menswear Archives - VM Unleashed

What can ‘we hardened retail professionals’ learn from the students at the London College of Fashion?

My collaborative project with the London College of Fashion has come to an end, for this year at least. Sad to say goodbye for now, but what an amazing and rewarding experience for everyone. The student’s final presentations were professional and polished. I can honestly say that I have sat through far worse presentations from professional businesses. Whilst I would like to take some credit for my input into their-

“2p or not 2p:” What is the point of Ultra-Fast Fashion?

This story begins with a Channel 4 documentary behind the scenes of the world’s largest ultra-fast fashion retailer. Against a backdrop of endless working hours and horrendous working conditions, apparently each worker earns as little as 2p for every garment they stitch and sew! The next chapter takes us to the inventory bloodbath of what has become Black Friday. For ultra-fast fashion, this is not about exclusive product drops and-

Discussing ‘Experiential Retailing’: Next – ‘The Smooth Operator’

Listen to myself, Tim Radley, on the Louise Lally podcast, discussing the much vaunted but little understood concept of ‘Experiential Retailing!’ Join the free podcast now through this link…Retailing with Meaning Ep1 Store Concepts (podbean.com) The podcast features a discussion on Next, a highly successful mid-market clothing & home brand, but not one you would usually associate with the expression ‘Experiential Retailing.’ The fact is that a great customer experience-

Discussing Visual Merchandising & Shop Design: Abercrombie & Fitch – ‘Creating Theatres for Retail’

Listen to myself, Tim Radley, on the Louise Lally podcast, discussing the future of visual merchandising, and the changing world of physical shop spaces for both large brands and small independent retailing. Join the free podcast now through this link…Retailing with Meaning Ep2 ”Shop Merchandising and Display” (podbean.com) The podcast features a discussion on Abercrombie & Fitch. For me their name still stirs up magic and wonder, despite their slow-

Discover a ‘Five-Star Christmas: “Meaning in the Retail Madness”

“An excellent read *****” “Valuable reference for anyone in retail *****” “This book is more relevant now than ever! *****” ‘Meaning in the Retail Madness’ explains how touchpoints have replaced channels, how linear supply chains will become circular, why assortments are increasingly virtual, how physical is turning to local, and why products and shops are not necessarily made for each other anymore. It supplies a blueprint for retail’s new ‘agile-

Were the seeds of second-hand, vintage, and fashion rental sewn in ’70s football sub-culture?

Were the seeds of second-hand, vintage, and fashion rental sewn in ’70s football sub-culture?Check out a fascinating BBC article and exhibition in Liverpool The popularity of fashion rental and vintage re-sale is gathering pace, driven by both aesthetic and sustainable motives. A key attraction is to break away from the mainstream commercial, both in terms of destructive fast-fashionsupply chains, and the desire for individual expression in the way that we-

‘The Good Store’ – A product of the sustainable community

‘The Good Store’ – A product of the sustainable community For those wishing to buy sustainably the problem of finding genuine brands takes time and commitment. The Good Store is a department store in central London that has curated 600sqm of space dedicated entirely to products made from recycled materials and upcycled into attractive things to buy. The store carries a selection of sustainable products and brands across clothing, accessories,-

My exciting collaboration with the London College of Fashion

Pleased to announce that I’m working with the London College of Fashion this Autumn, as part of their Collaborative Challenge Industry Partner Programme. The fashion industry is more exciting and dynamic than ever. Students entering this world, across a wide range of disciplines, now need to be fully prepared and be able to collaborate and integrate with a variety of internal teams and external partners. With this in mind, we-

Can the ‘cost of living’ educate us on the ‘price of owning?’

The ‘cost of living’ crisis affecting all of us, is an opportunity to educate everyone on the wider sustainable issues around the things we buy and own. There are of course so many powerful and compelling reasons why we should think more deeply about the repercussions of what we buy. The environment, climate change and the ethics behind how we respect workers’ conditions and rights are fully in the news-

Should ‘recyclable trump recycled’ in the product design & buying lottery?

Should ‘recyclable trump recycled’ in the product design & buying lottery? Surely, as customers we must educate ourselves, and teach the businesses that make our ‘stuff’ that truly and literally ‘enough is enough’ It is correct to prioritise ‘keeping product out of landfill’ This is most important. That is why the evolution of resell, remaking, repairing, reinventing and renting is so important. The more existing products that can remain in-