Lauren Stevenson

Fancy building your own creative agency INSIDE your organisation? We can help you do it with no on going fees unlike other models in the market. Less agencies, lower costs, own your brand comms…. ☄️🔥☄️ It makes sense. Give me or my colleague Chris Ward a call for an exploratory chat! #AgencyInside

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Calling all founders from the fashion / beauty / art / lifestyle industries. Uncovered Agency founders, Dorcas Payne and Ona Simpson, are offering a virtual Masterclass Series to share their expertise and insider tips on launching and accelerating your creative business. Over the course of four sessions in May, they’ll dive deep into the below essential areas: Session 1: 💡 Establishing your Niche / How to identify your market and secure your brand position Session 2: 🎨 Channeling Creativity / How to grow your audience through an impactful offering Session 3: 📈 Commercial Non-Negotiables / How to define your pricing and retail strategy for profit Session 4: 💼 Operational Success / How to determine your business model and drive efficiency Mindful of the difficulties creative founders face, these sessions are completely free. Secure your spot today through the link below. Limited spaces available. https://lnkd.in/eGJRYQWC www.uncoveredagency.com #CreativeBusiness #UncoveredAgency #BusinessMasterclass #CreativeBusinessAdvice #EntrepreneurialTips #BusinessGrowth #GrowYourBusiness #MasterclassSeries #fashion #fashionindustry #beauty #beautyindustry #lifestyle #lifestyleindustry #art #artindustry #industryexpert

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Interesting movement in the market https://lnkd.in/eGNyPhMr. They are younger than ever, having the knowledge, so they know what they want and why. #marketinsight #consumerinsight #fragrance

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Excited to share the journey of DEWEY Clothing. Our September PR campaign was a whirlwind, featuring interviews with The Telegraph, BBC News, The Glossary and Stylist Magazine, leading up to our official launch. This fantastic highlight is our feature in Enable Magazine, Heston Blumenthal graces the cover, discussing his experiences with ADHD and bipolar disorder. His insights on hyperfocus resonated deeply with my own journey in launching DEWEY. The mantra "the devil is in the detail" became our guiding principle, ensuring meticulous planning and execution. Our collaboration with Selfridges began in April, thanks to introductions from Terry Betts. Meeting with Head of PR & Social, and Head of Marketing & Partnerships, led to DEWEY becoming the world's first height-inclusive fashion brand stocked in this iconic luxury retail store. We also collaborated with their Body Studio to create an athleisure line for the Summer of Sport activation, Sportopia. From April to August, our tiny, dedicated team, worked tirelessly to design the line. While Chamiah Dewey, Nicola Simpson, and Selina Fritzsche (Chan) focused on product development and design, I zoned in on building our e-commerce website, producing a high-end fashion shoot with Alexandru Emanuel Zainea, creating content, running social campaigns, writing blogs, executing email campaigns, and coordinating launch events & PR with Selfridges. There was a lot going on but my three daughters were patient! Heston's approach to minimising noise interference by creating a silent kitchen mirrored my own experience working from a quiet home office, alone. No team, no external noise, just me and my Spotify playlist. As the press launch approached, the intensity took a toll, but the goal was set and reach it, we would. Reflecting on this journey, I'm proud that we brought a brand to market in just FOUR months using a bootstrapped approach, no marketing budget or team—just hard work, expertise, and neurodiverse superpowers ✨ 🙏 Now, I'm embracing a more balanced approach, returning to daily meditation and yoga, and stepping back from the frenetic pace of startup marketing. However, my commitment to DEWEY and providing fashion that fits for extra petite individuals remains unwavering. In the UK, where the average woman's height is 5'4" (162.3 cm), and petite clothing is designed for those 5'4" or under, many women still struggle to find well-fitting, sustainable, timeless pieces off the rack. DEWEY is changing that with considered proportions and fashion that truly fits, especially for women 5'2" & under. https://lnkd.in/e757ybha #resilience #DEWEYClothing #EllieSimmonds #Selfridges #EnableMagazine #HestonBlumenthal #ADHD #BipolarDisorder #HeightInclusiveFashion #StartupJourney #Neurodiversity #ResilientLeadership #FashionThatFits #Mumpreneur #ExtraPetiteFashion #WomenInBusiness Nick Hartwell Jat Kara Dillan Gandhi Pegah Gashtasbi Lindsay Ephgrave Jen Evans

