In Conversation: Lucy Litwack, Jodie Kidd, Ross Worswick, in their own words
Last month, we heard from industry pioneers as well as long-established veterans on the importance of craftsmanship, why it pays to stay true to your values, and what it takes to succeed in the world of fashion.
From London's Savile Row to the streets of Manchester and the bucolic beauty of the English countryside, we again travel across Britain to hear from Coco de Mer owner and CEO Lucy Litwack speaking on her long dedication to the lingerie market, Paul Hayes, CEO of Seasalt, on how he grew the business, and M&S Menswear Director Mitch Hughes on the success of its F1 partnerships and its star-studded ambassador line-up.
The Interview: Richard Anderson on 25 years of his eponymous bespoke business on Savile Row
"It was in the days when Huntsman had a green curtain over the window, so you couldn’t actually see inside the shop. It was like opening the door to this hallowed world. It was 1982, but it could quite well have been 1932 or 1942! Looking back, I absolutely loved it." - Richard Anderson, founder of his namesake brand and RICH's.
Richard Anderson lets us peak behind the curtain of Savile Row. In this interview with TheIndustry.fashion, he looks back on a 25-year-long career of bespoke tailoring on one of the most famous London streets, where he started as a 17-year-old apprentice and worked his way up to Head Cutter. In 2001, he opened in his own bespoke tailoring business with business partner Brian Lishak on 13 Savile Row, the first business to open on the street in 50 years. Since then, he has merged tradition with innovation - upholding the quality of tailoring and construction he had painstakingly perfected, but doing it with a more modern flair. With his daughter Molly joining the business more recently, womenswear tailoring has now been brought into focus as a new growth area.
How I started in fashion: Coco de Mer owner & CEO Lucy Litwack
"I am so passionate about Coco de Mer. The brand has always punched above its weight, but I still believe it is yet to realise its full potential. It has been considered a niche brand in the past, but it has the potential to be so much more - a true, global luxury brand, focused on female pleasure." - Lucy Litwack, owner and CEO of Coco de Mer
What do Savile Row and luxury lingerie have in common? For Lucy Litwack, CEO and owner of Coco de Mer, the sartorial craftsmanship that goes into the production of a luxury lingerie piece is equal to that of a Savile Row suit. The care that goes into creating the pieces, the quality of the materials, the meticulous design - a customer can immediately feel the difference, she says. It is one of the reasons she has stayed in the lingerie industry for no less than 26 years, working at powerhouses including Victoria's Secret, Bendon and David Beckham Body. In other words, Lucy knows the industry intimately and can safely say that there is something special about the luxury lingerie brand Coco de Mer. What else has kept her in the industry so long? A belief in female empowerment and a mission to create a safe space for women to explore pleasure and joy. A truly inspiring voice in the world of fashion today.
The Interview: Jodie Kidd, the leading model turned entrepreneur on creating slow fashion brand Manava
"I’ve spent decades around fashion, and I’ve seen how quickly trends move. I wanted to create pieces that feel relevant year after year, comfy, elevated essentials with quiet confidence. Ethically, it was non-negotiable that we use responsible production and the range is always centre." - Jodie Kidd, founder of Manava
Someone who truly embodies the idea of female empowerment is Jodie Kidd, the highly successful model who, over lockdown, launched her slow fashion brand Manava. After spending decades around fashion and seeing how quickly trends move on, and how the relentless pace creates both excess and waste, she wanted to create pieces that felt timeless, with a quiet confidence and were created to respect nature and protect the people making them. In this interview, Kidd speaks about the philosophy of the brand, her plans for future growth, and the designers and style icons who have inspired her.
The Interview: Fairfax & Favor co-founder Marcus Fairfax Fountaine on building a pre-eminent force in countrywear
"Fairfax & Favor as a brand is truly ageless. At the country shows, you’ll see three generations of the same family walk onto the stand and every one of them leaves with a blue box. We don’t design for one generation we design for a lifestyle. For those who appreciate heritage craftsmanship and a timeless British aesthetic, our pieces are designed to be an enduring part of their wardrobe." - Marcus Fairfax Fountaine, co-founder of Fairfax & Favor
On the topic of timeless design, countrywear brand Fairfax & Favor was co-founded by two childhood friends who emerged on the fashion scene with high-quality footwear that could withstand the rigours of rural life and look so stylish that one of its brand ambassadors includes the leading equestrian and Olympian Zara Tindall, daughter of Princess Anne. While they started out by showing off their shoes at country fairs, they soon found a loyal customer base and now sell direct-to-consumer in nine retail outlets as well as wholesale partners. Marcus Fairfax Fountaine sat down TheIndustry.fashion to talk about the brand's roots, its commitment to quality, the importance of meeting customers face-to-face and its ambitions for the future.
