BRAND OVERVIEW
ABOUT OUR BRAND Born and bred in England, Karen Millen is known globally for creating beautifully crafted fashion for confident women who know their own style. Each piece of our collection has been individually designed, hand-crafted and perfected by the designers in our in-house atelier to deliver our signature quality and attention to detail. From couture-inspired techniques to luxurious heritage fabrics, every KM garment has a story to tell. Under the creative direction of our CCO, Gemma Metheringham, the range has become a curated collection of perfectly cut trend-led and investment pieces offering an elevated, tailored approach to fashion. Truly international, Karen Millen has stores in over 65 countries across six continents including flagship stores in London s Knightsbridge and New York s Fifth Avenue.
KAREN MILLEN WOMEN The Karen Millen woman has both style and substance; she s memorable with a strong character and wears pieces that reflect and enhance her personality. She s confident in the way that she dresses and puts things together and she wants to feel the quality and craftsmanship in everything she wears.
OUR ESSENCE At Karen Millen, we are quality obsessed and design driven. Known for our polished and tailored approach to fashion, we create versatile staples for the modern, urban woman with an effortless, elevated approach. The antithesis of throwaway fashion, we strive to produce beautifully designed trend-led investment pieces you will treasure. It s about how you feel, how your body moves in our clothes and how they feel to the touch. We understand that luxury is indulgent. Unwrapping a beautiful piece of clothing and putting it on, feeling amazing when you wear it; that s what it s all about.
OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER MIKE SHEARWOOD Since joining the newly independent Karen Millen as CEO in March 2013, Mike has overseen the brand s evolution and expansion on its journey to becoming an international fashion house. During his time at Karen Millen, he has driven business from Dubai to Hong Kong via Mexico and has been instrumental in rolling out flagship stores in London s Knightsbridge and New York s Fifth Avenue to reflect our current brand aesthetic. Karen Millen trades in six continents from over 400 stores in cultural and fashion capitals around the world, and derives over 60% of its sales from international markets making it a truly global and accessible luxury fashion brand. Mike was previously CEO of Aurora Fashions, comprising of the brands Coast, Oasis and Warehouse, alongside Karen Millen. Prior to this, he was UK and Ireland Managing Director of the Inditex Group consisting of Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius and Zara Home, having joined in January 2000 as Managing Director for Zara. In his spare time, Mike is a keen rugby player, speaks fluent Spanish and enjoys spending time with his wife and 6 children. He has held various senior roles at Vision Express and is a qualified optician. Mike is also passionate about supporting young talent and sits on the advisory board to the British Fashion Council.
OUR CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER GEMMA METHERINGHAM Chief Creative Officer at Karen Millen, Gemma Metheringham is the creative force behind the brand. Having joined Karen Millen as Design Director in 1999, she began seeking a new design direction for the widely-known eponymous British brand alongside her team, re-shaping its identity, changing its perception and overseeing its rise to become a coveted international fashion house. During her tenure, she has overseen the brand s successful evolution, working with the most experienced talent in British fashion to create a new direction and aesthetic; The Autumn Winter 13 and Spring Summer 14 campaigns were game changers for me. Working with Bailey and Katy England has had an inspirational effect both inside and outside the business. Creating a new retail concept for the brand s flagship stores in London s Knightsbridge and 5th Avenue further marked a new chapter in the label s development, garnering an incredible response both creatively and commercially but she remains most proud of the team we ve built and the culture we ve created. It s a very collaborative effort. For Gemma, it all starts with the clothes and making people feel great. Indeed, her approach to creating high quality investment pieces is something that resonates globally. Today, Karen Millen trades in over 67 markets across six continents, with stores in cultural and fashion capitals around the world, and over 60% of the brand s sales now come from outside the UK. It is success that has won Gemma plaudits from her peers she has been commended in Draper s Top 100 People in Fashion, while the University of Hertfordshire recently awarded her an Honorary Award and Fellowship. The emotional touch point of the brand, Gemma takes a hands-on approach to her role; Fashion is constantly changing. I m constantly watching what people are buying and how this is evolving. She sits alongside her team within the design studio overseeing all creative aspects of the business; I m absolutely involved in every step of the design process, she says, from the stories that shape each collection to the prints, fabrics, cuts, buttons and trims that finish it. Without our product we don t have a brand, so I m never far from the atelier. Our limited-edition embroideries are crafted from up to 1.3 million embroidery stitches and can take up to 24 hours to produce. Creating the best possible pieces is an addiction. Gemma is also passionate about championing emerging talent, sitting on board of the BFC and working with Graduate Fashion Week to help burgeoning designers get a start in the fashion industry. She supports FAD who mentor and develop under privileged children and has long been committed to nurturing skill, starting the Karen Millen graduate protégé scheme which gives graduates an invaluable insight into one of the most stimulating and fast-moving sectors of the industry. In her downtime, she enjoys gardening at home in Hackney, cooking with her husband and has a passion for theatre.
