UK's Black Friday evolves as majority of sales move online

Slow fashion label A-MM-E by Emma Kempton is one of the British-made brands on the online store set up by
Best of Britannia, the consumer event platform of British brands.
The BOB online store will launch on November 24th to coincide with Black Friday weekend in the UK.

Experts predict Black Friday this year in the UK will be another shopping bonanza, and that £1.1bn spent last year on the day to be surpassed. Emerging key trends point to evolving consumers behaviour with  15 billion online searches a month regarding Black Friday. 

Online spending on and around Black Friday in the UK this year (that's November 24th, the day after the US celebrates Thanksgiving) will hit an estimated £6.77bn, according to e-tailer body IMRG and SimilarWeb. And around 51% of that spend will be via mobile devices as m-commerce continues to grow fast.  But insights-driven advertising technology company Captify predict the £1.1 bn spent last year on Black Friday is set to be surpassed.

Justin Opie, managing director at IMRG also said the Black Friday period is evolving but despite retailers focusing on week-long bargains, IMRG believes as much as £1.27bn will be spent on the day itself, up 16% year-on-year. And around £3.45bn of the total spend will go through smartphones and tablets.

Genevieve Sweeney lunxury knitwear for men and women is one of British labels on the Best of Britannia online shop. 

Dom Joseph CEO and Co-Founder of Captify, an insights-driven advertising technology company, also predicts the £1.1bn spent last year on Black Friday is to be surpassed.

He said, “In the six years since its introduction into the UK, Black Friday is rightly recognised as the best day of the year to get a good deal on a huge variety of products.”

“We are seeing two key trends emerge this year, firstly, more and more retailers, both online and offline, have offered discounts well ahead of Black Friday. Amazon launched its ‘35 days of Black Friday’ , while UK companies, such as Argos and Tesco, have also offered deals ahead of the day, in order to capture as many consumers as possible. Retailers know the heightened expectations that consumers have for Black Friday, which is why we’ve seen such growth in discounts before the event itself.”

“Secondly, people are now monitoring the prices of products they want to buy, months in advance of Black Friday, and researching information as early as August. Not only this, based on the analysis of 15 billion online searches, there was actually an 11% jump last month of UK consumers researching product prices related to Black Friday, compared to last year."

“Consumers will always vote with their wallets, and if Black Friday didn’t offer huge price discounts on products that consumers valued and wanted, it wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is and will continue to be.”

'MAKING THE BEST OF BREXIT' Debate to take place on 4th November in Bristol

Best of Britannia West will launch  'MAKING THE BEST OF BREXIT' DEBATE at the Arnolfini Building in Bristol

Following Best of Britannia in London - the fair that promotes best of British fashion and design, held 30 September to 2nd October - 100 days after the EU Referendem - the organisers will hold the "Making The Best of Brexit" debate on 4th November at the magnificent dockside Arnolfini Building in Bristol.

The panel of speakers will include Patrick Grant (Community Clothing), John Pearce (Made in Britain Campaign), Tom Kay (Finisterre) and Associate Professor Carol Jarvis (UWE) who will discuss post-Brexit referendum Britain.

Wool Fair & Sheep Drive, and all things woolly

After a pleasurable summer of carefree days and warm sunshine, you probably find the milder weather with a hint of autumn quite welcoming.  Soon we'll be turning our attention to more woolly things as the evenings start to draw in earlier by the day.

A sheep farm on Beachy Head, near Eastbourne in UK's southeastern coast, looking over the English Channel.
Photo by Lucia Carpio (C) My Fashion Connect Global.

A number of exciting things are being staged in September that will put wool in the limelight.

One notable event is the Wool Fair & Sheep Drive due to take place at Monument & London Bridge in the UK capital.

Staged by the Worshipful Company of Woolmen, one of London’s oldest Livery companies and the City Wool Alliance and co-produced by Best of Britannia and Callow Events, London’s first Wool Fair takes place on September 25th, pulling together a range of wool-based traders to showcase the breadth of uses of this incredibly versatile natural fibre.  2016 will be the first year for this exciting new event as an annual accompaniment to the traditional London Bridge Sheep Drive hosted by Nigel Mansell, driving slightly slower than he’s used to.

Woollen transitional scarf by knitwear designer Layla Chelache whose textile pieces reflect her love of colour, texture and sculptural forms. Using the very finest materials, from Scottish cashmere to Italian silk and linen, each scarf, hat or glove is made by hand, on vintage industrial knitting machines in CHELACHE’s London studio.  Photo from Best of Britannia.

