Aybl Will ‘Defend Robustly’ Court Claim by Gymshark Co-Founder
Gymshark co‑founder Lewis Morgan, who invested in sportswear brand Aybl in 2021, has filed a High Court claim alleging the Edgerton brothers forced him out as executive chairman in January 2026. Aybl, founded by the brothers in 2018, posted £72 million in revenue and £12.7 million pre‑tax profit for the 2025 financial year. The brothers, along with their holding companies, have vowed to defend the claim robustly and pursue counterclaims. The dispute highlights governance tensions in fast‑growing UK apparel firms.
Lanvin Names CEO
Lanvin has appointed former Eric Bompard chief executive Virginie Werschine as its new CEO. Werschine brings a résumé that includes seven years on Hermès’ executive committee and senior stints at Celine, Louis Vuitton, and Zadig & Voltaire, as well as a consulting background at...
Bestseller to Shutter Menswear Brand
Bestseller announced that its menswear label Annarr will shut down after the AW26 delivery to wholesale partners. Launched at Copenhagen Fashion Week in August 2023, Annarr positioned itself as an innovation‑led, sustainable brand with prices ranging from $45 for a...
In Pictures: Athleisure Brand HikersIsland’s Debut Collection
Athleisure startup HikersIsland launched its debut collection, targeting women who blend fitness, work, and daily life. Co‑founders Eri Krasniqi and former fashion PR director Scarlett Abrahams describe the line as an elevated, versatile activewear offering. The range includes T‑shirts, shorts...
Why London Was the Right ‘Gateway Market’ for Janie and Jack
Go Global Retail has opened its first international flagship on London’s King’s Road, housing US premium childrenswear brand Janie and Jack alongside maternity label Hatch. The combined store is positioned as a “gateway market” entry point, leveraging London’s affluent consumer base, tourism flow, and...
John Lewis Closes Blakelands Distribution Centre
John Lewis & Partners announced the closure of its 220,900 sq ft Blakelands distribution centre, a facility that has operated since 1979. The retailer is shifting volume to the newly upgraded Magna Park 3 hub, a 638,000 sq ft site in Milton Keynes equipped with advanced automation....
Drapers Talks Podcast: Passenger CEO Reveals How He Tackled US Tariffs
Jon Lane, CEO of outdoorwear label Passenger, disclosed on the Drapers Talks podcast that the company paused its planned expansion into the United States after President Trump imposed steep tariffs on imported apparel. The tariffs, which added roughly 25% to...
How Childrensalon Is ‘Rightsizing, Stabilising and Going for Global Growth’
Childrensalon, the UK‑based luxury kidswear retailer, has completed a major restructuring aimed at rightsizing its operations and stabilising cash flow. The founding family remains the controlling shareholder while the company appointed former LK Bennett boss Erica Vilkauls as consultant CEO to steer...
Asos CTO’s Guide to ‘Leapfrogging’
At the Drapers Future of Fashion conference, Asos chief technology officer Przemek Czarnecki outlined the retailer’s "leapfrog" strategy designed to outpace rivals in the ultra‑fast fashion market. The plan hinges on AI‑driven demand forecasting, a shift to cloud‑native microservices, and...
How Zalando Is Using AI to Reshape Fashion Content
Zalando is leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline fashion content creation across its platform. Vice‑president of content Matthias Haase explains that AI automates image selection, copy generation and trend forecasting, allowing brands to launch localized, personalized visuals faster without sacrificing creativity....
How Is Fashion Retail Harnessing Performance Marketing?
Fashion retailers are feeling the squeeze as customer acquisition costs climb roughly 15% year‑over‑year. Brands such as Lounge, Castore and Fairfax & Favor are turning to performance‑marketing tactics that blend AI‑driven audience targeting, shoppable social content, and loyalty‑data integration. These...
Discovery Channels: How Consumers Are Using AI to Shop
Consumers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence across multiple discovery channels to inform and complete purchases. The analysis highlights how AI‑driven chatbots, visual search tools, voice assistants, and generative recommendation engines are reshaping the shopping journey. Data shows a surge...
Where H&M Is Targeting Its Technology Investment
H&M’s UK and Ireland managing director, Karen O’Rourke, outlined a multi‑year technology roadmap aimed at accelerating digital sales, streamlining supply‑chain visibility, and embedding data‑driven decision‑making across the brand. The retailer plans to invest heavily in AI‑powered inventory forecasting, a unified...
Hit or Miss: Who Has the Best Men’s Suits on the High Street?
Drapers sent mystery shoppers to eight high‑street retailers – John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Next, TM Lwein, Moss, Hawes & Curtis, Charles Tyrwhitt and Reiss – to evaluate the fit, fabric, price and overall value of their men’s suits. The test revealed that Charles Tyrwhitt and TM Lwein lead...
Editor’s Comment: How Are You Enticing Shoppers to Spend?
Drapers editor Jill Geoghegan warns that consumer confidence and store footfall are slipping as living costs surge amid the war in Iran. Shoppers are tightening belts on discretionary purchases, putting pressure on retailers to find new ways to motivate spending....