Vivienne Westwood sales up as luxury brands resist retail troubles
Luxury fashion label Vivienne Westwood saw a rise in sales last year as high-end designers defy tough conditions for UK retailers.
The designer brand’s turnover was £40.8m in 2017, up from £37.5m the year before, though profit remained flat at £1.9m.
The company said 2017 was a “challenging year”, with retail conditions putting pressure on its margins. But it said the brand continues to be attractive to a wide customer base.
Fellow British luxury fashion brand Stella McCartney also reported resilient results in its accounts this week. The firm saw a modest increase in sales to £42.5m from £41.6m in 2016.
However, profits for the label, which focuses on sustainability, were down marginally from the previous year.
But while many brick and mortar stores are struggling to stay afloat due to declining footfall and increasing costs, the results show high-end brands are more resistant.
Earlier this month Vivienne Westwood said it will launch a new collection with Burberry in December. Burberry has also seen a rise in profits thanks to the debut collection from its new chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci.
Helen Brocklebank, chief executive of luxury sector body Walpole, said: “The results demonstrate that at the top end of the market consumers are still spending and will continue to spend on brands that have a distinctive point of view and an exciting, high-quality product.”