story from timesonline.com
Gathering Moss proves profitable
Sarah Butler
Kate Moss’s clothing range for Topshop is to become an international wholesale brand under plans being considered by Sir Philip Green. The billionaire said international interest in Topshop had soared since the retailer launched its first Kate Moss range in May.
Apart from Topshop’s own stores and franchise outlets abroad, the Moss label is already being sold in about 20 stores around the world.
Sir Philip said that he was considering selling the range independently into specialist stores in other countries and he believed there were about 50 potential clients, such as upmarket independents or department stores that might stock the range.
“There’s a very good wholesale businsess there. People like our speed to market and that we are putting in something new every couple of weeks,” he said.
The Kate Moss range is sold in 21 countries, including the US, where Barney’s, the department store, has bought the range. Sir Philip said he wanted to take the range’s international presence “up a gear”.
Sir Philip would not give any sales figures for the brand but he said: “Even the most sceptical person has to accept it has had he most fantastic press coverage.”
He said the range had brought new customers to Topshop who might not have visited before and drove up the number of visitors to the stores. Sir Philip said he did not plan to expand the range signifi- cantly in the UK and not all the items designed in conjunction with the model had been a success: “The product has got to be right. All the effort has got to be on the merchandise. It has got to have an edgy feel.”
The first Kate Moss fashion range for Topshop was launched on May 1 and generated so much interest that 2,500 people queued for up to eight hours to gain 20 minutes’ access to the flagship Oxford Street store. The model was paid an estimated £3 million for use of her name and her role in designing the range.
Sir Philip wants to make Topshop into a lifestyle brand, with plans to launch cosmetics bearing the brand’s name next year.
The billionaire said he was more closely involved with the day-to-day running of the chain and was implementing ideas he had mused on for “a couple of years” — giving an indication of the tensions that led to the departure of Jane Shepherdson, the former Topshop brand director, a year ago.
Gathering Moss proves profitable
Sarah Butler
Kate Moss’s clothing range for Topshop is to become an international wholesale brand under plans being considered by Sir Philip Green. The billionaire said international interest in Topshop had soared since the retailer launched its first Kate Moss range in May.
Apart from Topshop’s own stores and franchise outlets abroad, the Moss label is already being sold in about 20 stores around the world.
Sir Philip said that he was considering selling the range independently into specialist stores in other countries and he believed there were about 50 potential clients, such as upmarket independents or department stores that might stock the range.
“There’s a very good wholesale businsess there. People like our speed to market and that we are putting in something new every couple of weeks,” he said.
The Kate Moss range is sold in 21 countries, including the US, where Barney’s, the department store, has bought the range. Sir Philip said he wanted to take the range’s international presence “up a gear”.
Sir Philip would not give any sales figures for the brand but he said: “Even the most sceptical person has to accept it has had he most fantastic press coverage.”
He said the range had brought new customers to Topshop who might not have visited before and drove up the number of visitors to the stores. Sir Philip said he did not plan to expand the range signifi- cantly in the UK and not all the items designed in conjunction with the model had been a success: “The product has got to be right. All the effort has got to be on the merchandise. It has got to have an edgy feel.”
The first Kate Moss fashion range for Topshop was launched on May 1 and generated so much interest that 2,500 people queued for up to eight hours to gain 20 minutes’ access to the flagship Oxford Street store. The model was paid an estimated £3 million for use of her name and her role in designing the range.
Sir Philip wants to make Topshop into a lifestyle brand, with plans to launch cosmetics bearing the brand’s name next year.
The billionaire said he was more closely involved with the day-to-day running of the chain and was implementing ideas he had mused on for “a couple of years” — giving an indication of the tensions that led to the departure of Jane Shepherdson, the former Topshop brand director, a year ago.
