Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.fashion team.
LK Bennett owner to receive £3m in fees from administrators after £4m acquisition
This week I once again dug into the complex world of fashion business administrations, this time looking at the £3 million fee that the new owners of LK Bennett, the US-based investment firm Gordon Brothers, are expected to collect from administrators.
The fee, which covers the investment firm’s work consulting on the administration process and running the “trade-out strategy”, equates to 75% of what Gordon Brothers paid for the LK Bennett brand and related IP assets.
To me, the story offered quite an interesting look behind the scenes of the administration process, which we have unfortunately seen play out with quite a few other fashion companies this year, two recent examples including Harvey Nichols and Radley (also acquired by the Gordon Brothers). All of these businesses were purchased as part of “pre-pack administration deals” with the assets that were not acquired by the new owners falling to appointed administrators to be dissolved.
What I have learned from covering quite a few of these administrations is that they are extremely complex processes, which unfortunately have seen suppliers hardest hit. LK Bennett unsecured creditors are owed £34 million and can expect only “a dividend by virtue of the prescribed part only”. Meanwhile, Harvey Nichols suppliers (which include the likes of Victoria Beckham and Jimmy Choo) are facing losses of £270.5 million, and are likely to be returned only 15p to the pound.
Camilla Rydzek, Senior News & Features Writer.
Show report: The word from the aisles at Autumn Fair 2026
It seems that, every time I attend Autumn or Spring Fair at the NEC Birmingham, there seems to be a growing selection of fashion brands, and certainly some surprises.
This time, fashion trade show veteran and founder of Just Consultancies, Juls Dawson, was in attendance – showing Tretorn at the show for the first time. Dawson hadn’t shown anything at Autumn Fair for 10 years or so, but I certainly get the appeal with Tretorn, for which he’s had UK and Ireland distribution for the last 18 months.
Especially since a lot of brands are now targeting the ever-growing fashion offer in garden centres, gift stores, interior boutiques and lifestyle retailers. Exactly the type of buyers in abundance at Autumn Fair. And they place orders too.
Tretorn specialises in rainwear and rubber outdoor boots and, as Dawson said, it fits right in with other brands such as Aigle, Holland Cooper and Hunter in the outdoor sector.
While Tretorn’s more fashion-focused offer (which Dawson is keeping in-house while he takes on more specialist agents for the outdoor sector) gives it a pathway into more contemporary style-led retailers, which is more of his company’s traditional remit – with his portfolio of brands including WoodWood, Nobody’s Child and Ichi – it has the outdoor credentials that give it the opportunity to appeal to a much wider market.
Another perhaps surprising addition to the line-up was Weird Fish, showing for the first time and reaping the rewards with a healthy order book and all-new accounts for the brand. Inspired by Cornish lifestyle (though actually founded in Cheltenham and now based in Tewkesbury), Weird Fish again has an easy and wide appeal that lifestyle independents and gift stores in seaside and market towns can easily gravitate to. Add to that, it’s on a retail expansion plan with the aim to open between 5-10 stores a year, according to Luisa Nicks, the brand’s Wholesale Sales Manager. It currently operates 44 stores in the UK, having opened a couple in Cornwall and one in Norwich this year, which is only going to raise its profile further – so expect to hear more from them.
Urban Bliss was another brand which talked of being “inundated” with buyers. Manchester-based founder and Managing Director Rishi Soni said it was only his second year back doing Autumn Fair since taking a bit of a hiatus after Covid, and he was very pleased to be back having seen consistent year-on-year growth and both returning and new customers. Urban Bliss is one of those rare breeds of brand that can sell with Debenhams, Matalan and New Look, but also appeal to a load of independents who love the product, and especially the price points for what they get for their money.
While shows such as Pure and Moda have indeed been swallowed by Autumn Fair (all owned by the Hyve Group, as is outdoor show Glee, which was adjacent to Autumn Fair from 8-10 September and brought another raft of buyers through the doors), it appears to be working well for those seeking new opportunities. Possibly the happiest bunch of exhibitors I’ve seen in some time.
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
Liberty launches Bayeux Tapestry collection with British Museum
Liberty’s Bayeux Tapestry collection takes motifs from the 11th-century textile, including ships, horses, armoured figures and medieval architecture, and reworks them across Liberty’s Tana Lawn cotton, silk scarves and a selection of fashion and home accessories. I particularly like the idea of taking something so historic and recognisable and turning it into pieces that people can actually use and wear, rather than simply seeing the Tapestry as a museum artefact.
With the Bayeux Tapestry now on display in London for the first time in almost 1,000 years, it feels like a particularly interesting moment for Liberty to be drawing from it. I also like how the collection shows how something nearly 1,000 years old can still influence fashion and design today, which is probably what makes the story so interesting to me.
Catherine Rowe-Kosary, Junior Writer.
More than 40 retailers back drive to create 100,000 youth jobs
Real change and lasting impact are often strongest when organisations work together. That principle is at the heart of a new partnership between UK retailers and the Government, which aims to help 100,000 young people move into retail employment by 2029 as part of efforts to tackle rising youth unemployment.
The partnership’s flagship programme, Opening Shift, is a voluntary work experience scheme developed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), retailers and former Marks & Spencer Chief Executive Marc Bolland.
More than 40 retailers have helped develop and roll out the initiative, with 11,305 placements already pledged. The programme will offer people aged 18 to 24 the opportunity to gain practical experience by working between 16 and 35 hours a week for two to four weeks.
The initiative follows the Young People and Work Review, which found that almost one million people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are not in employment, education or training (NEET). The figure could rise to more than 1.25 million within the next five years.
The partnership is designed to give young people a practical route into work while helping retailers build a stronger pipeline of future talent. By combining work experience with support from employers and Government services, Opening Shift aims to remove some of the barriers that can prevent young people from taking their first steps into employment. Read more here.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
How I started in fashion: Gymshark’s Chief Commercial Officer Carly Natalizia
I really loved finding out more about Carly Natalizia’s somewhat unconventional route into the fashion industry. After 15 years working in the financial services sector, Carly entered the world of retail as the CMO of The Very Group, before joining Gymshark in 2022.
Since then, she has become a highly valued member of the sportswear brand’s senior leadership team, recently taking the position of Chief Commercial Officer.
Her insights into launching her career in retail and fashion, along with her insights on what makes or breaks a retail business and what continues to draw her to Gymshark’s culture of experimentation, make for a truly insightful read.
Camilla Rydzek, Senior News & Features Writer.