In 1992 James took over a tiny showroom in New Cavendish Square with his
late mother, where they started making cashmere sweaters for retailers all
over the UK. This led to leather, dresses, jackets and the rest is
history. After his first trade show at Pure, the James Lakeland Brand was
born. Orders came flooding in from Harrods, Selfridges and Fenwicks for his
Italian-made women’s clothing with a focus on designing for real, yet
sophisticated women.
With James’s accountancy knowledge, he took advantage of cheap yet prime
London property opportunities and bought his second, larger showroom on
Ogle Street in Fitzrovia. This enabled James to develop his brand, opening
the first standalone shop on trendy Kings Road. Pinner, Bushey, New
Cavendish Street and St John’s Wood soon followed, as well as concessions
in many of the major department stores. FashionUnited recently talked to
James on how to survive the current volatile environment of high rents and
seeing competitors closing store after store.
What is the current state of the high street versus online shopping?
The high street is taking a huge knock from the drastic increase in
rents but also extremely high business rates. So much so that names such as
LK Bennett have suffered the consequences. The high street is “the heart of
the community” and small business owners need more support in this
unpredictable retail landscape.
Online shopping is the way forward, but it too isn’t easy to ensure your
brand is noticed. I’m a firm believer in brick-and-mortar stores and the
presence of a brand on the high street. I still think that women like to
come down to the store after a bad day at work or escape the daily routine
to rummage through beautiful pieces of clothing.
How do James Lakeland stores ensure to turn a profit in this volatile
retail landscape?
Giving customers what they want is the answer to a profitable fashion
business which at the moment can be very tricky because of how quickly
trends change. Therefore, it’s vital to have a team that believes in the
product. Having dedicated staff who understand the collection and loyal
customers who have been shoppers of the brand for years ensure a steady
flow of sales. The stock is also crucial, so we make sure that not only do
we have the main collection but also a line of bespoke pieces tailored for
each shop. This creates a buzz and also allows us to cater to a specific
clientele.
How important is social media for James Lakeland and do you see any
benefits in using it for the brand?
Since the sense of community and face to face customer relationship
building is important for us, we use social media to let our customers know
of events and promotions we organize at our many locations. This is a way
of utilizing social media that I feel is aligned with James Lakland’s
belief in building an environment of escape and a fun shopping experience
for our customers.
What are some challenges you face in the fashion retail business? How
do you stay motivated?
Staying motivated is key especially when things don’t always go as
planned. Being able to think it through, working towards a solution and
learning from previous mistakes is essential.
Fashion is a risky business and there are both highs and lows. For
example, I’ve been let down by big department stores that went bankrupt to
being on the cover of the Saturday Telegraph, featured in Tatler, Vogue to
having Liz Hurley step out in our collection. After 25 years I am an expert
at understanding who my customer is and what she wants to wear. I’m still
inspired every day to create another new collection, that’s not difficult
for me at all. I strongly believe that life is a journey of colour.
I strongly believe that life is a journey of
colour.
Who are your customers, what kind of woman is she?
The James Lakeland customer is a woman who understands Italian cut and
tailoring. She can be the lawyer who wants to dress sharply without
compromising in elegance, the young professional who still wants to feel
feminine and young, the older woman who enjoys sophisticated fashion.
How important is retail staff and how do you train them to succeed in
the current environment?
We have some amazing employees who have been with us for many years. All
our staff are trained to ensure we offer the best possible customer
service. I feel customer service has lost its way in many businesses, so
I’m particularly passionate about offering the best possible service. It’s
this personable level of care that brings back shoppers over and over again.
My head office team also provides guidance via a weekly trade meeting to
ensure communication is open and available. I myself also spend a lot of
time at all my shops – it’s where I love to be the most.
How have James Lakeland shops integrated new technologies onto the shop
floor?
Our online platform is going from strength to strength, which is great.
We work on our till system, which tracks all our stock. This means that we
can place stock where it’s needed and have the option to move it around as
well. We have recently just launched our B2B online platform. This enables
wholesale customers to buy throughout the year, to catch up on missed
orders or sell out pieces they need replacing.
As the CEO of James Lakeland, what does a workday look like for you?
For me, no day is ever the same! Yesterday I was in Scotland with my
Brand Director visiting my shop in Hyndland Road, Glasgow. Today I’m in
Italy seeing suppliers as well as appearing on Italy TV HSE24 selling a
bespoke collection to my Italian customers. Tomorrow I’ll be back in the UK
visiting my London Shops and hopefully spending some time with my wife and
two girls.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
You have to like yourself first before you can give others the best of
yourself.
What do you envision for the future of James Lakeland?
Our vision for the future is to continue to grow as a brand
internationally and focus more on expansion in America and the Middle East.
Photos: courtesy of James Lakeland
