They’re two important British heritage luxury brands so the combination of Daks and John Smedley for a collaboration seems already long overdue.
They’ve just launched an SS25 capsule, bringing together two brands “steeped in history and design, while championing ‘Made in England’ manufacturing”.
It’s a combo that not only marks the 2024 reopening of John Smedley’s production lines for third-party and seasonal orders but also Daks’ 130th anniversary.
The result is an initiative that “recognises their shared values and admiration for one another”, bringing together their design teams and talent to create co-branded collaborative knitwear designs. They’ve dubbed the collection ‘heritage meets innovation on British soil’.
The 12-piece collection references Daks’ archive with John Smedley “reinterpreting two iconic Daks styles, the House check and House stripe, creating exclusive variations of both that can be seen across John Smedley’s knitwear silhouettes.
The colours throughout the capsule also reference the Daks house colours including Vicuna, navy and black, made with John Smedley’s fine gauge Sea Island Cotton.
Having just launched on their respective websites, the collection is also available in Daks stores across Asia as well as via John Smedley’s two London boutiques.
Jess McGuire Dudley, deputy managing director at John Smedley, said: “When we reopened our factory to third-party manufacturing, it was important that we collaborated with brands that truly recognised the benefit of our skills and experience of which we have honed over generations.
“Daks [was] able to work across the full-spectrum of our offering, drawing on our expertise from design and production to create a collection that is innovative in colour and design and that represents both brands’ commitment to responsible manufacturing.”
The expansion of fashion and luxury brands into premium real estate continues. Today, Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Company announced the debut of Giorgio Armani‘s design studio in Saudi luxury real estate with the launch of Armani Residences Diriyah, located in the iconic “City of Earth” on the outskirts of Riyadh.
The announcement was made during Diriyah Company’s participation in MIPIM—the international urban environment festival—in Cannes.
These 15 exclusive residences will feature bespoke interiors curated by Giorgio Armani, who has reinterpreted Najdi architecture with a contemporary approach to celebrate Diriyah’s centuries-old heritage.
Armani Residences Diriyah
The residences, located in Diriyah Square, will be next to the future Armani Hotel Diriyah, which began construction in November 2024. The hotel will offer 70 luxury rooms, two fine-dining restaurants, and a premium spa, with suites featuring private spa areas and pools.
The residences will be divided into three distinct design concepts—The Palm Residences, The Botanical Residences, and The Royal Penthouses—ranging from 1,200 to 1,900 square meters. Each residence will include three ensuite suites, elegant living and dining areas, family spaces, a library, and a private pool.
A striking staircase will connect the individual residences called the “Tower of Light” and will be fully furnished and accessorized by Armani/Casa, including custom-designed kitchens and bathrooms. They will also feature a lobby, a private elevator, and direct access from a reserved underground parking area.
The Royal Penthouses will offer exclusive outdoor spaces, including private pools, a yoga terrace, cabanas, and barbecue areas in all upper-level units framed by meticulously designed gardens and landscaped terraces.
Armani Residences Diriyah
Residents will have access to the premium services of the Armani Hotel Diriyah, including a pool, gym, Business Lounge, Armani Study, and in-house dining services. Additionally, they will benefit from a range of included services under an annual fee, such as 24/7 concierge, valet parking, complimentary buggy service between the residence and hotel, a dedicated management team, and routine maintenance, including daily private pool cleaning.
Homeowners will enjoy exclusive privileges, including priority reservations at Armani restaurants, cafés, and hotels worldwide, a dedicated Armani/Casa consultant for shopping and personalized design advice, invitations to special Armani/Casa events, and priority access to new Armani/Casa product launches.
Armani Residences is the latest addition to the prestigious Diriyah-branded collection, which already includes Baccarat Residences Diriyah, Corinthia Residences Diriyah, Raffles Residences Diriyah, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Diriyah, and The Ritz-Carlton Signature Collection Diriyah, totaling 300 luxury residences.
Armani Residences Diriyah
Founded in 2022, Diriyah Company is part of the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) giga-project portfolio and is responsible for developing Diriyah, positioning Diriyah Square as a hub of luxury and hospitality. The company is exploring further opportunities to introduce new Armani-branded experiences to the City of Earth and expand dining, retail, and lifestyle offerings.
