Lipsy London, also known as Lipsy, is a British women’s fashion brand that also operates retail stores.

The company was founded in London in 1990 and was acquired by Next PLC (LSE

LSE

LSE may refer to:* London School of Economics and Political Science, a specialist school of the University of London* London Stock Exchange or its owner group London Stock Exchange Group...

: NXT

NXT

NXT may refer to:* Lego Mindstorms NXT, a kit for building robots with Lego bricks* The ticker symbol for the NYSE Arca Tech 100 exchange-traded fund...

) in 2008. It now employs over 450 people and operates 22 retail stores in the UK and the Ireland.

The Lipsy line is also sold through concessions in high street multiples, including Selfridges, House of Fraser and overseas department stores Robinsons in Singapore and Bloomingdales in the USA. The company has wholesale distributors in Sweden, Greece, Germany, France, Italy and South Africa.

Lipsy's headquarters are based in London in Berners Street in the London borough

London borough

The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...

 of the City of Westminster

City of Westminster

The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...

, near Oxford Street

Oxford Street

Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...

.

Brief history

• 1990 - Lipsy founded
• 2006 - Management buyout
• 2006 - Launched www.lipsy.co.uk
• 2007 - Launched Lipsy European Wholesale Division
• 2007 - Logo changes from lips to L-heart design
• 2008 - Launched Lipsy accessories
• 2008 - Launched lifestyle collection
• 2008 - Launched Lipsy VIP dress collection
• 2008 - Opened first retail store in London's Brent Cross Shopping Centre
• 2008 - Lipsy acquired by Next PLC
• 2009 - Opened a further 12 stores in the UK and ROI
• 2010 - Launched Pixie Lott Collection
• 2010 - Launched in Bloomingdale's
  Bloomingdale's
  Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
  
   department stores in the USA
• 2010 - Launched Lipsy watch collection
• 2010 - Launched Lipsy fragrance

Stores and concessions

Lipsy opened its first retail store in Brent Cross Shopping Centre, London, in October 2008 and in 2009 opened a further 12 stores. The company currently operates a total of 22 retail stores in the UK and Ireland with further stores planned to open in 2010 in Kingston, Derby, Merryhill, Glasgow-Silverburn and Leeds.

Lipsy branded items are also sold in UK-based international retail chains Topshop, Selfridges and House of Fraser as well as through online and mail-order retailers including Asos.com, Next.co.uk, 3Suisses.fr, otto.de, oli.co.uk and very.co.uk.

In April 2010 Lipsy launched in the USA in the South Coast Plaza, Bergen County and Bridgewater Bloomingdale's

Bloomingdale's

Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...

 department stores. In August 2010 Lipsy opened in a further nine Bloomingdales stores.

In October 2010 Lipsy launched in Robinson department store

Robinson Department Store

Robinson Department Store is a Thai department store chain. It was established in 1979 and was merged with Central Group in 1995...

, Singapore.

Celebrity collections

In April 2010, Lipsy launched a fashion range co-designed by British singer-songwriter Pixie Lott

Pixie Lott

Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...

. The first Pixie Collection comprised two ranges: Pixie Festival and Pixie Party. Pixie Lott's second collection for Lipsy was launched in September 2010 and consisted of a new range, Pixie Rocks, and an updated Pixie Party collection.

In June 2010, Kimberly Wyatt

Kimberly Wyatt

Kimberly Kaye Wyatt is an American showgirl, singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress and choreographer. She is best known as a former member of the American pop/R&B girl group and dance ensemble, the Pussycat Dolls. She joined the Pussycat Dolls in 2003...

, a former member of American pop group the Pussycat Dolls

Pussycat Dolls

The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...

, was featured as the face of Lipsy watches in the company's marketing campaign.

Celebrity fans

Lipsy is well-known for its association with celebrity fashion.

British celebrities who have been photographed wearing Lipsy items or with Lipsy shopping bags include Pixie Lott

Pixie Lott

Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...

, Katie Price, Sarah Harding

Sarah Harding

Sarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...

, Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...

, Mollie King

Mollie King

Mollie Elizabeth King is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known for being a member of girl group, The Saturdays. In the band, King has successfully enjoyed ten top-ten and five top-five singles on the UK Singles Chart and three top-ten albums on the UK Albums Chart...

, Lily Allen

Lily Allen

Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...

  and Michelle Keegan

Michelle Keegan

Michelle Elizabeth Keegan is an English actress who currently plays Tina McIntyre in the soap opera Coronation Street.-Biography:...

.

American Lipsy fans include celebrities Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton

Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...

, Lady GaGa

Lady GaGa

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...

, Jessica Lowndes

Jessica Lowndes

Jessica Lowndes is a Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Adrianna Tate-Duncan on TV series 90210.-Personal life:Jessica Suzanne Lowndes was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...

, Kourtney Kardashian

Kourtney Kardashian

Kourtney Mary Kardashian is an American businesswoman, socialite, model, actress and reality television personality who gained fame as a cast member of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, and Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami.She is the oldest child of Kris Jenner and...

, Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

  and Kimberly Wyatt

Kimberly Wyatt

Kimberly Kaye Wyatt is an American showgirl, singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress and choreographer. She is best known as a former member of the American pop/R&B girl group and dance ensemble, the Pussycat Dolls. She joined the Pussycat Dolls in 2003...

.

Lipsy website

The Lipsy official website was launched in 2006, allowing customers to buy online. The website was given a design overhaul in 2009 and in 2010 a video catwalk function was added. In 2010 www.lipsy.co.uk also began stocking items by other fashion brands, including Miss Sixty, Motel Rocks and Religion.

Lipsy logo

Following an extensive rebrand, the Lipsy logo changed from the smeared lipstick image, which had become iconic in the 1990s, to the interlinked L and heart icon in January 2007.

Social media

Lipsy has a fashion and celebrities blog on www.lipsy.co.uk, as well as a Facebook page and a Twitter account. In August 2010, Lipsy launched a competition on Facebook to find the face of its first ever fragrance. The competition attracted over 300,000 voters. The winner was given a modelling contract and other prizes.

Lipsy Magazine

Lipsy launched the first issue of its branded magazine in April 2010. The second issue was released in September 2010. The magazine is available to view as an interactive digital copy on the Lipsy website.

External links

• http://www.lipsy.co.uk
• http://www.facebook.com/lipsylondon
• http://twitter.com/LipsyLondon