L.K.Bennett
Encyclopedia
L.K.Bennett is a luxury women’s fashion
brand, based in London
, United Kingdom
. Originally created to produce “quintessentially English fashion”, L.K.Bennett now focuses on shoes, clothes and accessories, and use of luxury materials such as nappa leather and pony skin.
-Icelandic
clothing designer and entrepreneur. The daughter of a London-based fashion retail entrepreneur, and an Icelandic sculptor mother, she grew up in North London
, and was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls
, Elstree
and Reading University, where she read Land Management. She then trained as a cordwainer
at Hackney’s Cordwainers College (now part of the London College of Fashion
), and then working for French designer Robert Clergerie, before working on the sales floor of retailers Whistles
and Joseph
.
Since setting up L.K.Bennett, she has won several awards, including: Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Consumer Product category) in 2002; Best Women’s Footwear Retailer (UK Footwear Award) in 2003; Veuve Clicquot
Businesswoman of the Year in 2004; Entrepreneurs’ Entrepreneur award in 2009. In 2004, Bennett was made an honorary fellow of the London College of Fashion
, her alma mater, and she sits on the development council of the University of the Arts London
, of which the London College of Fashion is a part. In 2006, Bennett was awarded an OBE for services to the fashion industry in the New Year Honours list.
Since the creation of the original store, L.K.Bennett has expanded into an international chain of shops (including in-store concession and outlet stores in Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Fenwick), with 137 stores in operation in the UK, Jersey, Ireland and France. The French boutique, in Paris, opened in 2000. Bennett designed the Duchess of Cornwall
’s wedding shoes for her marriage to Prince Charles in 2005. Retail turnover generates £65m a year.
In November 2004, Bennett appointed BDO Stoy Hayward to find strategic investors. She wanted to concentrate on design, handing over the daily management to someone else, while investment would also enable L.K.Bennett to expand abroad quicker. Bennett sold a 70% stake in the business in 2007 to Phoenix Equity Partners and Sirius Equity, a retail and branded luxury goods investment company, in a deal believed to have netted her around £70m. Bennett remains on the board of the company as a non-executive director, and retains a stake of about 30 per cent.
In 2011 L.K.Bennett opened stores in Chicago and Atlanta.
and managing director of Gianfranco Ferre
and chief executive officer of Christian Lacroix
.
Annick Gorman was appointed to the position of creative director in December 2008. She previously held similar positions at Celine, Cacharel
and Galeries Lafayette
. Shoe designer Michael Lewis is known for his collaborations with Louis Vuitton
, Burberry
and Gucci
. Lewis designed some of the shoes for L.K.Bennett’s SS10 collection.
In 2009, a new design for stores created by Tiziano Vudafieri was rolled out to two trial stores, one in Bluewater shopping centre, and the flagship store in King’s Road, London.
L.K. Bennett's retailing practices have been the subject of negative customer commentary, particularly with respect to returning faulty goods.
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
brand, based in 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...
, 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...
. Originally created to produce “quintessentially English fashion”, L.K.Bennett now focuses on shoes, clothes and accessories, and use of luxury materials such as nappa leather and pony skin.
Linda K Bennett
Linda Kristin Bennett (born 8 September, 1964) is an EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
-Icelandic
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...
clothing designer and entrepreneur. The daughter of a London-based fashion retail entrepreneur, and an Icelandic sculptor mother, she grew up in North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, and was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls
Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls
Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls is an academically high-achieving British independent school in Elstree, near Borehamwood, in the county of Hertfordshire. It is often known as "Habs" or "Habs girls", to distinguish it from the neighbouring Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School...
, Elstree
Elstree
Elstree is a village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire on the A5 road, about 10 miles north of London. In 2001, its population was 4,765, and forms part of the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood, originally known simply as Elstree....
and Reading University, where she read Land Management. She then trained as a cordwainer
Cordwainer
A cordwainer is a shoemaker/cobbler who makes fine soft leather shoes and other luxury footwear articles. The word is derived from "cordwain", or "cordovan", the leather produced in Córdoba, Spain. The term cordwainer was used as early as 1100 in England...
at Hackney’s Cordwainers College (now part of the London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, short courses and business-training in fashion, make-up, beauty-therapy and lifestyle industries...
), and then working for French designer Robert Clergerie, before working on the sales floor of retailers Whistles
Whistles
Whistles is a clothing brand with 40 stores across Britain. It was founded in the early 1980s by Lucille and Richard Lewin.In January 2008, Jane Shepherdson, former Topshop director, signed a deal to purchase a 20 per cent stake in Whistles and was appointed the job of chief executive.-Style:In the...
and Joseph
Joseph
-Media:* YosepH, album by Luke Vibert* Josef , a Croatian television movie from 2011*Various works based on the life of Joseph in the Hebrew Bible:** Joseph and his Brethren, oratorio by George Frideric Handel...