OUR ATELIER Housed in our Shoreditch headquarters, our Atelier is intrinsic to the way we design and create our collections at Karen Millen. Every piece starts with a sketch in our design studio and the entire creative process takes place in-house. This direct personal connection between our designers and pattern cutters creating a first toile together enables us to perfect our focus on tailoring and pattern cutting and ensures we deliver our incredible quality and attention to detail.
THE CRAFT As a design led brand, it s all about the detail: our limited-edition embroideries are crafted from up to 1.3 million embroidery stitches and can take up to 24 hours to create. Printed designs are meticulously hand cut so the pattern placement is just-so. Pattern pieces can take up to 3 hours of hand cutwork per garment and all of our jeans are frayed by hand. From traditional loom-woven lace and jacquards from France to textured tweeds and leather from Italy, our fabrics are sourced from Europe s leading cloth mills, hand-picked for their focus on fine craftsmanship and artisan skill. We regularly collaborate with our mills to create original fabrics that are exclusive to us to ensure you can wear a truly unique garment, and a covetable investment piece.
KM MAP Our global presence continually grows across many new and diverse markets. Between own buy and franchise stores you can shop KM worldwide, from Morocco to Moscow, Thailand to The Big Apple, where will you see KM next? 424 STORES IN 63 COUNTRIES, ACROSS 6 CONTINENTS CANADA Canada 1 USA USA 35 CENTRAL AMERICA Chile 1 Mexico 11 Panama 1 Puerto Rico 1 AFRICA Egypt 4 Libya 1 Morocco 2 South Africa 1 RUSSIA Moscow 13 Rostov 3 St. Petersburg 5 Sub Regions 9 CHINA China 5 UK & IRELAND UK 78 Ireland 9 EUROPE Armenia 1 Austria 1 Belgium 4 Bulgaria 3 Cyprus 2 Czech Republic 2 Denmark 5 Estonia 2 Finland 1 France 32 Germany 7 Holland 15 Iceland 2 Latvia 2 Lithuania 2 Luxembourg 2 Malta 1 Monaco 1 Norway 1 Poland 2 Portugal 2 Romania 2 Slovakia 1 Spain 38 Sweden 4 Switzerland 4 Turkey 6 Ukraine 7 MIDDLE EAST Azerbaijan 3 Bahrain 1 Jordan 2 Kazakhstan 2 Kuwait 5 Lebanon 4 Saudi Arabia 10 Qatar 3 UAE 9 FAR EAST Hong Kong 6 Indonesia 6 Macau 2 Malaysia 4 Mongolia 1 Philippines 1 Singapore 3 Taiwan 1 Thailand 5 Vietnam 2 AUSTRALIA & NZ Australia 21 NZ 1
INTERNATIONAL FLAGSHIP STORES USA NEW YORK 5TH AVE LONDON NEW YORK PARIS DUBAI LOS ANGELES HONG KONG MOSCOW LONDON KNIGHTSBRIDGE LONDON SELFRIDGES
AW13 & SS14 GAMECHANGERS Captured by iconic British photographer David Bailey and styled by fashion visionary, Katy England, the Autumn Winter 13 and Spring Summer 14 campaigns focused on the Karen Millen brand evolution through a series of portraits that captured the diverse personalities of new model faces that were on the brink of global success, each wearing stand-out fashion pieces from the collection. Reflective of our new pared back aesthetic, the clothes and models took centre stage creating a fresh visual identity that has helped to redefine the brand. KATY ENGLAND DAVID BAILEY
AW14 THE JOURNEY Our AW14 collection was a celebration of London s distinctive style and creativity, an evocative snapshot of the energy and dynamism of the location surrounding our Shoreditch atelier in London s East End. Shot against the London skyline, our campaign and its accompanying film The Journey, featured Sophie Turner from Game of Thrones alongside emerging British models Lara Mullen, Rosie Tapner and Brogan Loftus, all shot by Glen Luchford and styled by Katy England.
SS15 A NEW EASE Shot in sunny Downtown Los Angeles, our Spring Summer 15 campaign captures fleeting moments in the Karen Millen woman s world through a series of images shot by Glen Luchford and styled by Katy England. Starring models Georgia Hilmer, Alewya Demmisse and Irene Hiemstra, it captures the energy of our cast and their individual style.
Telephone House, 69-77 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4PN Tel: (+44) 207 452 1000 KARENMILLEN.COM