Brands taking part include; Penrose, The Wool Room, Crowns & Coronets, Northdown Farm, Southdown Duvets, Chapman House, One Hut Full, Sweet Potato Spirit Company, Chelache, Romney Marsh Wools, Romney Tweed, Blissimore, Ross Barr, Settlers Stores and Elspeth McVey.

Lazy Days and Cozy Nights

Pure new wool throws from the Essentials Range by Tolly McRae in a selection of
soft colours:Village Green, Lady Grey, Damson Gin & Donkey.
Each throw measures 150cm x 180cm

Meanwhile Tolly McRae has launched its Essentials Range, which is styled on their ever popular chunky lambswool throws and produced in pure new wool. They have added in extra softness at the finishing stage to achieve a near lambswool feel, so the result is a really great everyday throw.

As with all Tolly McRae throws and blankets, the Essentials range is woven in a family run mill in the British Isles that has been producing textiles for generations. The arrows are produced in small batches and hand finished by craftsmen passionate about their trade.

Co-founder and owner Danielle Tolson hopes the new Essentials range will allow Tolly McRae bring the ‘rural luxe’ aesthetic into many more homes: “With this range we’re bringing our customers the fabulous Tolly McRae quality and styling they have come to expect, at a more accessible price point. “

The Classic Car Boot Sale in London King's Cross this weekend. Best of Britannia to join the event.

Wayne Hemmingway’s Classic Car Boot Sale returns to London King's Cross 16 & 17 April with an expanded offering of classic cars, shopping, music, dance, walkabout entertainment and street food.

The Classic Car Boot Sale will showcase "the traders and vehicles that will take us on a journey that celebrate timeless design and future classics", flowing up from the Kings Cross St Pancras Square, along Kings Boulevard, through Granary Square and onto the recently opened new public space, Lewis Cubitt Square.

Also joining the event will be Best of Britannia (BOB) which will be showcasing "the best in contemporary British design and manufacturing" featuring a host of inspiring brands of high quality, including  menswear label Ross Barr, tailor Susannah Hall, Trove, Dhu Performance Cashmere, fine fragrances from Gruhme, homewares brand StolenForm, craft beer from Crate Brewery, Lesser Spotted Britain.

There’s jewellery from Miranda Swift and Anna Faine, Mr Maseys Emporium of Beards, textile designer Abigail Bury, intimates and underwear from Parasol Rose, Chelache knitwear, Lolly 5000, ISAAC AVA, ZaraMia Ava mens and womenswear, Claire Paver Couture, Loula's Boutique, Fruitbats & Screwballs makers of historical clothing Ages of Elegance.

Let's hope the weather will be nice (that means no rain) this weekend, at least in that part of London.

Support Buy British Day October 2nd

#buybritishday

Made in Britain debate to launch Buy British Day 2015 set for October 3rd

An event to endorse buying British products will be held on October 3rd at London's King's Cross.

This year, partnering with Made In Britain will be Wayne Hemingway’s The Classic Car Boot Sale in Granary Square, London – and central Preston (way north), in a pop-up retail outlet in the middle of the Fishergate shopping centre and on the Preston Train Station concourse.

Cherchbi - one of the British-made brand currently on show at Design Junction, Victoria House, Holborn.

Buy British Day 2015 was kick started earlier this week at ‘The Great British Debate’ hosted by Best of Britainia at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts.  The conversation subtitled ‘Can we make it all here?’ where British brands, manufacturers and industry figures came together and discussed the opportunities, limitations and future of British manufacture and design.

Engaged in a lively debate was a panel of experts, campaigners and commentators including shirt-maker Emma Willis MBE, Patrick Grant of Norton & Sons and E.Tautz (of BBC The Great British Sewing Bee series) , Drapers editorial director Eric Musgrave, Jonathan Jones of Tregothnan Tea, Made In Britain’s John Pearce, managing director of The Manufacturer Nick Hussey, British Chambers of Commerce Adam Marshall and Kate Hills from Make It British. 

