Latest news with #CathKidston
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Popular retailer RETURNS to more high streets five years after collapsing into administration and shutting 66 stores
We reveal some of the other retailers staging a comeback on UK high streets BOUNCE BACK Popular retailer RETURNS to more high streets five years after collapsing into administration and shutting 66 stores A POPULAR British retailer which has returned to the high street after collapsing into administration is set to open more shops. Shirtmaker T.M. Lewin is gearing up to open more stores in London, Manchester and Edinburgh after staging a dramatic comeback. Advertisement 1 T.M. Lewin is eyeing up further locations after opening a new store in London Credit: Alamy The retailer recently opened its first new store in the capital since 2020, when it fell into administration and shut all of its 66 branches. The site in Bow Lane, City of London, stocks a range of formal shirts, office-wear and a new Clerkenwell Jacket. But it is now eyeing up further locations across the UK in an expansion drive. Dan Ferris, T.M. Lewin's managing director, told The Times, which first reported news of the additional openings: "A big part of our three-year plan is to expand the real estate very quickly. Advertisement "We're looking for another couple this year, and thereafter it'll just be about opening as many additional outlets as we can." T.M Lewin was founded by Thomas Mayes Lewin and Geoffrey James Lewin in London in 1898, and supplied the RAF and Army with uniforms during the First World War. The company made its shirts in Southend, Essex until the late 1980s, when production moved overseas. However, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic led to the retailer falling into administration in 2020 and going online-only. Advertisement The administration process led to the closure of T.M. Lewin's 66 branches. In 2022, the business was forced to call in administrators for a second time as shoppers shifted to working from home. Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down RETAILERS MAKING A COMEBACK T.M. Lewin is not the first retailer to stage a comeback in recent years despite a challenging economic backdrop. The Centre for Retail Research said more than 13,000 stores, the equivalent of 37 each day, shut their doors for good in 2024. Advertisement This was after more than 10,400 stores closed permanently in 2023, the centre said. However, some retailers have been bucking the closure trend and opening stores across the UK. Others have been making major comebacks after going bust too. Cath Kidston opened up a brand new store last October, after going into administration in June 2023. Advertisement Meanwhile, earlier this year ASOS revealed plans to relaunch a Topshop website. The two names have joined a host of other brands that have announced they will make some form of return. Toys R Us, Cath Kidston and M&Co all said last year they would be making a comeback after previously falling into administration. Major brand Wilko is already back on the high street after closing 400 stores in 2023. Advertisement Its new owners, CDS Superstores, have opened branches across the UK.
Spectator
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Women don't want to dress like Kate Middleton anymore
Look, if you will, at Kate Middleton on the Isle of Mull for her wedding anniversary. There she was in skinny jeans, tucked-in blue shirt and tweed blazer, shod in what looked like sensible walking boots. It's a look I like to call Royal Prep School Mummy, and she's been at it for years: on school runs, at charity netball matches, and Anmer Hall photoshoots. It works, as it always has done, by combining registers. The tweed blazer nods to all sorts of Balmoral-ish, elitist accents – but we forget all about that because of the blue shirt and skinny jeans, items we might well own ourselves. Hilary Mantel may have famously called Kate a 'shop window mannequin', but I want to know which one. Joules, Boden or Cath Kidston? Nowadays, haute-ordinary brands once associated with the princess's soft power – such as Joules, Boden, and Cath Kidston, not to mention Orla Kiely and Jack Wills – are anachronisms. Most of them – bar Jack Wills, which is now worn almost exclusively by chavs – have gone bust. Cath Kidston, once the darling of the middle-class kitchen and downstairs loo with all its make-do-and-mend, chintzy, found-it-in-the-attic vibes, went into administration in 2020. Joules – the brand first established as a market stall by founder Tom Joule, known for its Norfolk beach-striped raincoats and clean Breton tops – went down the pan not long after, in 2023. Both labels were bought out by Next – the hugely successful