Weekly News Round-Up: September 17th-23rd

Sandra Halliday for Fashion Network

In a surprise move, Boohoo Group has announced a new CEO with current co-CEO Carol Kane set to stand down as part of a board re-alignment. But Kane will remain heavily involved with company and will take on a new role. But what’s particularly interesting is where her successor comes from. New chief executive John Lyttle joins from Primark, which means he's moving from a giant fast fashion operation to another fast fashion leader, but he's also moving from one that has no online retail operations to one that is online-only.

Brexit policy panel results: August 2018

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By The UK in a Changing Europe

The UK in a Changing Europe’s Brexit Policy Panel (BPP) is a cross-disciplinary group of over 100 pre-eminent academics from across social science. It was created to provide ongoing analysis of where we have got to in the Brexit process, and to forecast where we are headed. Members of the BPP complete a monthly survey addressing three key areas of uncertainty around Brexit: if —and when—the UK will leave the EU; how Brexit will affect British politics; and what our relationship with the EU is likely to look like in the future.

John Lewis & Partners' weekly fashion sales drop 0.8 percent

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Prachi Singh for Fashion United

Total sales at John Lewis & Partners, for the week ended September 16, 2018, were down 4.3 percent. The company said in a statement that warmer weather compared to the same period last year had an impact on sales of cold weather products. Fashion sales during the week were down 0.8 percent. However, the company saw sales in women’s accessories rise by 1.4 percent, while sales in beauty, wellbeing and leisure were up 2.7 percent.

London Fashion Week: Representation is 'still a problem'

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Lucy Todd for the BBC, featuring comments from Tamara Cincik, CEO and CO-Founder to Fashion Roundtable.

"There is a changing demographic. You cannot just have white privilege on the front row, within the organisation and then in the casting, and expect that to resonate with consumers. I think it's got a long way to go."
And that doesn't even take into account the number of shows where disability is not considered - either on stage or off: "At plenty of shows you can't get a wheelchair in them," says Cincik.
"Organisations need to start thinking we can't show here if there is no disability access, however cool it is."

Farfetch aims to take on Amazon in ambitious $5bn New York IPO

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Adstrid Wendlandt for Fashion Network

Farfetch, Europe’s best answer to Amazon in the field of luxury and fashion, will complete by the end of this week its much-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange with a valuation of up to $4.8 billion if investors pile in to buy its shares.

Kering holding company Artemis acquires Courrèges

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Dominique Muret for Fashion Network

Kering holding company Artemis is now the owner of Courrèges. FashionNetwork.com first reported the existence of negotiations between the fashion house's previous owners and Artemis at the end of 2017 – and now the deed is done. The Pinault family's investment firm, which holds 40.9% of Kering's shares and over 55% of voting rights, has acquired a 100% stake in the French brand, of which it previously owned 40%.

London fashion week: the inside scoop

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Jess Carter Morley for The Guardian

For the last few seasons, London fashion week has been talking politics in slogan T-shirts, but this season the tone shifted. These clothes will mostly go on sale next March, yet almost no one mentioned Brexit. (Apart from us Jess!) Designers talked about sex and gender, and ageing and rebellion, and nonconformity, and mental health.

Retailer Orla Kiely ceases trading on cash crunch

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For the BBC

Fashion and homeware retailer Orla Kiely has closed its retail stores and website, becoming the latest victim of the difficult retail landscape. The retailer's stores on the King's Road and Seven Dials in London, and Kildare in Ireland, have closed.  

Ironically, Orla Kiely is currently the subject of a major exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. The exhibition, entitled Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern, features more than 150 patterns and products spanning her work from the 1990s until today, as well as collaborations with photographers, film directors and architects.

Burberry — barometer of Britain?

Jo Ellison for the Financial Times

Riccardo Tisci’s debut collection for Burberry was terrific. The Italian-born successor to the house’s former artistic director (and one-time chief executive) Christopher Bailey, who stepped down in February, arrived in London last spring and has been keeping the lowest of profiles ever since. He revealed a new logo and a rebranded house print last month, via social media. On Monday night, we got our first look at the rest.