The Interview: The Couture Club's Ross Worswick on building a Manchester-born brand with global ambition
"The last couple of years have seen the company grow rapidly, and that wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t taken a step back to rethink who the brand is, who our customer is, and what our product offering should be. It’s been a learning curve, with plenty of lessons and failures along the way, but every time, we’ve come back stronger." - Ross Worswick, co-founder of The Couture Club
Another menswear brand that was co-founded by two best friends is the Couture Club. From the rural roads, we are heading to the buzzing streets of Manchester, where Ross Worswick and his friend Scott Shashua started the brand by printing tees to fill a gap in their own wardrobes. The Couture Club has now evolved from a cult streetwear upstart to a premium fashion player, stocked in Selfridges and Flannels while maintaining a strong direct-to-consumer engine.In this interview, Worswick reflects on the early hustle, the financial missteps that sharpened their commercial focus, and why Manchester remains central to the brand’s DNA.
The Interview: FGF Industry President on 25 years of turning heritage American uniform supplier Blauer into a fashion brand – with eyes now on the UK
"I have collected military clothing my entire life, but 25 years ago a close friend visited me wearing a military-grade technical jacket by Blauer USA. I have always been fascinated by that style and own a personal archive of over 40,000 pieces. I was so struck by that jacket that I immediately wanted to fly to meet the Blauer family and launch a fashion brand inspired by that aesthetic." - Enzo Fusco, FGF Industry President.
Similar to The Couture Club, when Enzo Fusco didn't find the product he was looking for, he created it himself. The outcome? His obsession with military clothing has led to a 25-year long relationship with the American made manufacturer Blauer USA. Today, their ‘Ondina’ puffer jacket, named for its wave-like quilting inspired by the interior of a vintage military garment, has become hugely popular, especially among younger consumers, with three out of five young people in Italy wearing it. So far, the brand has not been able to crack the UK market, but it sees huge potential. This is a fascinating case study of growing a brand internationally - and Fusco's fascination with these garments is striking, and his enthusiasm palpable.
How I started in fashion: Paul Hayes, CEO of Seasalt
"I look back on a career built on hard work, open-mindedness, determination and realising the potential of great teams. I would tell my younger self to make the most of every opportunity, which I’ve probably lived out throughout my career by working with great brands and people." - Paul Hayes, CEO of Seasalt.
Building long-term value for a fashion brand is something Paul Hayes, the CEO of Cornish fashion brand Seasalt, is very familiar with. In his 35-year-long career working across fashion, footwear, retail and wholesale, he has looked behind almost every curtain in the fashion value chain. At Seasalt, he has applied all of his business acumen and experience to lead the brand from a regional £20 million business to the £150 million international business it is today. In his conversation with TheIndustry.fashion, he shares some of his wisdom, gives advice to his younger self, and shares some of the key lessons he has learned. Not one to miss!
The Interview: M&S Menswear Director talks F1 partnerships, Autograph growth, Good Move relaunch and star-studded ambassadors
"The high street has changed massively since I left M&S in 2004, and I think there’s a huge gap in menswear - that’s the exciting part of this job. We’re able to pitch in an area where men are trading down from premium brands into Autograph, because we’re offering similar designs and style but with great value." - Mitch Hughes, Marks & Spencer Menswear Director.
M&S Menswear Director Mitch Hughes is no stranger to the power of growing a business. In this interview with TheIndustry.fashion, he outlines how the retailer has been building momentum in its menswear category by investing in strategic partnerships, product innovation and targeted marketing. From a multi-year deal to outfit the Williams Racing squad to a high-profile presence at the Silverstone Circuit British Grand Prix festival and signing ‘This City is Ours’ actor James Nelson-Joyce as its latest brand ambassador, he has been responsible for driving the rapid growth of Autograph menswear, which has seen its value quadruple over the past three years and now accounts for nearly a quarter of M&S menswear sales.