.
Since setting up L.K.Bennett, she has won several awards, including: Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Consumer Product category) in 2002; Best Women’s Footwear Retailer (UK Footwear Award) in 2003; Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is both a champagne house in Reims, France, and a brand of premium champagne. Founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron, Veuve Clicquot played an important role in establishing champagne as a favored drink of haute bourgeoisie and nobility throughout Europe...
Businesswoman of the Year in 2004; Entrepreneurs’ Entrepreneur award in 2009. In 2004, Bennett was made an honorary fellow of the London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, short courses and business-training in fashion, make-up, beauty-therapy and lifestyle industries...
, her alma mater, and she sits on the development council of the University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London
The University of the Arts London, formerly known as the London Institute, is a collegiate university comprising six internationally recognised art, design, fashion and media colleges in London, England...
, of which the London College of Fashion is a part. In 2006, Bennett was awarded an OBE for services to the fashion industry in the New Year Honours list.
History
Bennett set up her first shop in Wimbledon Village, with a goal to produce "something in-between the designer footwear you find in Bond Street and those on the high street.” Because of her equal emphasis on comfort and glamour, Bennett earned the nickname “Queen of the Kitten Heel”.Since the creation of the original store, L.K.Bennett has expanded into an international chain of shops (including in-store concession and outlet stores in Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Fenwick), with 137 stores in operation in the UK, Jersey, Ireland and France. The French boutique, in Paris, opened in 2000. Bennett designed the Duchess of Cornwall
Duchess of Cornwall
The Duchess of Cornwall is the title held by the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Duke of Cornwall is a non-hereditary peerage held by the British Sovereign's eldest son and heir....
’s wedding shoes for her marriage to Prince Charles in 2005. Retail turnover generates £65m a year.
In November 2004, Bennett appointed BDO Stoy Hayward to find strategic investors. She wanted to concentrate on design, handing over the daily management to someone else, while investment would also enable L.K.Bennett to expand abroad quicker. Bennett sold a 70% stake in the business in 2007 to Phoenix Equity Partners and Sirius Equity, a retail and branded luxury goods investment company, in a deal believed to have netted her around £70m. Bennett remains on the board of the company as a non-executive director, and retains a stake of about 30 per cent.
In 2011 L.K.Bennett opened stores in Chicago and Atlanta.
Present day
Today the company is chaired by Robert Bensoussan, co-founder of Sirius Equity, who served as CEO of Jimmy Choo LtdJimmy Choo Ltd
Jimmy Choo is a British high fashion house specializing in luxury shoes, designer bags, and accessories. The company, J. Choo Limited, was founded in 1996 by couture shoe designer Jimmy Choo OBE and Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon OBE. In April 2001 Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd. bought out...
and managing director of Gianfranco Ferre
Gianfranco Ferrè
Gianfranco Ferré was a fashion designer also known as "the architect of fashion" for his background and his original attitude toward creating fashion design....
and chief executive officer of Christian Lacroix
Christian Lacroix
Christian Marie Marc Lacroix is a French fashion designer. The name may also refer to the company he founded.-Early life:Lacroix was born in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône in southern France. At a young age he began sketching historical costumes and fashions. Lacroix graduated from high school in 1969...
.
Annick Gorman was appointed to the position of creative director in December 2008. She previously held similar positions at Celine, Cacharel
Cacharel
Cacharel is a French brand of ready-to-wear clothing, perfume and accessories. It was created in 1962 by Jean Bousquet, in Nîmes, who founded the company of the same name in 1964...
and Galeries Lafayette
Galeries Lafayette
- History :In 1893 Théophile Bader and his cousin Alphonse Kahn opened a fashion store in a small haberdasher's shop at the corner of rue La Fayette and the Chaussée d'Antin, Paris. In 1896, the company purchased the entire building at n°1 rue La Fayette and in 1905 the buildings at n°38, 40 et...
. Shoe designer Michael Lewis is known for his collaborations with Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
, Burberry
Burberry
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing, fragrance, and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. Burberry is most famous for its iconic trench coat, which was invented by founder Thomas Burberry...
and Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
. Lewis designed some of the shoes for L.K.Bennett’s SS10 collection.
In 2009, a new design for stores created by Tiziano Vudafieri was rolled out to two trial stores, one in Bluewater shopping centre, and the flagship store in King’s Road, London.
L.K. Bennett's retailing practices have been the subject of negative customer commentary, particularly with respect to returning faulty goods.