LK Bennett

[1moreglassplease]

I saw the news at lunchtime that Linda Bennett was potentially calling in administrators. I know there were rumours last year about problems and it appears they were true (big losses). Personally I've never been a fan of the clothes and find them a bit frumpy and overpriced but I'm obviously sad that more people will lose jobs and we lose yet another name from the High Street.

user1457017537 Yes, and all the retail shops have the same clothes with minor differences and it shows! Not as rare as the buyers and merchandisers would like to think.

We're not saying it doesn't happen because it does. I complained many posts pack that everyone is offering variations on the same thing. (Other posters agreed with this.) What I was disputing is when you said: I think all buyers are buying from the same super factories in the Far East. The basic same dress and fabric but altered slightly depending on the store purchasing

Your post makes it sound like all stores are using the same design. So, to clarify what I said in my previous post - While the brands might be manufacturing in the same factories, each brand is having their own designs made up. The factory will not be using one item and altering its same design to the purchasing stores specifications. Often the same brand will offer the same item in different variations.

Stores all have similar stock as buyers and merchandisers have been narrowing the choice offered for a long time now. Everyone offers the same thing in a bid to retain customers and keep revenue high. If something sells well the store will continue to offer it in as many variations as possible. Competing stores will see this and produce replicas. It's lazy retailing. I expect the poster who used to work in buying and merchandising will confirm this.

I worked for a fashion house briefly when I was younger. There were many individual companies and designers all of whom were distinguishable by a certain look. I look back at shops like Crocodile, Elle, Biba and Fiorucci and mourn their passing.

Funnily enough you still get individual boutiques with original stock in Spain and Italy.

Yes to Fiorucci. I used to love going to their store on the Kings Road when I was a teen. My friend had the most amazing Fiorucci jeans which had black flowers attached by pop studs. I adored their cherub logo sweatshirts too. Am not old enough to have shopped in original Biba. (I don't like the newer incarnations.)

Even though super-chains like Zara and Mango are widespread throughout mainland Europe, Europe is far better for smaller boutiques, I I agree with that. Fast fashion still isn't as much of a thing as it is here. I do think that online shopping and being able to buy directly from a brand makes opening a multi-brand small boutique less attractive. I do wonder what's in store for the future of fashion wholesale.

It is strange that so many people today strive to be individuals yet stores seem keen to make everyone look the same.