With Best of Britannia’s own Antony Wallis as host, the panel’s discussion touched upon:

·         the use of the Union Jack in branding as a mark of excellence, and the esteem with which the flag as a ‘made in Britain’ marker is received; UK brands’ reticence in using it, as negative perceptions can arise from so-called ‘nostalgia branding’ and the assumptions that a product is made in Britain when in fact it has been made elsewhere

·         proximity to market and its associations with growth in industry – with mention of boat building in the UK

·         there is no reason NOT to make everything in the UK, but the progression and growth of smaller British manufacturers are restricted by lack of investment to make it viable; growing British manufacture is a long, slow process, but worth the investment – we just need the investors; predictions that investment in British manufacture will come from abroad

·         the value of media in demonstrating to the consumer the manufacturing process and where and how their product is made: from pattern-cutting to building, the role of storytelling – and how brands need to get better at telling their stories

·         the pro’s and con’s of the GREAT campaign – it achieved astonishingly positive results as a vehicle for promoting British innovation, but small brands got lost in the system

An initiative from Best of Britannia – an annual event and website that showcases more than 200 of the very best British-made brands and products – Buy British Day aims to engage with consumers who care about the provenance of what they’re buying.  See you there!

London-based artist turns personal photographs into wearable art

It was a pleasure meeting Jacqui Sinnatt, a London-based photographer cum artist/designer, who was exhibiting her range of beautifully hand-finished silk scarfs under the St Agnes Eve label at the Best of Britannia trade fair held last week (held June 26 - 28) at the Nicholls & Clarke Building on London's  Shoreditch High Street.

Photos above and below by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Her scarfs - made and hand-finshed in the UK - are new canvases for displaying her designs based on her own photographs taken from trips and visits she has made around the British countryside.  The results are statements of her unique creativity, ranging from the bold and dramatic to romantic and intriguing.

Along with flowers and plants, wildlife and animals, she may spot found fragments that no one else would notice.  She then rescale her photographs and images to create unique stories that bring her memories from her travels around Britain to a new medium.  She captures these unique moments including experiences and adventures with writers, musicians, painters and other designers, while travelling through various parts of the UK, from Cornwall to Kent, from London to Scotland, through photographs and transfer them into digital imagery printed on scarfs.
Along with her scarfs, Jacqui has produced a catalogue explaining her stories and insights behind each scarf design.
In the picture below, Jacquis holds up her Nettlebed Blue scarf based on photographs she had made while strolling in the winter through the countryside surrounding the Oxfordshire village of Nettlebed and with the photographs she created a montqge of found objects.

Jacqui explains: "I was walking with my brother-in-law, who asked why on earth I would photograph discarded debris, twigs and leaves.  My response was 'everything' has its own beauty - and you never know when these images might come in useful," said Jacqui Sinnatt whose scarf designs can be found on www.stagneseve.com

Living near Kew Gardens in west London, Jacqui often goes to photograph the plants and discover new beauty in the old trees.  On one visit, a peacock was encountered in the garden and provided inspiration for the Peacock of Kew design.  "A close-up of his feathers, colours and textures inspired the scarf design," says Jacqui.

Here above is one entitled Exmoor Shale that Jacqui designed based on a trip to west of Ashburton with friends of a book club, after enjoying an evening of fine wines and gossips at a local bar followed by a morning walk on the moor.  She said in her catalogue, "Visions of literary spirits past and present accompanied our windswept walk on Exmoor and I was inspired by the complex textures of rock and stone balanced by hints of a clear turquoise sky glimpsed through scudding clouds.

Close-ups and magnified shots of plants and flowers inspired the kaleidoscopic design of another scarf shown above.  According to Jacqui, "The spiky burrs in the Pricklehead Blue scarf design were found on the banks of the river near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.  But when magnified they took on a whole new life reminding me of giant thistles found in the Scottish Highlands."

Sock Club London launched with products that celebrate English Heritage

A couple of questions for quintessential modern men with a soft spot for their soles.

Do you care about what goes between your own feet and a pair of shoes?  Do you care for it so much that you want to join a club that addresses your passion?

If your answer is yes to the above, you may want to join the Sock Club London for like-minded sock-lovers who care also about their English heritage.  

First and foremost, for the launch of the Sock Club London, the brand has collaborated with three English Heritage brands, starting with Pantherella for its first Made in England collection of limited edition socks.  

These socks  are manufactured in the Pantherella factory in England (established since 1937), and sold exclusively on the Sock Club London web store.  The socks feature hand-linked toe seams for superior comfort.  Made with superior long staple Egyptian cotton, the yarn is woven with nylon to ensure that the socks are both comfortable and durable.   

Sock Club London socks feature club logo as well as club motto: "No Apologies", "No Regrest".