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Yes but how do #WE change the narrative before another brand goes under. On the one hand customers are making it clear there is zero room for overconsumption, but on the other hand talend designers who create consciously should be recognized, rewarded and supported. As a consultant, in this game for nearly 15 years. I can identify 3 points that seem to lead to designer disaster. 1. Over-reliance on wholesale: Brands need to take a leaf out of the Kering Book, and double down on DTC, engage with customers directly and do not expect retailers to do it for you. 2. Price Positioning: recognize the temperature and adjust quickly to customer spending. But build in enough margins to hedge currency fluctuations 3. Inventory and Production: managing inventory and being wise about production will now be crucial to every brand’s ability to survive the retail Hunger Games! Best of luck brands and may it ever be in your favour! #Hungergames #retailtips #branddevelopment #brandadministration #matches #wearecoco #brandconsultancy

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Plus-Size - the most fascinating niche in Fashion? Little known fact... I project managed the UK Plus Size brand Ann Harvey's (now defunct) first eCommerce site build and launch over a decade ago. So I've been fascinated by the overlooked potential, and differences of the Plus Size market for a LONG time. Why I think it's fascinating: 👗 getting the product right is really hard, and it puts things you can gloss over in 'normal' fashion retailing in high definition 👗 the customer base are hugely loyal - but yet terribly served by the majority of brands 👗 they are customers made for eCommerce - they don't (usually) enjoy the high street shopping experience 👗 the market size and potential is only increasing I get to discuss all this with today's eCommerce MasterPlan Podcast guest & plus size expert Danielle Malconian. She's sharing the latest news from the Plus Size sector AND explaining how she's developed her successful wholesale and online plus brand over the last 2 decades. If you want to know what's going on in this part of the eCommerce fashion sector - listen in! Ditto if you're thinking of expanding your range to plus size sizing. You can hear our chat on the podcast for free (of course) right now.    🦒 On Spotify: https://ecmp.info/spotify  🍏 On Apple: https://ecmp.info/apple  🕸️ OR just head to our website for all the info, and hit play here https://lnkd.in/ejqAW_bE    Just search 🔎 "eCommerce MasterPlan" and hit play #Fashion #PlusSize #ShoppingAndTheRetailIndustry

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Why brands need to turn to the creative industries to retain their customers. As the UK slumps further into a black hole, the creative industries will become the beacon of light brands need to reach for. #CulturalRelevance #CommunityandCulture Quick read! https://lnkd.in/escReNVT

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Do sustainability and/or ethics actually matter to consumers? Judging by the thread I have recently been following on a private FB group the answer is no. New launch of M&S capsule collection for/inspired by the England football teams. The PR makes no mention of fabric, sustainability or similar. The original poster of the thread asks for comments on the collection. I commented that bearing in mind M&S have a whopping great sustainability policy but make no mention of sustainability in the PR speaks volumes. Were the clothes to have an ounce of sustainability in their content or production you can bet it would be all over that PR. In our sustainability bubble we (or at least I) am obsessed with the fabric, where the item was made, how will it be disposed of. But out in the world of pretty things and cheap clothes sustainability is really not that important. People (and clearly M&S) don't care. So how do we change that? https://lnkd.in/ebSFzumn #FastFashion #SustainableFashion

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While the upper echelons of the fashion market are seeing a fairly widespread (but not universal) slump in demand, smaller brands are honing a competitive edge through technology and through schemes designed to revitalise high street retail at a time when foot traffic to cities is in flux. In an unexpected twist, the FTC in America is investigating the use of AI (in its loose definition) in fuelling 'surveillance' pricing, which is a very contentious new frontier in consumer acquisition and engagement. More from our team in this week's breakdown of what's happening in fashion technology, including a perspective from Diary Of A CEO's Steven Bartlett on the important of innovation and digital to even the retail playing field for smaller organisations: interli.net/4diLs7O And The Interline has also partnered with MMGNET Group on a new industry-wide survey (part of an upcoming report on the trajectory of fashion technology in 2025), which you can take part in - fully anonymously - from today: interli.net/tech-survey-25 #fashiontechnology

