The democratisation of fashion? It all started with Philip Treacy. Yes, the king of bonkers tifters is the unlikely source of the high street as we know it. In 1993, he became “designer zero” at Debenhams — the first to try out a brave new concept that would allow ordinary shoppers to buy into designer names at high-street prices.
Today our wallets and our wardrobes have grown used to the idea of gold-plated fashion names slumming it on the high street. Witness the scrum and eBay resale frenzy that greets H&M’s annual designer collaboration (this year it’s with Alexander Wang). But nobody does it quite like Debenhams, where the designer ranges make up more than a third of women’s-wear sales and 50% of children’s wear. That equates to 5m items a year, including an average of 2,300 dresses a day.
From John Rocha and Betty Jackson to Preen, Jonathan Saunders and Henry Holland, the current roll call reads like a list of the great, good and oh-so-current names in British fashion. “We are constantly evolving to make sure the mix is appropriate for now and appropriate for next year and the year after,” says the woman in charge of it all, the group trading director, Suzanne Harlow.
Advertisement
So how does Debenhams take high-fashion ideas and make them wearable and sellable to a huge audience? The “Debenisation” process is different for every designer. Each has his own brand team, dedicated to producing the range. Stephen Jones gives his team detailed sketches, Julien Macdonald brings in samples of embroidery, and Holland makes sure he has a fun parka in every collection. “It needs to be real, and the customers want to believe the designer’s story, because it’s their reason for shopping at Debenhams,” Harlow says.
None of the designers produces exact replicas of their catwalk looks; instead they channel their ideas. “It’s a long-standing relationship and you’re not just diluting or diffusing an existing brand, you’re creating a new one,” Holland says.
Hems might be lowered, fabrics softened, a collar rounded or a print made prettier. “We Debenise it, but we also feminise it,” says Lisa-Marie Peacock, the head of design.
The dream for all of the designers is that they can do a “Jasper”. Conran, who joined in 1996, has branched out into men’s, homeware and children’s wear to become the biggest seller across the portfolio. He believes the designer concept altered the balance of power between the customer and retailer. In early meetings about the fiftysomething shoppers, he remembers shouting: “Don’t you realise that these are the women who wore miniskirts for the first time, who took the pill and shagged liberally, and you’re rewarding the sisters with a pink nylon anorak?” As well as changing tastes, Designers at Debenhams has also played an important part in bankrolling some of the best British fashion talents.
In a deal unrivalled on the high street, the designers get a percentage of their sales, which, given the volumes Debenhams sells, can transform their business. Holland remembers the relief and excitement he felt when he got the call. “The legacy of Debenhams in the industry is that you sign that deal and you survive,” he says.
Advertisement
Debenhams is already planning a big new signing for next autumn. Harlow won’t say who, but gives me a clue as to what they might design when she says that although Debenhams is the market leader on handbags, it is only sixth on shoes. Cobblers of Britain, stand by your phones.
H! by Henry Holland
Above: knit top, £35, and skirt, £38, by H! By Henry Holland for Debenhams
Signing for Debenhams, “changed my fortunes”, says Henry Holland, who joined in 2010. It immediately opened him up to 15- to 24-year-olds, a younger audience than he had previously reached. Now, for them, the quiffed designer, with his famous friends and TV career, is a superstar. “When we launched at Debenhams, we did a signing of handbags with my face on,” he laughs. His approach is not to copy his catwalk collections but distil his design DNA. “House of Holland is known for its humour, tone and attitude, and that can be translated at so many price points.” For Debenhams, that means plenty of natty parkas, talking-point knits and witty prints.
Stephen Jones
Advertisement
Above: hat, £55, by Stephen Jones at Debenhams. Yellow coat, £169, by Jonathan Saunders/Edition for Debenhams
The hat supremo Stephen Jones had said no to a high-street collaboration for years. Then, last year, he said yes to Debenhams. What changed? “They came up with a way of making hats where the quality is fantastic,” he says. Selling to a wider audience excites him. “Fashion is exclusive. It’s one group of people saying, ‘I know better than you’, but I love the fact that everybody can be a part of this.” Jones is exceptionally hands-on — building prototypes and attending all the fittings. Whether the hat is for Schiaparelli Haute Couture or Debenhams, it has to do the same job, he says. “It has to make the woman feel wonderful, as though she is the belle of the ball.”
Hammond & Co by Patrick Grant
Advertisement
Above: shirt, £38, waistcoat, £80, suit jacket, £149, trousers, £55, shoes, £9, bow tie, £16, and pocket square, £14, by Hammond & Co by Patrick Grant for Debenhams
“There was a wave of people returning to dressing in a smarter, more elegant way, but nobody was doing anything with integrity or quality at high-street prices,” says the tailor Patrick Grant. His Norton & Sons bespoke Savile Row suits cost from £4,000. “We can’t make it to that standard,” he says of his Debenhams range, “but we can still cut things beautifully and take great care about the choice of materials.” The results are elegant suits for £250, two-fold cotton shirts at £38 and an all-wool double-breasted great coat at £150. Proof of the nation’s new commitment to sartorial elegance? His bestseller last season was a shirt that came with a little comb in the pocket. “It’s nice to think we’re making clothes that have value to them and that are going to last.”
Preen/Edition
Advertisement
Above: red lace bomber, £65, and trousers, £65, by Preen/Edition for Debenhams
When it came to translating Preen’s edgy, urban elegance into high-street clothes, the husband and wife team Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi remember the advice Debenhams once gave them. “They said to try and think about Carol who presents the weather,” Thornton says. They tuned in to Ms Kirkwood’s bulletin and concluded: “Actually, she’s kind of sexy.” The store’s comprehensive customer research also told them Preen fans wanted more desk-to-dinner wear. Cue plenty of versatile pieces with a glam edge.
Todd Lynn/Edition
Above: studded biker jacket, £250, shaggy faux-fur coat, £120, leather skirt, £165, and bag, £175, by Todd Lynn/Edition for Debenhams
“They have really let me stick to my identity, and we decided to make it very dark,” says Todd Lynn, who made his name designing stage clothes for Bono, Mick Jagger and Marilyn Manson. “I don’t need to try and do print dresses — other people can do them. I can do the leather jackets and the coats.” Razor-sharp tailoring and leather are Lynn’s strengths, and he’s particularly proud of his new bag range. “The quality is great. They are really good alternatives for someone who doesn’t have £1,200 to spend on a designer bag.”
Styling: Flossie Saunders. Photographer: Billie Scheepers. Photographer’s assistant: Bruno. Hair: Federico Ghezzi at CLM using Bumble and Bumble. Make-up: Karina Constantine at CLM using Benefit. Models: Lauren English, Harriet, Georgia Taylor and Alys Hale at IMG and Joe Routledge at Storm. Casting: Megan McCluskie.