In Review 2025: Top 10 fashion interviews of the year
Well, what a whirlwind year that was - once again full of some great interviews with some of the most interesting folk in fashion. It’s always tricky to pick a top 10, as so many others were at least on par with our selection here. But this is a good spread from across our team and contributors - more than enough to while away some hours between Christmas and the New Year and recap on some key brand and retail moments.
The Interview: French Connection's Head of Design on the new vision powering its fashion comeback
As soon as you mention French Connection, all ears prick up, as we’ve all grown up with it, whatever your age - through its good times and its more ropey moments. It was interesting when our News Editor, Sophie Smith, sat down with the retailer’s Head of Design, Helen Gallagher, back in March to hear her vision for the brand going forward.
At the time, French Connection had just launched a new campaign celebrating the raw, unpolished moments of life, showcasing its latest collection as the brand worked to re-establish itself as a key player in high street fashion. Gallagher has played a pivotal role in helping to redefine its identity since joining the brand in August 2023 - off the back of some turbulent times.
Gallagher spoke about how she incorporates customer feedback into the design process while also taking a dive into French Connection’s rich past to take the best of its DNA and reinterpret it for a modern consumer. She talks about her "sense of excitement" for the new, but also the importance of "staying grounded in what makes French Connection special". A worthwhile update on a high street favourite.
The Interview: Lorenzo and Alessandro Boglione, Co-CEO’s of BasicNet, on K-Way’s 60th anniversary and UK growth plans
Brothers Lorenzo and Alessandro Boglione, at the time recently appointed as Co-Chief Executive Officers of BasicNet, the Italian fashion group that owns K-Way, Sebago, Superga, Kappa and others, were in London in May for an exhibition in celebration of K-Way’s 60th anniversary.
Called ‘Sixty Years of K-Way: In Y/Our Life - The Hidden Side of Everyday Things’, the exhibition formed part of the 10th edition of Photo London. TheIndustry.fashion’s Tom Bottomley went along to chat with them at Somerset House, where the exhibition took place.
They talked about their plans to grow K-Way in the UK and their search for a second London location following the opening of the combined K-Way, Sebago, and Superga store on King’s Road in February. The brothers emphasised that the focus is more on retail for now, as they believe demand must be created for the brand before pursuing wholesale. They noted that past attempts at big accounts didn’t see strong sell-through, so they decided to step back and showcase the brand through their own stores first. Then the demand will come from the wholesale network naturally.
Clearly, they’ve learned a lot from their father, Marco Boglione, who founded BasicNet in 1994. Hearing how they are approaching their business makes for an interesting read.
Neil Primett
The Interview: Neil Primett, founder of 80s Casual Classics, on opening a fifth store in Romford and launching brand exclusives
It’s been quite a year for Neil Primett and his 80s Casual Classics business. In March, he took over ownership of long-standing Norwich menswear independent, Elements. It was initially still trading under its original name, with 80s Casual Classics window branding, but after this interview with TheIndustry.fashion’s Contributing Editor, Tom Bottomley, he moved into the old Philip Browne unit 3 Guildhall Hill in Norwich (in early November).
In June, he also opened the doors to a new 2,340 sq ft store at The Liberty shopping centre in Romford, his first foray South. It was met with much fanfare and queues at the till.
This year also was the 20th anniversary of Nick Love’s film ‘The Business’, starring Danny Dyer, Tamer Hassan and Geoff Bell – all kitted out in old school sportswear from the likes of Sergio Tacchini and Fila. That was the starting point of the 80s Casual Classics business, as Primett jumped on the looks and jumped into bed with said brands, and others, to reproduce the pieces that were worn in the film. The anniversary also raised the opportunity for some much anticipated exclusive product re-releases.
While the core business remains retro brands, exclusives to 80s Casual Classics and resurrecting brands such as Patrick have kept the business relevant, with a committed customer base who travel miles whenever a new store opens. It’s interesting to hear how Primett and his team balance old and new, and how 80s Casual Classics is one of the very few menswear independents expanding its retail footprint. Keep your eyes peeled for more stores in 2026.