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Another week, another press feature 📑 Fiona Glen, Director of Projects at The Red Tree, features in Vogue Business' latest article which discusses how to scale makeup artist-led beauty brands. This article comes at a time where consumers are craving authenticity from brands and leaning towards makeup artist-led beauty brands, amid controversy from celebrity produced brands. Take a look at Fiona’s insights from the article 👇 Read the full article here: https://loom.ly/knPcj7A #BeautyBrands #PressFeature #VogueBusiness #Insights

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This is yet another example of why I LOVE Marks and Spencer. It's constantly innovating, collaborating and moving forward to do business better for its customers, its team and the environment. This partnership with Bella Freud builds on the legacy of M&S x Holly, keeping things fresh and exciting for shoppers. Designer-level style at affordable high-street prices. And it's not just the clothes: 🌱 I'm a long-term vegetarian and its plant-based range is unmatched in great taste levels by any other retailer. ☕️ Its cafe has become a go-to for coffee breaks away from my desk (the spuds are great, too). 👓 Now, all of this drove me to try M&S Opticians for the first time. Two new pairs of specs later and I'm converted (the second pair is half price). The halo effect is real. M&S has become a one-stop shop for quality, style and convenience. A special shoutout to the M&S Market St team in Manchester, too! The point of this post is to say never stand still. Listen to customers. Identify trends. Innovate, adapt and drive change. This is the way. #M&S #brands #storytelling #collaborations #PR #brandplanning #strategy

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On Friday Keir Starmer was elected Prime Minister of the UK. Honoured to have contributed to this article in Vogue Business alongside some incredible fashion and beauty voices. Thank you for asking me Nateisha Scott. Some key headlines regarding the potential impact on the beauty industry: 🛍 Tax free shopping: the british economy is loosing valuable shoppers to the likes of Paris since tax free shopping has been revoked 🔬 Innovation: the beating heart of both our economy and the beauty industry, a focus on areas such as Innovate UK can really help us to grow ahead of the curve 💵 Investment : recent increases in SEIS and EIS rules as well as the revoking of proposed changes to angel investment were positive movements. There is still so much to do to support investment in the beauty industry which will in turn help to close the female fundraising gap. 🚛 Exporting: every beauty brand I speak to cites the challenges of moving goods post Brexit, will this government be more aware of these challenges? In recent years, there has been a huge step up in the recognition of the UK beauty industry within government, fuelled by the amazing work done by the British Beauty Council. It will be interesting to see how far a government who cite their priorities to be workforce related have considered the importance of the beauty workforce specifically. When we compare ourselves to regions such as France, the cosmetics industry is a legitimate professional whereas in the UK it is an afterthought. I would love to see us move closer to France with this new government. We also know that the beauty market is very much global rather than domestic, therefore things will get even more interesting as international elections continue. Full article below: https://lnkd.in/ehVH36wH

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🚨 BREAKING 🚨Government releases more green claims requirements for fashion brands Any business making misleading claims about their sustainability can face fines of up to 10% of global turnover. The regulator has today released clearer guidance for fashion brands. ✅ Helpful for those grappling with compliance. ⚠️ But also a warning that ignorance is no excuse. Their guidance is clear - wherever you are in the supply chain, you are responsible for ensuring that your claims are accurate and backed up. This is the first time we’ve seen the regulator specifically call out manufacturers and distributors too (although marketplaces have already been clearly told that they are responsible for any green claims they make about brands or products they host). Compliance isn’t just about your marketing messaging anymore - it’s about your supply chain management. #FashionIndustty #GreenClaimsCode #SupplyChainManagement #ESG #Sustainability

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With Zara owner Inditex enjoying higher sales and bigger profits as the autumn/winter collection arrives, it's clear fast fashion isn’t going anywhere - despite the tireless efforts of campaigners and smaller, progressive brands pushing for a more circular (planet-friendly) industry. A 2022 report by ThredUp, a US-based second-hand fashion site, said that while sales of used clothing were soaring, 59% of fast-fashion shoppers said that it was a habit that was hard to quit. That habit is even harder to break, it seems, for the big companies with the most at stake - which is why wide-scale transformation will require a coordinated effort from legislators, brands and conscious consumers. For insights on this topic, dive into the fashion-focused episode of Good Corp Bad Corp podcast (link in comments). #fastfashion #sustainability #retailindustry 🛍️🌍 https://lnkd.in/d_P-jJfB

