Editors' Top Reads: News from Radley, Jigsaw, Selfridges and more...
Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.fashion team.
A Radley renaissance: The reinvention of a British icon
Exactly one week ago, I arrived at the Radley HQ in London to conduct an interview with CEO Nick Vance, Chief Brand Officer Jackie Hay, and Design Director Fernando Soriano Iglesias on how they set themselves the goal of creating the world's best £299 handbag. The irony was not lost on me that, mere yards from their front door, my £3k Dior bag (it was a special birthday present) broke - for the second time.
This bag cost me 10× the sweet spot price point Radley has set for its bags, and I can honestly say it wasn't worth it. I was amazed at how Team Radley has obsessed over materials, manufacturing, and the form and function of its bags - all for an incredibly fair price.
The brand has been undergoing a complete overhaul in recent years, not just in aspects of design but in its digital and physical retail experiences and its distribution. It has been a root-and-branch revolution, and I am happy to confirm that it is paying off.
It was a great pleasure to get under the hood of this British brand and get a sneak preview of what it has in store next season. There are even more great products on the way and Soriano Iglesias is only just getting warmed up.
This is inspirational stuff and I'm rooting for them.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
MD Tikki Godley on leading Jigsaw’s next chapter: 'We’re evolving, not reinventing'
There’s something quietly reassuring about Jigsaw right now. Under new Managing Director Tikki Godley, the British heritage brand is showing that evolution can be just as exciting as reinvention.
In my exclusive interview with Godley, it became clear that this next chapter isn’t about flashy pivots or chasing trends. Instead, it’s about modernising while respecting the craftsmanship and storytelling that have always made Jigsaw a unique gem on the British high street.
What stood out most to me was how Godley balances heritage with innovation. She’s refreshing the product, refining fit and fabrics, and investing in digital and in-store experiences, all while keeping the intimacy of Jigsaw’s stores and the loyalty of its customers front of mind.
"Jigsaw is modernising while staying true to its British roots by evolving, not reinventing," she told me.
Godley’s approach proves that staying true to your roots doesn’t mean standing still; it means evolving in a way that feels both natural and necessary. I, for one, can't wait to see how her strategy unfolds as she settles into her new role
Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.
Selfridges and Disney partner for ‘A Most Magical Christmas’ with light shows, festive windows and exclusive collections
Obsessed.
Selfridges and Disney have joined forces for a large-scale festive collaboration across stores in London, Birmingham, and Manchester, as well as online at Selfridges.com, offering immersive experiences, exclusive collections, and enchanting displays that celebrate Disney classics.
As a fan of Selfridges, Christmas, and Disney, I’m completely in awe of this festive campaign and already planning when I can pop down to visit. Just look at that façade - transformed into a custom Disney Castle with a light show inspired by Disneyland Paris’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. It’s absolutely stunning!
Twelve Oxford Street windows also reinterpret Disney classics, including Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, and Cinderella. Meanwhile, stores in Birmingham and Manchester showcase displays inspired by Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella, and Fantasia.
There’s also plenty happening in-store. Cafés in all three locations are offering Disney-themed treats, and more than 70 brands have collaborated with Disney across fashion, beauty, food, lifestyle, and toys. Around 80% of the products are exclusive to Selfridges, not to mention a full takeover of the Selfridges Corner Shop.
The department store is truly pulling out all the stops, and I’ll say it now - this is my favourite Christmas display and campaign of 2025 so far. Honestly, it’s hard to top.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
Barbour reveals new Christmas campaign with Wallace & Gromit
A raft of Christmas campaigns were launched by retailers and brands alike this week – no doubt they’ll be plenty more next week.
One that caught the eye was Barbour’s latest festive ad featuring popular animated duo Wallace & Gromit – with a focus on Barbour accessories, particularly its classic tartan scarf.
It reunites Barbour with animation studio Aardman for another creative collaboration, following two years of campaigns featuring Shaun the Sheep.
The animated short video introduces Wallace’s latest invention, the ‘Gift-o-matic’, which has four settings for gifting, wrapping, unwrapping and pulling a Christmas cracker. Needless to say, the contraption goes rogue, leaving Wallace red-faced but saved by his Barbour scarf – gifted to him by Gromit.
I’ll spare all the details here, as it worth a watch if you’ve not seen it. Let’s just say, the ad ends with the strapline: ‘Barbour, we’ve got Christmas covered.’ It will all make sense when you see it.
Putting the fun back into Christmas campaigns is great to see, it seems the days of tear jerkers are behind us...
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
TheIndustry.fashion Scale-up Sessions: How building a strong logistics foundation can drive business growth
It's tough out there - you don't need me to tell you that. But there are always opportunities for the right brand with the right product at the right price. You also need the right logistics set-up and to have access to the right kind of finance to help propel you forward.
On that note, TheIndustry.fashion partnered with the wonderful folk at global logistics giant Bleckmann to stage the first in a series of Scale-up Sessions to help brands identify growth opportunities and capitalise on them. We also had the support of banking experts at Barclays and law firm Shoosmiths, which hosted us at their beautiful London HQ.
The advice shared from the experts and brands, such as RIXO, Hunza G, Bloobloom, and Sepi Agari, along with the Business Growth Fund, was indispensable. On top of that, the audience was able to share ideas and support each other. It was a genuinely inspiring and fun day.
If you missed it, you can read about it here, here and here. Our friends at Bleckmann are creating a video of the day, which we will share with you in due course.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