Armani Residences Diriyah is part of Diriyah Company’s residential strategy. Once completed, it will accommodate over 100,000 people, including workers, students, and visitors, across a diverse mix of cultural, entertainment, retail, hospitality, education, and residential spaces. The initial openings include Bujairi Terrace, Riyadh’s new premium dining hub with over 20 international and local restaurants overlooking At-Turaif, and Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection Hotel offering an exclusive experience with panoramic views of Wadi Hanifah.
What exactly is Diriyah? It is Saudi Arabia’s leading historical, cultural, and lifestyle destination and key to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan. Located just 15 minutes from downtown Riyadh, this 14 km² area holds unique historical significance as the birthplace of Saudi Arabia, with origins dating back to 1727. Diriyah is transforming into a mixed-use urban community in authentic Najdi style. At the heart of the project is At-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010, preserving the ancient mud-brick capital of the First Saudi State, which dates back to 1766.
Armani Residences Diriyah
Established over 25 years ago, Armani/Casa is a luxury home décor brand born from Giorgio Armani’s vision of creating a warm, harmonious, highly comfortable, and sophisticated retreat. Today, Armani/Casa offers everything from furniture and accessories to fabrics, wallpapers, and kitchen and bathroom systems.
Since 2004, the Armani/Casa Interior Design Studio has provided comprehensive interior design services for private clients and real estate developers. Its portfolio includes residences in cities such as Miami, London, Beijing, Tel Aviv, Manila, Mumbai, Istanbul, and Mexico City. Armani/Casa operates in 29 countries worldwide and has 40 retail locations.
Kering shares tanked on Friday morning after the group led by François-Henri Pinault chose to bet on subversive in-house talent Demna to reinvigorate its Gucci label rather than hiring a big-ticket name from fashion’s overheating job market. Shares fell by around 10% in early Paris session trade, underperforming French luxury peers, which were trading flat following the news.
Kering shares fall 10% after Gucci names Demna creative director. – Reuters
Analysts at Jefferies said the appointment of the Georgian former Balenciaga designer came as a surprise, while J.P. Morgan analysts called the move a “controversial choice,” citing early feedback on social media and fashion blogs and a “question mark” now hanging over the brand’s creative future.
The appointment of Gucci’s next design chief was the fashion world’s most-awaited news in recent weeks after Gucci fired Italian designer Sabato De Sarno after less than two years in the role.
The house’s prolonged sales decline, including a revenue drop of 24% in the fourth quarter of 2024 alone, has heavily weighed on Kering in the past months. Group shares are down around 40% year-on-year, while a European sector benchmark index is down close to 6% over the same period.
Seasalt, the successful Cornish lifestyle-fashion brand, is considering a number of redundancies and it’s blaming higher taxes following the Autumn Budget that increased employers’ National Insurance contributions.
Seasalt
The company said the redundancy move was “in order to meet the challenges presented by an ever-changing retail industry” and that customer sentiment has continued to decline, impacting the outlook for trading conditions in the year ahead.
“As a business here at Seasalt, we are not immune to these very real concerns,” it explained. “In order to meet the challenges… the majority of those beyond our control, Seasalt must remain agile so that we can protect our business for the long term.
“To continue investing in our growth plans, focusing predominantly on store and partners expansion, and large-scale projects to enhance our operations, we have thoroughly reviewed our cost base, to ensure our expenditure is not outpacing our sales and equally achieve the growth that is essential to the viability of our business.
“This analysis has included looking at efficiencies and overall productivity, a transformation of our head office structure and a review of our retail team operations, along with, where possible, reducing the expenditure necessary to realise our sales growth.”
It all means a number of roles will be placed at risk of redundancy across the business.
The company has 76 stores around the UK and said in January that it had seen a big jump in sales for the festive season, despite it having to deal with major pressures on costs. Total sales, including stores, online, and partners such as M&S, Next and Zalando, were up 10% year on year in the final five weeks of 2024.
Back in May it had also filed accounts for 2023 showing turnover rising but some profit measures falling as investment and one-costs hit the figures.
It opened its first US store last year and plans two more in the short term.
The news on redundancies comes just after reports that its chief information officer Mel Wilcox has stepped down after less than two years. Drapers said she’s left “to seek new challenges and opportunities”.