The Eric Musgrave Interview: Paul Platt of Pockets, an independent retailer in expansion mode
There’s not many independent retailers looking to expand their retail presence into other UK territories at the best of times, never mind in today’s climate. So, it was refreshing to hear how Paul Platt, founder of the Midlands-based mini chain Pockets, decided to head to Bath this year for a fifth and “most ambitious” store.
Speaking to Eric Musgrave, Platt reveals why a Georgian townhouse in Bath was selected for such a bold retail move, also becoming only the second store in the group to stock womenswear, having been established for many years selling menswear at that main store in Shrewsbury – selling the likes of Stone Island, C.P. Company, Polo Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Boss and Moncler.
Platt reveals how, as a business, they had been looking at Bath for about seven years, but the Covid pandemic got in the way. He rightly says it has plenty of tourists, is not ‘spoilt’ and is easy to get to from London, as well as being close to all in the south west of England.
With other long established retailers such as John Anthony long gone in Bath (after being acquired by Frasers Group), Platt says there was no one left at their level to give it a shot. What’s more, to make it work and give it the full Pockets customer service treatment, he was moving to Bath to dedicate 80% of his time to it.
The Interview: High street high flyer Barbara Horspool on setting up her own brand Mamu
It always sparks big interest when someone so well known in the fashion industry for so many leading roles with so many brands decides to go it alone and launch their own brand. Step forth Barbara Horspool, one of UK fashion retail's best known executives having held senior creative and design roles at Marks & Spencer, New Look and Jigsaw.
Up until June 2024, she was Chief Product Officer at The White Company and since then had been consulting and conceiving her own brand, Mamu, specialising in multi-generational fashion for 'Me-time'.
TheIndustry.fashion’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Lauretta Roberts, delves into how Horspool is calling upon the support of the suppliers she has worked with throughout her career (as well as her twin daughters), to has create a range that elevates off-duty style for women of all ages, while utilising premium and sustainable fabrics.
Horspool talks us through her inspiration, her aspirations and her full circle career journey that has taken her from entrepreneur and brand founder to the highest echelons of the high street and back again.
After having worked for so many great brands, Horspool wanted to return to a company of her own – back where it all started when she had her own label Blanche, with partner Mark Betty, selling to the likes of Harvey Nichols, Joseph and Whistles. It was Horspool’s friends who she exercises with that really pushed her to start Mamu. They apparently all complained they couldn’t find comfortable and stylish loungewear and nightwear, so Horspool set out to put that right.
The Interview: Alistair and Gillian Tusting on maintaining and building a truly British brand
Always good to include a luxury British leathergoods brand in an end of year review and TheIndustry.fashion’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Lauretta Roberts, wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to catch up with the good folk behind Tusting back in early October.
The family-owned and run business that has been making bags in the UK for five generations, having been founded in 1975, is these days under the guidance of Director, Alistair Tusting and Head of Brand, Gillian Tusting – both of whom were on hand to give their take on maintain and building a truly British brand in the modern era.
Each of Tusting’s bags is crafted in its UK factory in a week-long process, using high quality British or European leather. Prices for women's handbags start at around £400 while larger pieces of luggage can go up to £1,500.
Compared to the big luxury houses, Tusting’s prices are tiny, yet the quality of the product is as good, if not better. We hear how the brand has quietly built up an in-the-know and loyal customer base here in the UK and internationally, as well as its plans for growth - including a bricks and mortar store.
The Interview: Liberty CEO Adil Mehboob-Khan on its 150th anniversary collection and global ambitions
Liberty celebrated its 150th anniversary this year and TheIndustry.fashion’s Senior News & Features Writer, Chloe Burney got to sit down with CEO Adil Mehboob-Khan in Liberty's hallowed halls to hear all about how the retailer has been celebrating the milestone with limited-edition collections, as well as plans to scale its own brand offering and “go international”.
Under Mehboob-Khan, who joined Liberty in 2018, the Liberty business has evolved with a careful balance of heritage and ambition. He talks of the retailer’s strength being the affection of its customers, and of the importance of customer service – whether they are in to buy a notebook or a diamond tiara.