but doomed graveyard for troubled brands. Both cited Covid and lack of investment as reasons for their demise. But I think it's simply that we have aged out of aspirational ordinariness – or, as one retail analyst at JP Morgan told me, 'the brand DNA had withered'. Ouch. In short, middle-class tastes have moved on. Where once Prep School Mummy might have wanted to emulate a clean-lines Kate vibe, these days she is far more likely to want to signal quiet wealth and a safe, don't-scare-the-horses eccentricity: think an Aspiga quilted coat, barrel jeans (a nightmare for walking the dogs in the mud, just saying) and bright red Adidas Sambas. In warm weather, the jean hem will rise to wide-leg culottes and be paired with Penelope Chilvers espadrilles and a Maison Labiche top that she might have bought in Burford Garden Centre's ladies' fashion department, next to the Pooky lampshades. As ensembles go, these looks gesture towards a louder femininity than the Kate look of old – untethered from convention. Could it be, perhaps, that fashion's middle ground is no longer that middle? Maybe, like our politics, fashion is becoming polarised – the middle market crushed. At one end of the spectrum, you have the obvious luxury of Louis Vuitton, Sloane Street brands; at the other, the fast fashion of Zara and Topshop – now reputed to be making a Gen Z revival. Prestige-lite brands still exist – Boden, the White Company, Sarah K – but their ability to make the middle classes feel like they're getting the good life for less without feeling somehow lesser has waned. Her look, now held in a kind of sartorial aspic, is essential to the Firm's ability to convince us of its middle-class credentials Boden in particular used to lead the pack on the strength of its brand pedigree, not simply its DNA. Owned by Old Etonian Johnny Boden, it tapped spectacularly into the national psyche – windy days on British beaches, drawing-room drinks parties – while providing upscale wardrobe basics (leopard-print ankle boots) and toned-down avant-garde trends (jazzy block-colour coats). But then it went wrong, and the brand was forced to scale back its disastrous men's offering and make a formal apology. Johnny Boden has attributed the losses to 'forgetting' his core customer, but the collective demise of similar brands points to the fact that fashion no longer meets its customers in the middle. In a world of Trump-ish opulence and Reform-style excess, we don't just want to feel nice any more – we aspire to luxury. A nice Breton and a pair of skinny jeans just isn't going to do it any more, even if it is made of organic cotton. Kate Middleton, of course, doesn't have to change at all. Her look, now held in a kind of sartorial aspic, is essential to the Firm's ability to convince us of its middle-class credentials. Her influence will always be powerful, as it was when she first 'broke the internet' with her engagement Issa stretchy dress. As every brand specialist will tell you, no customer – and we are all consumers of Kate, let's be clear – wants to be confused. In the meantime, I'm off to walk the dogs before school pick-up. Just a shame I can't fit my barrel jeans into my Chameau wellies.
Wales Online
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
I'm a fashion writer - Cath Kidston's new Next collection marks promising new era for the brand
I'm a fashion writer - Cath Kidston's new Next collection marks promising new era for the brand The iconic British brand has been a go-to for vintage-inspired fashion for some time, but this latest collection has opened it up to a legion of new fans Cath Kidston Black Cherry Shirred Cami 100% Cotton Top (£52) (Image: Next ) Cath Kidston is best known for their whimsical florals and vintage-inspired designs, with an immediately recognisable style rooted in British heritage. The popular fashion and home brand recently launched a brand new collection of women's styles with high street retailer, Next, and it feels like something of a fresh chapter for the designer. While Cath Kidston had without doubt earned a loyal following throughout the decades, the brand struggled financially in recent years before it was bought out by Next for £8.5million in 2023. Since then, it's arguably steered away from its more 'marmite' prints for more universally loved, yet equally as authentic designs, bringing with it a wave of new fans. The romantic new collection retains the classic Cath Kidston charm we all can appreciate, and has teamed it with wearable silhouettes that are perfect for the spring and summer season. The collection has been described as 'a joyful celebration of floral artistry', which seems to carry the iconic brand into a new era. Read more: GAP's £75 denim bomber jacket is the perfect