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Whispers vs. Megaphones: What The Row and Jacquemus Teach Us About Brand Strategy The essence of Jacquemus’ brand strategy is a focus on visibility, accessibility, and creating a strong market presence through bold marketing tactics. Brashness vs the Row’s shhhhhh……. → The Opening Act: A Fictional Café Chat with André, Grace, and Anna. At Paris’ iconic Café de Flore, a hushed tête-à-tête unfolds: André: “Honey, The Row isn’t under the radar—it is the radar!” Grace: “Exactly. Not about being unseen, but unmissable to the right eyes.” Anna: “Unlike Jacquemus in New York—all noise, no nuance.” André: “The Olsens aren’t hiding—they’re curating, darling!” Grace: “A whisper of American pragmatism in Paris…” Anna: “…that echoes louder than megaphones.” Grace: “It’s not under the radar…” Anna: “…it’s owning the radar. Now, pass the macarons.” The Row vs. Jacquemus: Lessons in Brand Strategy ↴ Luxury Frequencies vs. Volume Control The Row whispers in €3,400 gowns; Jacquemus shouts with €85 caps. Different audiences, different strategies: • Margins vs. Mass Appeal: The Row’s high-end exclusivity contrasts Jacquemus’ accessible buzz. • Long-Term Equity: The Row focuses on building lasting allure, while Jacquemus courts short-term virality. • Curation vs. Spectacle: The Row isn’t avoiding the spotlight—it’s redefining who deserves a seat in it. ↴ What Consumers Really Want In a market leaning toward sustainability and timeless quality, The Row’s “quiet luxury” feels more relevant than ever. It speaks to a growing demand for fewer, better pieces—the antithesis of fashion’s fast-turn frenzy. → A Question for the Ages Wouldn’t it be fascinating to hear Mark Ritson dissect this? Long-term brand equity vs. fleeting cultural moments—what truly wins? Closing Thought: Is It Really Quiet? Or Just Smart? The Row isn’t under the radar—it owns the radar, curating not just pieces but the people paying attention. In a world of sonic booms, they’ve mastered the art of meaningful silence, Jacquemus has perfected the art of captivating noise. #QuietLuxury #BrandStrategy #TheRow #Jacquemus #FashionBusiness

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Recent 'luxury' revelations on unethical practises and huge product margins is an opportunity for UK makers to highlight the value and transparency of ther products. Read my latest column for TheIndustry.fashion & TheIndustry.beauty #fashion #retail #madeinuk

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On the subject of customer loyalty in fashion retail… Question: How long does loyalty even last these days? Reply: Difficult to have loyalty when there is a frenzy of continuous change of creative directors. Thoughts? ——- #careers #fashionretail #leadership #customerloyalty #coaching

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🟢 eBay launches own Pre-Loved Fashion Week to shine light on secondhand designer fashion 👇 Marketplace giant eBay will host its inaugural Pre-Loved Fashion Week in New York & London next month, in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the British Fashion Council (BFC). 💃 The event aims to highlight the growing demand for secondhand luxury fashion & promote sustainable consumption in the industry. The centerpiece of Pre-Loved Fashion Week will be the "Endless Runway" shows, which will feature pre-loved looks from designers such as Khaite, Off-White, Christopher Kane, and Simone Rocha. 📲 These live, shoppable runway presentations will precede the official Spring/Summer 2025 New York & London Fashion Weeks, allowing US and UK-based shoppers to purchase featured items immediately via eBay Live. eBay wants to strengthen its leadership position in circular fashion, with pre-loved & refurbished goods accounting for 40% of its GMV already. ♻️ In June 2024, global eBay users searched for "vintage" more than 1000x per minute on average. Pre-Loved Fashion Week also aims to make fashion more accessible to a wider audience and empower consumers to prioritize sustainable choices. 🚀 With the launch of Pre-Loved Fashion Week, eBay is positioning itself at the forefront of the growing secondhand luxury market, which was valued at nearly $50 billion globally in 2023. A huge moment for pre-loved fashion... #innovation #retail #fashion #sustainability #circulareconomy #trendwatching

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