The look of a best selling fragrance today generally comes with Justin Bieber's face sprawled across the front or any other celebrity at the moment but interestingly, that's all changed. Big movie franchises seem to be getting in on the action too and at the moment, this new 007 James Bond fragrance is cleaning up, figuratively that is.
According to sources, the fragrance for men, which launched at Harrods with as a worldwide exclusive on August 15, sold out by the bank holiday weekend and is currently selling at the department store at a rate of one every four minutes. Not too shabby, eh? If you're amongst the queue of men waiting to get your hands on the £32 bottle, don't fret because the fragrance is about to launch nationwide on September 19.
Back in March Stella McCartney opened the doors of her seventeenth freestanding store in London's Bromption Cross and this week she expanded on her department store presence by opening her first ready-to-wear and accessories wall concession in Harrods.
Located on the first floor in the International Designer Collection Rooms and the Luxury Accessories Hall on the ground floor, the interiors perfectly mirror the space in her flagship Bruton street store.
'Harrods is a very iconic store and it's a British institution, and I think Harrods is a great home for luxury and to be part of that is very exciting,' McCartney said in a statement. 'We are thrilled to welcome Stella McCartney to our line up of leading international designers,' Marigay McKee, Chief Merchant at the department store, said. 'The new boutique will allow our clients to indulge in Stella's exquisite signature style of sharp tailoring blended with femininity, which is both elegantly wearable and directional.'
We were all disappointed when Manolo Blahnik confirmed that his diffusion line with J. Crew would not go ahead but we need not worry because the brand is already onto the next thing. This morning it was confirmed that the brand has secured another big stockist in London in partnership with Kurt Geiger, who manage the footwear concessions for Liberty and Harrods.
After successfully opening a concession at Liberty's recently, the brand will also be available in Harrods come July in time for the Fall collection drop. The space will be in the Boudoir section on the first floor and according to Marigay McKee, Harrods' chief merchant, it will be a 'decadent shrine to feet.' 'I am very excited that my shoes will reach an even broader audience through Kurt Geiger in Liberty and Harrods,' the designer told Footwear News. 'The Liberty opening has been very successful, and with Harrods being a store full of incredible heritage, seeing my shoes there in the next couple of months will be a special moment.'
Recently we told you that Mother of Pearl were teaming up on a pop-up shop with Harrods and now it's nearly here. The department store has dedicated a section of the designer studio on the first floor to the brand's pop-up, which will be opened from Friday 16th March - Friday 30th March and will feature their S/S12 collection in collaboration with arist Fiona Banner.
'We're thrilled to be working with Harrods - on the retail plane it's the king of kings," Maia Norman, creative director at Mother of Pearl, said. "We love their continued search for all things astonishing whilst still honouring the traditional. Working with such an iconic establishment is an exciting development for our MoP shop concept." Helen David, womenswear and general manager at Harrods, was as enthusiastic. 'The latest collection delivers beautiful pieces that fuse fashion and sportswear to create luxurious styles, that will sit perfectly alongside our diverse mix of contemporary labels."
For those of you in the UK, Mother's Day is less than a week away. If you're looking for something better than those annual mother's day compilation CDs or an average bunch of flowers and box of chocolate, it can get difficult. But if you're stuck for ideas and want to do something unique, Jo Malone London has the answer.
Their latest fragrance London Blooms sees the brand's signature bottles printed with flowers and inspired by that, Harrods have partnered with top florist Wild at Heart to create specially packaged boxes just in time for Mother's Day. Each bottle can come in a limited edition box full of flowers arranged by the Wild at Heart team. In fact, any 100ml bottle can have the same special treatment. Unfortunately the service is only available from the 16th - 18th March so get that in your diary now.
Yesterday I went to Disneyland. No, not the one in Paris or Florida even, but the grown-up fashion version, as yesterday marked the unveiling of Chanel's installation in Harrods. After attending the tour, it's surprising reading the press release which names the collaboration, 'Chanel at Harrods', as that doesn't quite give justice to the meticulous attention to detail and time and effort that the Chanel team have put int this project. As you would imagine, this isn't just another pop-up shop.
First up on the ground floor is a boutique dedicated to their Fall 2011 collection with a selection of the new bag styles and pieces from the show on display. Like the window displays, the beauty section didn't escape a Chanel takeover. Huge bottles of their signature fragrances are on display beside a photobooth and yes, I did give it a go but note to self - although pushing buttons are fun, turning on the wind machine wasn't the best idea I've had in a while. Also on offer for beauty is the 'Knightsbridge Collection' created by Chanel creative director of make-up, Peter Phillps. The three piece limited edition range of lipsticks is now available for a limited time so make sure to get yours now.
Named 'Une Promenade', the installation is truly 350 square metres of pure unadulterated bliss. Inspired by the 'spirit of Coco in Wonderland' it begins with a curtain of beads hanging from the ceiling like a shower of beads as you enter a magical garden area. Chanel fine jewellery shimmers in flowers and deep green ivy and just because they can, the house have designed both a watering can and matching spade and shovel.
Next up was the children's move, which left us all wanting to be a child again. Dolls and mini bears were everywhere and appeared in the windows of big doll's house. Other rooms include one with a big 31 on the wall, serving as a replica of 31 rue Cambon, which any Chanl fan will know is Gabrielle Chanel's apartment. In the room, quintessentially Chanel dresses were protected in glass screens hanging on the wall and couture gowns were beautifully draped across huge Chanel cases.
The installation is definitely something that can't be missed so make sure to pop down to Harrods today.
Daniella Helayel, founder and designer of Issa, has everything to smile about. Since Kate Middleton started being photographed in the brand's dresses, international interest in the company has soared and now Camilla Al Fayed wants to cash on in on the brand's success.
The daughter of former Harrods owner, Mohammed Al Fayed, has bought a majority stake in the label leaving Helayel to focus on the design aspect of the business. When the news was announced the designer explained that she had "looked at a lot of investors, and Camilla came with the best fit. She has the infrastructure behind her, she's well connected, and she will open a lot of doors."
Despite selling Harrods last year, Mohammed Al Fayed is not giving up on working in the retail industry. Yesterday it was confirmed that he has bought online discount retailer, Cocosa, from Bauer media.
The move is definitely a good one - and we're not just saying it because we're working with the retailer, we promise. Since it's launch back in 2008, the invitation-only site has secured a strong following of 500,000 members who all rely on the retailer for their fashion fixes at affordable prices. Although the move came as surprise, many are speculating that this is Al Fayed's first step in his plans to launch an online shopping empire.
Many were left disappointed when Thom Browne decided to jump ship and move from New York to Paris to show his menswear line this year, but I come bearing good news. Last week, the designer announced that he'll be back showing in New York with his first complete womenswear collection. The bad news? We'll have to wait until February to see it.
That aside, things are looking good for the designer. The Cut reports that the womenswear leg of his business is growing and will be sold in Dover Street Market London and Harrods. "I’m ready now, I know what to do. The show will be very much like my men’s wear ones — not traditional," he said. "It all starts with a tailored point of view." Excited?