spring wardrobe staple Read more: Strictly's Amy Dowden reveals where she got her lemon print cardigan - and it is less than £50 I must admit, despite being a vintage fashion enthusiast, some of the older Cath Kidston pieces never really appealed to me. Their latest edit, however, has certainly captured my attention, with some pieces even tempting me to hit 'add to basket'. Characterised by elevated florals, feminine tailoring and statement prints, prices range from £12 to £135, meaning there's something for all budgets. For those who adore Cath Kidston's aesthetic but want alternatives, brands like Joanie, Laura Ashley, and Sezane offer similarly feminine, vintage-inspired options. Yet, there's something about Cath's long history and distinct identity that's drawn intrigue in the new collection. As a fashion writer, I've trawled the collection and selected five of my favourite pieces ranging from light spring jackets to pretty blouses and dresses. Cath Kidston Pink Spot 100% Cotton Shirt Dress (£95) Cath Kidston Pink Spot 100% Cotton Shirt Dress (£95) (Image: Next ) Polka dots have been a classic since the dawn of time and are a firm favourite with British Royals, including Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton. And in 2025, the print is perhaps more popular than ever. The Pink Spot Shirt Dress takes the timeless dotty design and reinterprets it in a new pink and black colourway - a refreshing take on the sea of white and black spots we're seeing a great deal of. Made from 100% cotton, it's a lightweight, breathable style perfect for warmer days. The fit-and-flare silhouette, crafted with a flattering box-pleat skirt and a laid-on waistband, is 'flattering' and elegant, blending comfort with design. Like the majority of the Cath Kidston x Next collection, it comes in sizes 8-24, but only in a regular length, which petite or tall shoppers may find slightly more restrictive. Cath Kidston Ecru Knit Vest (£58) Cath Kidston Ecru Knit Vest (£58) (Image: Next ) Knitwear for the warmer months may seem counterintuitive, but the Roots Knit Vest is the perfect layering piece for mild British weather. The soft wool mix means it gives it a cosy feel that will carry right the way through to autumn and winter, but it's the floral embroidery that lends itself to the spring season so nicely. The contrast blanket stitching on the sleeves? Stunning. The transitional piece has already been praised by one shopper, who said: 'Beautiful quality and light weight but warm goes with anything. Fits true to size if you'd like a looser fit size up.' Cath Kidston December Floral Quilted Jacket (£72) Cath Kidston December Floral Quilted Jacket (£72) (Image: Next ) The high street has been awash with quilted jackets this year - and for good reason. They're a stylish layering piece for cooler temperatures, adding practicality to an outfit without compromising on style. The December Floral Quilted Jacket, from Cath Kidston's collection is made from pure cotton with a soft, tactile quilted finish. Praised by shoppers for its 'lovely colours' and the fact it's 'great for spring', it features a decorative floral design in pretty pastel hues, and is finished with patch pockets to keep essentials close to hand. If I could only add one item from the range to my own wardrobe, it would probably be this. Cath Kidston Black Cherry Shirred Cami 100% Cotton Top (£52) Cath Kidston Black Cherry Shirred Cami 100% Cotton Top (£52) (Image: Next ) Shirring is perhaps one of my favourite features of summer wardrobe staples. Perfect for warmer days, the Black Cherry Shirred Cami delivers just that, making it an incredibly comfortable piece designed to be worn in the height of summer. Made in a cooling cotton poplin, but features a delicate scalloped lace edge and a striking cherry motif on a dark base. As such, it would appear that cherries are set to remain a trend in fashion as much as they have beauty this year. This top is really versatile and can be paired with denim, linen trousers, or cotton skirts for a range of chic looks. Cath Kidston Blue Dilly Dolly Button Down Dress (£120) Cath Kidston Blue Dilly Dolly Button Down Dress (£120) (Image: Next ) Article continues below Arguably the hero piece of the collection, the Blue Dilly Dolly Dress features a feminine rose design in shades of blue. The tea style dress is cut in a flattering maxi style with a flowy flared skirt and contrasting frill collar and sleeves in a polka dot print. At £120, it's one of the pricier pieces, so perhaps an investment for true Cath Kidston fans. For a similar feel at a lower price point, fashion fans may like Roman's Navy Floral Print Frill Detail Midi Dress, which comes in at £38. Or you can shop the full Cath Kidston x Next collection here.
