Pure London has announced that Dame Zandra Rhodes is lined up to present a lifetime retrospective as part of the seminar programme for the forthcoming show on Monday 9th February.
With a career spanning over 50 years and the recently bestowed title of Dame, Rhodes is one of the most distinguished names in fashion design and the wider fashion and textiles industry. Renowned for her eclectic, colourful prints and decadent accessories, the British fashion icon’s impressive portfolio sees an abundance of bespoke pieces, couture collections and numerous collaborations; the latest of which includes a capsule collection with ethical label People Tree.
In an interview with Eric Musgrave, editor of Drapers, Rhodes will share her esteemed career highlights on stage at Pure London, including a look back through her design archive and a preview of her new collection for AW15. Rhodes will also share her views on today’s fashion environment, offering visitors a valuable reflection on the evolving industry and its trends.
Each season Pure London brings together leading names from within the fashion and footwear retail industry for three days of unmissable seminar content, with Rhodes joining a line-up of over 30 speakers that will take to the Womenswear and Spirit stages. The sessions are designed to inform visitors on their buying decisions for the seasons ahead, as well as offering timely, relevant and researched content on all aspects of the retail industry.
Top personal stylist Nicky Hambleton Jones, who also presented Channel 4’s 10 Years Younger, the UK’s leading makeover show, will add to the content line-up with a seminar on Sunday 8 February. Named ‘Styling the Sale: Using styling to increase spend’, the session will advise retailers and boutique owners, as well as store managers, on how to use styling skills to improve customer service and create a fantastic shopping experience, ultimately increasing sales and turnover.
Leading fashion trend forecaster WGSN will also present their Buyers’ Briefing each morning of the show, sharing their perspectives on the key looks, colours, shapes and fabrics that will be huge for AW15. This not-to-be-missed session will be presented by Sara Maggioni, senior editor of retail & buying at WGSN, with the trends being brought to life in daily catwalk shows.
With more and more retailers breaking into the online realm, albeit e-commerce or social media, Pure London will offer dedicated sessions each day on how best to build the business through online platforms. Courtney McNally, global marketing solutions at Facebook, will present a seminar on achieving success in retail and ecommerce on Facebook, including how to target the right people that matter to your business.
Established bloggers and social media experts Alex Ikonn and Mimi Ikonn will present a session on the effective use of video blogging, or ‘vlogging’, on Monday 9th February at 10:30am.
Having built up huge, loyal followings on their fashion blogs, Navaz Batiwalla of Disney Roller Girl, Atosa Nikkhah of My Bubba and Me, and Megan Hart of Front Row Society and Propellernet, will hold a panel discussion to share their experience on what content works well for different audiences. The trio will also discuss blogging opportunities for retailers and what they feel is currently missing.
Also offering first-hand advice on retail experience will be Deryane Tadd, owner of multi award-winning independent The Dressing Room. With an exceptional understanding of her customer and a keen eye for product, Tadd is one of the most respected independent store owners in the UK and will be sharing her years of business experience with other buyers and retailers at Pure London on Monday 9th February at 1:50pm.
Another keynote seminar will come from professional fashion photographer Rosella Vanon, who will teach visitors the essential skills on how to make their products look their very best online. Conducted as an interactive photography workshop on the Spirit Catwalk on Sunday 8th February, Vanon will offer insider tips on lighting, technique and how to make the most of studio time.
To view the full seminar programme or to register to attend the show, please visit Purelondon.com/seminars