Whistles CEO Jane Shepherdson - AKA Britain's high priestess Of high street - brings her retail chain to the Middle East and, with it, a no-nonsense approach to fashion.
Published: Sat 2 Jul 2016, 11:55 AM
Last updated: Sat 2 Jul 2016, 2:02 PM
City Walk 2 has become the Mecca of contemporary fashion - whether it is Sandro, Weekend by Max Mara, Karl Lagerfeld or Michael Kors. Now, opening in a prime position is a British brand that has been known for contemporary high street fashion for the last 40 years and has about 50 stores across the UK alone: Whistles.
On opening day, standing front and centre of the store, is Jane Shepherdson, a woman also known as 'The Fairy Godmother of High Street' back in the UK. With her welcoming "hello", dressed in a printed shirt and black trousers (both from Whistles), you would not know that Shepherdson is, in fact, the CEO of the brand. Formerly with Topshop for 22 years, this is a woman who knows the business of fashion, and who has been at every store opening of Whistles since she joined the brand in 2008."I never wear heels - two inches are enough for me," says this fash-ion guru, who has never let the glamour and glitz of the industry affect her.
It's a pragmatic (yet, full of panache) personal style that very much reflects her approach to the business of fashion.Though it was a well-established name on the British High Street, financially, Whistles was not a good place. That was before fashion's fairy godmother (who has been credited for much of Topshop's success in the past) waved her wand and turned things around. Apart from be-ing CEO, Shepherdson also has a stake in the company, so this is a business that's very close to her heart. And she's now hoping to bring her vision for the brand to this region.Though this is Whistles' only store in the Middle East, the high street chain did have a store in Mall of the Emirates previously under another partnership. That one did not do the brand justice, so Shepherdson found a new partner and a new location that she believes will kick off the Whistles story in the Middle East.
Another store is planned in Doha Festival City by the year-end and Shepherdson will be back in Dubai in September for the big official launch of the brand in the Middle East. She has been to Dubai several times in the past and finds it an "amazing and dynamic" city.
"Every time you come back, you see change," she notes. In a city like Dubai that is full of fashionable events, key pieces are a much-needed story. And that is why she believes Whistles belongs in the city. "Whistles is about effortless appeal - and about understated solutions for all the events in your life," she says.If you walk into The Dubai Mall, you can tell that it is all about lux-ury - from Oscar de la Renta to Roberto Cavalli and Hermès. Over at Mall of Emirates, while there is a Zara, most of the other high street brands are far younger and much more casual. The largest stores there belong to designer brands such as Burberry or Dolce & Gabanna. There isn't really anything for 'thinking women', who don't necessary want to wear only high fashion designer labels.
That's where City Walk 2 comes in, with its range of contemporary chic labels - a place where Whistles belongs.The products in the 1,100 square foot store will mirror what you will see in Whistles London, Manchester or any of the other international locations that it now retails in (such as America, France, Germany, China and Russia). "I do not like to make assumptions about markets," says Shepherdson, who started her career as a buyer. Though some of the heavy winter clothes collection will be limited, the Dubai store will otherwise be just like its counterparts anywhere else in the world. And that includes their newest addition: menswear.
Special "Made for the Middle East' clothes will probably not be a part of the Whistles' DNA, as Shepherdson is known for not relying on short-term marketing ploys. She is one of the few High Street CEOs who have veered away from celebrity lead collections and endorsements. "I get nervous about celebrities. You never know what they might wear - they may wear one of your competitors while being the face of your brand...," she explains.
Whistles does collaborate often with designers for collections, but they tend to be younger and not very well known. (One of their designers, however, is Roksanda Ilincic - so clearly this is a company that has an eye for talent and product).Shepherdson is so practical, it is hard to believe she is considered a fashion icon. Her favourite piece from the brand's current collection is a jungle jumpsuit. "I love jumpsuits, because I have bad legs," she confesses. These are clothes that have style, yet are pared down. Shepherd-son's bed head blonde hair and always easy, chic take on fashion that matches her personality has made her one of British fashion's most-liked women.
In the past, she spent a few years (while in between jobs) working at British charity OXFAM and opening a fashion retail chain for them. It was an unpaid project, but one she still keeps an eye on. She is also a keen traveller, and considers her trip to Patagonia one of her most memorable. Most of all, she likes to keep it real - whether it's about her personal life (though happily married, Shepherdson has no children, and has great admiration for mothers who also manage full-time ca-reers) or being called the 'fairy godmother of British fashion' ("That's only because there aren't that many women with finance backgrounds who choose to enter fashion!").She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to UK retail business last year. Perhaps, she will soon earn a special nickname in this region too.
sujata@khaleejtimes.com
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