Sock Club London has added their touch through the colour choice, embroidery, collaboration foot transfer and rider ticket. 

Also launched is a new limited edition Globe-Trotter Luggage for club members to hold their precious Sock Club socks.  This with Globe-Trotter Luggage on this exclusive and extremely limited edition sock case* 

This 13-inch case (32 x 24 x 12 cm weighing 1.2Kg) is manufactured in the Globe-Trotter factory in England.  Features include ivory leather trim and a contrasting orange interior.

The uniquely constructed and hand-made case comes with a drop-in shelf insert, comfortably holding 12 pairs of socks secured by a webbing strap.   It can also be used to carry other items aside from socks and for maximum flexibility the shelf unit can be removed. 

A premium leather luggage tag with dual Globe-Trotter and Sock Club London branding is included. This luggage tag has a hidden compartment for an address, business or membership card.

The GLOBE-TROTTER heritage brand was established in 1897. Their timeless products are made in Hertfordshire using original manufacturing methods.  Over the last 100 years their client list has included Sir Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth II, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Kate Moss, Daniel Craig, and others.

Another English heritage brand that Sock Club London has partnered with is Fox Umbrellas.  The limited edition umbrella is manufactured in the Fox Umbrella factory in England. It is made on a 25” steel frame, with a nickel tip cup engraved with the Sock Club London logo on one side; and ‘No Apologies, No Regrets’ (the motto of the club) quoted on the other side.  The handle is cased in luxurious black leather, and has contrast white stitching. The umbrella is approximately 36” in length.  The canopy is made with a high-grade 100% polyester water repellent fabric. The exterior is black, and interior orange, Sock Club London ‘Club Colours’.

Sock Club London is currently promoted via their website, and also through attendance at London based showcases and exhibitions, such as at Best of Britannia 

held at London’s Clerkenwell last week.   Interested in the Sock Club London products or joining the club (or gifting the membership), click HERE to go to their website for details. 

Best of Britannia highlights wide range of British brands, including products for cycling enthusiasts

Best of Britannia organisers are celebrating the best of British brands and craftsmanship.  The event - which is currently held at the historic Farmiloe Building in Clerkenwell, London - is open to the public and lasts until 3rd October featuring a diverse range of British products made exclusively in the UK. 

Antony Wallis, Creator of Best of Britannia, comments: “It is a very exciting time to be a British designer and manufacturer - the London 2012 Olympics, the Golden Jubilee, and now with the arrival of Prince George, brand Britain is experiencing a major boom.”

With the launch of a new website to coincide with the exhibition, Antony has announced that the event will be expanded to Manchester as well next year.

Best of Britannia brings together a broad range of industries and sectors, including interiors, furniture, lighting, food, drink, clothing, jewellery, accessories, footwear, sports, outdoor recreation and automotives.   

While the iconic Mini is a classic representative of the British brand, cycling has in recent years become one of the nation's favourite sports and its growing popularity as a means of transport is highlighted by the fact that many of the exhibitors’ at Best of Britannia are featuring products related to the bicycle and quality-conscious cyclists.

The 150-year-old Brooks England for one, based in Smethwick, West Midlands, showcases a wide selection of cycling accessories, including leather saddles expertly crafted in their own factory using traditional machinery as well as stylish and functional bags for bicycles.

Carradice of Nelson based in Lancashire uses a selection of materials including waterproof cotton, duck fabric, thick leather and limited edition Harris Tweed for a wide range of bicycle bags, 

These Carradice bags feature cast metal fixings, military grade cotton webbing and leather binding. 

Chapman, a company founded as a manufacturer of fishing and shooting bags, has over the years become well-known for authentically British made shoulder bags, luggage and accessories. 

Based in Carlisle, Cumbria, Chapman's Troutbeck shown above is its original fishing bag which is now designed to carry a laptop as well as fish.  Note also the bright colours on offer in the new collection.

On display at Best of Britannia are the Moulton bicycles which are manufactured in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, and are recognised as superior to conventional cycles due to the combination of space-frame construction, innovative suspension and small wheels with improved handling, ride and performance.

Also on display are new design brand Cycloc - simple storage systems for hanging up bikes and keeping accessories neatly.

 

They look so effortless and at the same time elegant and space-saving.  All products are available on the Cycloc website.

Meanwhile Big Tomato Company features illustrations of bicycles, gears and saddles on their mugs and cutlery holders, all made at their factory in Stroke-on-Trent.