Karen Millen
Encyclopedia
Karen Millen is an Icelandic
owned women’s designer clothing brand, specialising in tailoring, coats
and eveningwear. Karen Millen stores are found throughout the United Kingdom
, America
, Austria
, Denmark
, the Republic of Ireland
and many other European countries.
, which was followed a few years later by branches in Tunbridge Wells, Brighton
, Guildford
and London
.
The brand continued to expand throughout the Nineties when it was acquired in June 2004 by Mosaic Fashions
. In 2009 Mosaic Fashions ceased trading and the brand now operates as part of Aurora Fashions.
Karen Millen trades from 84 standalone stores and 46 concessions in the UK and Ireland
. Internationally, Karen Millen trades from 16 company owned stores and 57 franchise stores in 23 countries.
In the United States, Karen Millen has boutiques in Atlanta, Boston
, Bellevue, Washington
, Dallas, Los Angeles
, New York City
, San Francisco, Short Hills
, Tysons Corner, Natick, San Diego and Washington, D.C.
. In March 2008 the company launched a new flagship store in New York
at 114 Prince Street.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
owned women’s designer clothing brand, specialising in tailoring, coats
Coat (clothing)
A coat is a long garment worn by both men and women, for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a belt, or a combination of some of these...
and eveningwear. Karen Millen stores are found throughout the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and many other European countries.
History
The company was founded in 1981 when Karen Millen partnered with Kevin Stanford. With a loan of just £100, the pair bought one thousand metres of white cotton and began manufacturing and selling white shirts to their friends. A party plan network followed and in 1983 they opened their first store in KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, which was followed a few years later by branches in Tunbridge Wells, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The brand continued to expand throughout the Nineties when it was acquired in June 2004 by Mosaic Fashions
Mosaic Fashions
Mosaic Fashions hf was the parent company of several fashion brands. The company has 1,760 stores and concessions in the UK, Ireland, Europe and the USA, 234 Franchise stores in 44 countries and 93 joint venture stores including 84 concessions in China....
. In 2009 Mosaic Fashions ceased trading and the brand now operates as part of Aurora Fashions.
Operations
Creative Director Gemma Metheringham oversees twelve designers, producing two main collections and two transitional collections each season.Karen Millen trades from 84 standalone stores and 46 concessions in the UK and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Internationally, Karen Millen trades from 16 company owned stores and 57 franchise stores in 23 countries.
In the United States, Karen Millen has boutiques in Atlanta, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, Dallas, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, San Francisco, Short Hills
Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City...
, Tysons Corner, Natick, San Diego and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. In March 2008 the company launched a new flagship store in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at 114 Prince Street.