ButterAirport Berlin-Tempelhof, 19-21 January 2011www.breadandbutter.com

Blackpool Shoe EventImperial Hotel, Blackpool 22-24 Jan 2011

Chic - Ricoh Arena, Coventry, 30 January - 02 February 2011 www.chicuk.com

ISPONew Munich Trade Fair Centre, 6-9 February 2011 www.ispo.com

PureOlympia and Earls Court, London, 13-15 February 2011 www.purelondon.com

Stitch Menswear 13 - 15 February 2011 EarlsCourt Exhibition Centre, Londonwww.stitchmenswear.com

GDS/Global ShoesMesse Dusseldorf, Germany, 16-18 March 2011www.gds-online.com

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