Occasionwear news and archive

JJ's House opens first-ever flagship store in London

Occasion and bridalwear e-retailer JJ's House has opened its first-ever brick-and-mortar retail store in central London. The made-to-order specialised, known for its affordable, customisable bridal dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding guest dresses, has opened its debut UK flagship store at 22 Eastcastle Street, London. JJ’s House London...

Fashion|In Pictures

The Fold launches collaboration with artist Rosie Sanders

British womenswear brand The Fold, known for its luxury tailoring and workwear collections, has launched a collaboration with botanical artist Rosie Sanders as it continues to grow its occasionwear offering. The limited-edition seven-piece capsule collection includes statement floral occasion looks, including dresses, separates and tailoring,...

Retail

Harrods unveils two new womenswear rooms

Luxury London department store Harrods has unveiled two new womenswear rooms dedicated to occasionwear and swimwear, as part of its redevelopment project within its Knightsbridge home. Located on the first floor of the store, the two spaces part of the second phase of the womenswear redevelopment project, span almost 10,000 square feet in size....

Fashion

Mango launches events collection Capsule

Spanish high street retailer Mango is launching an occasionwear collection called Capsule. The brand is responding to a focus on more formal dressing and outfitting for events, creating a limited-edition capsule of occasionwear pieces. In a statement Mango said retail prices would range from 22 pounds to 310 pounds. The collection includes...

Fashion|In Pictures

LFW: Rixo focuses on occasionwear for AW23

For autumn/winter 2023, womenswear label Rixo, known for its vintage-inspired designs, is going back to its roots with a focus on more occasionwear pieces and gowns, a growing area for the brand as it enters its eighth year. Orlagh McCloskey, co-founder of Rixo, said in a statement: “This collection is really significant for Henrietta and I. We’...

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Fashion|In Pictures

Forever Unique relaunches occasionwear with stylist Karl Willett

Womenswear brand Forever Unique is collaborating with celebrity stylist Karl Willett to relaunch its premium occasionwear. The limited-edition capsule collection, launching on October 10, has been designed to take Forever Unique “back to its signature handwriting and the relaunch of occasion-wear with superior attention to detail being at the...

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Retail

UK spending falls in April, but fashion shines as demand for occasionwear returns

Consumers in the UK cut down on their spending last month as the cost of living rose, but fashion continued to outperform other categories as Brits geared up for summer social events, new data shows. Overall sales dropped by 0.3 percent year-over-year in April, the first decline in the past 15 months, according to the latest BRC-KPMG retail...

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Fashion

Where’s the party? How to navigate the occasionwear market

As economies reopen and international vaccine roll-out programmes see travel restrictions relaxed, gatherings – both indoor and outdoor – are gaining popularity. Consumers are embracing their new freedoms, with many planning summer holidays and attending small events and celebrations. Brands should take note that new dress codes for...

Retail

Dune London says occasionwear still important for SS21

British footwear and accessories brand Dune says it has not shied away from including heels in its SS21 collection despite a consumer shift towards more casual looks during the pandemic. The company said that while its SS21 range features a broad range of casual and trend-led pieces, it also includes some special, dressy pieces. The announcement...

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Fashion

Has the coronavirus killed formalwear?

On a visit to London City in pre-Covid times would be to arrive at one of the capital’s most bustling boroughs, full of well-dressed men and women amongst the tall glass buildings and historical monuments. By well-dressed we mean tailored wool suits, polished oxfords, crisp shirts, ties of varying widths and dapper overcoats. Visit London City...

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Fashion|INTERVIEW

How British formalwear brand Kaya Turello is coping with Covid-19

As the UK and countless other countries across the world remain in lockdown and people continue to get accustomed - as much as possible - to the new working-from-home reality, consumer shopping behaviours are changing and the fashion industry is feeling the effects. Some fashion categories are understandably faring better than others as...

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Fashion

Matches Fashion launches bridal and occasionwear

MatchesFashion has launched an event dressing edit focusing on bridal and occasionwear. It is the largest category the retailer introduced since it debuted homeware in 2018. The selection includes over 250 unique styles created by designers such as Christopher Kane, Erdem, Giles Deacon, Emilia Wickstead and Vivienne Westwood. The edit further...