Here is a selection of features from Attire Accessories magazine.
Charley Crocker, Founder and Lead Agent of The Pop Up Shop Agents, answers themost common questions about pop-up retail. The high street is going through a restructure, as the previous model of long commercial contracts is no longer fit for purpose. An interesting proposition is to open a pop-up shop for a limited period of time in a popular location, to test the market and drive brand awareness. Pop Up Shops in concept form have been around for hundreds of years, if you consider Christmas Markets and other festival market days, when local businesses would gather to show their products. In the current form, pop up shops, or 'guerilla stores' became common in Los Angeles in the 1990's. By the early 2000's brands were using pop ups to create a memorable experience for their customers. A great example is Comme de Garcons, who opened a pop up in Berlin in 2004.
Spotting a gap in the market for ethical yet beautiful jewellery choices, Ola McGhee launched Île Kekere in 2022. When did you start up and why? Île Kekere sparked into life in 2022, purely out of my passion for marrying traditional luxury with modern, sustainable practices. I started making bracelets from old broken pieces of jewellery with my daughter one day and thought that they were too good not to share. I have always loved jewellery from an early age and an unfortunate burglary where all my jewellery was stolen spurred me on to replace my jewellery collection again. I was increasingly concerned about the origin of the new pieces I was going to buy and noticed that not many companies were transparent about the background to their materials.
Bruce Penson, Managing Director of cyber security and IT support company Pro Drive IT, offers five ways small businesses can lower their carbon emissions by optimising technology. In 2019, the UK government committed to achieving carbon neutrality, otherwise known as 'net zero', by 2050. This target might seem part of a distant future, but research has proven that we're already falling far short of what's required if we have any chance of meeting it. According to the latest update to the UN Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Synthesis Report, a sizable 13.7 per cent increase in global greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2010 is anticipated by 2030. As limiting global average temperature increases to 1.5 °C requires a 45 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, there's a lot more work to be done.
Looking to make a making a positive impact on your business with recruitment and onboarding?Caroline Gleeson, CEO of Occupop, a provider of industry-leading hiring systems, offers expert insight. When recruiting for vacant roles within your company, a huge concern may be how to retain the talent you're bringing in. Especially considering the research showing that 30 percent of new starters leave their roles within the first three months, and the financial impact of replacing them can be as much as £30,614 per research from Oxford Economics and Unum. This is a great example of why a good onboarding program can play a huge role in the retention of top industry talent.
Offering high quality handmade knitwear all year round, Pachamama products are inspired by the natural world, classic knitting techniques, colour and symbol. Following our success fellow traders wanted to sell our lovely 100% wool knitwear too and so our wholesale business evolved. In 1996 we started fairly trading handmade wool clothing, accessories and homeware made in Nepal. Since those early days we have developed strong and sustainable relationships with our suppliers who are small family run businesses. We have been loyal to our original philosophy on fair trade, ensuring continuous and solid economic and social growth for a large number of talented knitters and artisans and all the people involved in production.
Spotting a gap in the market for timeless pieces with a classic look, Vivien Lauren was launched in 2019 and has gone from strength to strength. When did you start up and what prompted you to launch the business? It all began with a profound passion for style and class, Vivien Lauren was borne out of a gap found in the fashion market: a difficulty in finding unique, timeless elegant pieces for the classic look, and also not much available as affordable or attainable luxury. Thus, Vivien Lauren was officially launched in 2019. What challenges have you overcome since the company's launch? Since our inception, we've navigated a myriad of challenges with unwavering determination and creativity. From sourcing premium, sustainable materials to ensuring ethical production practices, we've tackled the complex issues like those brought on by Covid.
Do you worry about your employees' use of social media? Here, guest blogger Sue Tumelty from Hr Dept looks at the benefits of implementing a social media policy. TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and now Threads – social media provides employees with a million and one ways to bring a company into disrepute: from posing in uniform and bad-mouthing customers on a personal channel to making an ill-judged comment on their official page. With 98 per cent of workers saying that they have social media for personal use, it is intrinsic to a business that they have legislation in place to prevent any mishaps from happening. Down under, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of New South Wales even had to warn its members about creating (presumably adult) content on OnlyFans.
Rebecca Roberston, Founder & Managing Director launched By Rebecca in an attempt to create a better life for herself and her son, whilst sharing life lessons and inspirational jewellery to promote wellbeing in others. I turned a hobby into a business after my son was born in 2014 and established Holly Silver Jewellery from my kitchen cupboard. After a few years of evolving and growing I moved to a large studio in Kinross to allow for the business growth, leading to a re-brand to By Rebecca Jewellery in 2019. Growing a business as a single mother, my drive to make my business successful was strong in order to provide a future for my son and I. Sharing my story on social media about how my designs represented my life lessons and aiming to empower others, the business evolved from personalised jewellery to more bespoke services that stayed true to my goal of making jewellery that holds a story, your story.
Artificial Intelligence – should you embrace it or fear it? Dids Macdonald, CEO of Anti Copying in Design (ACID) tells us more...Whatever area of the giftware sector you're in, there are many more questions than answers about using artificial intelligence (AI). AI is all around us and developing at an exponential pace and it's on the tip of everyone's tongue. AI's uses span the gamut of ground breaking and enabling, to its unauthorised use by machines plundering others' intellectual property with little or no regulation. Some may say plundering is a sanitised word for stealing the consequences of which threaten many with this sector. This rise on access to AI tools raises the question, will AI replace the traditional approach to designing are jobs on the line? Currently big business AI developers have written off the need for licensing so many ask, how will it be regulated?
Lara Stafford-Deitsch started her jewellery business as a sideline while on furlough during the pandemic, now the company is making waves in the industry. With a strong focus on the female form, my jewellery stands out with its bold signet ring shapes and intricate engravings. I love the tonal contrast of the bright and luxurious 18ct yellow gold against the cool matte silver. How are you finding the current climate in the UK? Is it affecting business? As I have only been running my business during the difficult UK climate (started in 2020), I personally don't have much to compare it to. However the price of gold is sky high and this is obviously reflected in my pieces, which will of course cause some understandable buyer hesitancy.
