Editors' Top Reads: News from ASOS, Jil Sander, eBay and more...

Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.fashion team.

ASOS appoints new UK MD as it announces updated growth strategy

ASOS promoted its SVP North America, Sean Trend, to Managing Director for the UK and US, as part of its strategy and customer-focused approach to driving growth. Moving to a geography-based structure to enable more tailored strategies at a local level, the online marketplace has also appointed Jag Weatherley as Managing Director for Europe & Rest of World.

It follows the strategic progress the retailer has made to date, which includes reducing its stock levels, improving its product, and refinancing its debt, while making its operations more efficient and profitable. The first stage was focused on the technology function, attempting to create a more "agile" and "effective" structure to better serve customers and drive growth.

All changes will be effective from April 2025 and will attempt to streamline decision-making processes, empower teams, and strengthen ASOS' ability to quickly respond to market opportunities. I'm interested to see what impact this will make!

Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer. 

Jil Sander Creative Directors announce exit, leaving a Daniel Lee-shaped hole

As the Creative Director's game of musical chairs continues, this week, Jil Sander announced that its Creative Directors Lucie and Luke Meier stepped down from their roles. Their collection, which was shown at Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday would "be the last of their collaboration".

In January, rumours began circulating that the Chief Creative Officer at Burberry, Daniel Lee, was positioned to exit the struggling British house and head to Jil Sander, the German luxury brand known for influencing the minimalist style that defined the fashion of the 1990s. Now the design duo has stepped down, the missing piece of the puzzle suggests Daniel Lee is in fact heading the fashion house.

Back in September 2022, Burberry appointed Daniel Lee as Chief Creative Officer, replacing Riccardo Tisci in the role. From 2018 to 2021, Lee served as Creative Director at Bottega Veneta. During his time there, Lee turned it into the powerhouse it is today for Kering. However, the designer has had a harder time balancing Burberry's heritage and his penchant for minimalist codes. With this in mind, it seems that the British designer is a strong fit for minimalist Jil Sander.

Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.

Pre-loved and repair displaces sales of new clothing

Interesting new research landed on our desks this week from NGO WRAP, which reveals that pre-loved businesses are displacing sales of new clothing, with the average displacement rate for repair at 82.2% and resale at 64.6%.

The speed at which resale and repair has taken grip in mainstream consumer behaviour is impressive and it seems it will only gain more traction.

This will clearly further impact the sale of new clothes, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Brands wishing to find growth in the future will have no choice but to offer pre-loved and repair services to consumers (and make clothes that can withstand repairs rather than disintegrate in the wash). Before long it will be an expectation rather than an exception.

The data from the report found that for every five times people repair existing items of clothing, four new items of clothing are ‘displaced’ by people no longer buying them. If that's not a call to (positive) action, then I don't know what is.

Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.

Mayor Sadiq Khan asks Londoners for opinions on pedestrianising Oxford Street

Sir Sadiq Khan has resurrected the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street debate again this week. Having failed to persuade a Conservative council of his plans back in 2019, he's hoping to get the backing of Londoners to ban vehicles from the world-famous street.

I'm unqualified to comment on whether this plan would be a good move, but I do feel qualified to comment on the retail experience on this once great street. And it's miserable.

There are a few pluses, such as a really nice branch of Mango, two nice Zaras, the seriously good looking Flannels and Sports Direct stores and, of course, my personal church Selfridges, among others.

But overall, it's miserable. Who on earth knows when IKEA will finally open in the former Topshop flagship (and I'm grumpy it's not a fashion store going in there) and Nike Town is closed for refurbishment while the former Debenhams and House of Fraser stores are in development. On top of that there are too many empty units and trashy American candy stores.

If banning cars will fix all that then I'm all for it, but my feeling is some better curation and Sir Sadiq lobbying for the reinstatement of VAT-free shopping might have a more positive effect.

Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.