Mehboob-Khan talks about the “magical” flagship Regent Street store, often described as “the Hogwarts of retail,” having a charm that stems from its founder, Arthur Liberty, wanting it to be more like a home rather than a store – with no escalators, but creaky stairs, and also rooms customers get lost in. Fascinating stuff.
As part of the 150th year celebrations, Mehboob-Khan talks excitedly about a capsule collaboration with Frida Giannini, her first project since leaving Gucci, where she was the longest standing Creative Director. The ‘Hypernova 150’ collection celebrated “both elegance and edge”, exactly what Liberty is known for.
Looking ahead, Mehboob-Khan talks about wanting Liberty to become the next British luxury brand to go global, with the US, Japan and Middle East as “priorities over the next five years”. Plenty more to keep a look out for from 2026 and beyond then.
Inside John Lewis' fashion revival: Peter Ruis talks game-changing strategies, exclusive partnerships, Topshop launch and more...
In an exclusive interview at TheIndustry.fashion’s Retail Reset Summit at London’s Nobu Hotel, News Editor Sophie Smith got to hear all about John Lewis’ ambition growth strategy, exclusive partnerships and newfound focus on fashion from the retailer’s charismatic Managing Director, Peter Ruis, who never disappoints when he talks about the business.
A seasoned retail professional, Ruis served as Executive Buying & Brand Director at John Lewis from 2005 to 2013, then returned to the department store business as Managing Director in January 2024 to spearhead its new phase of transformation. One key factor was reintroducing the retailer’s iconic ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ promise, a bold move indeed.
Ruis talks of a renewed commitment to customer-first values while adapting the brand to meet the demands of modern retail. He also gives insight into how John Lewis has stepped up its fashion game since his return, including exclusive launches – such as a collection of 25 luxury handbags from Mulberry – and premium collections aimed at engaging new customers, as well as existing, with a focus on “quality over quantity”.
MD Tikki Godley on leading Jigsaw’s next chapter: 'We’re evolving, not reinventing'
Newly appointed Jigsaw MD Tikki Godley tells TheIndustry.fashion’s Chloe Burney about her chance to “make a difference” to the premium high street brand that was founded in 1970, and how she is embracing the challenge of both continuity and change head-on, refining the product, modernising the brand and re-energising its digital and physical presence.
She reflects about lessons learned from her earlier roles at Ted Baker and Never Fully Dressed - two brands with very different playbooks, but both known for distinct identities, and she also gives us a hint as to what to expect product-wise in-store at Jigsaw in spring 2026.
Authenticity, Godley believes, is Jigsaw’s not-so-secret weapon, and she talks of it being “a true British heritage brand” that retains so much affection and loyalty among its customers. That’s what appealed to her to take the Jigsaw job in the first place, knowing full well it stands out against a backdrop of “many generic brands in the market these days”.
Jigsaw’s evolution under Godley will hinge on digital innovation, yet without compromising the brand’s hallmark quality or the intimacy of its stores. She talks the talk of someone who knows, and ultimately who cares.
The Eric Musgrave Interview: Josef Schindler of Joe & Co and Northern Couture on his return to physical retail
Fashion industry veteran Josef ‘Joe’ Schindler has been around the block a few times in the business, so it was good to hear he’s still going strong - this year marking his return to physical retail with a 570sq ft unit in the pedestrianised Stanley Square in Sale (in between Altrincham and Manchester).
Eric Musgrave got the rundown on his past and current, and it’s an interesting story for sure. From Manchester and proud of it, Schindler worked for celebrated local retailers Stolen From Ivor and Phil Black straight from school, before striking out on his own.
In the late 1980s, he had his own jeanswear label, Josef Jeans, which he ran as a wholesale operation between 1987 and 1999. Then came Schindler Lifestyle, a multi-brand retail concept in Heaton Moor, Stockport. However, that did not survive the financial crisis of 2007-08.
For at least the past decade, Schindler reinvented himself by producing two direct-to-consumer jeanswear-workwear-streetwear concepts: Joe & Co and Northern Couture. Manufactured in the UK, using premium fabrics, until the new store opening Schindler was selling the lines via seven stalls at Altrincham Market, as well as online. How and why he’s gone back into bricks-and-mortar retail, after vowing never to again, makes for a decent read.
