Friday, December 23, 2011

Want to work for Mary Portas?




Mary Portas is looking for new recruits...Could you be a new Yellow Door worker?

http://www.maryportas.com/mary/agency/recruiting/


Mary Portas Vacancies:Brand Director
PR & Communication Vacancies:
Account Director
Business Vacancies:
Executive Assistant


Retail expert Mary Portas seeks dynamic and motivated people to join her brand communication agency, Yellowdoor.
We are seeking candidates with a strong understanding of fashion, luxury and retail and who share our passion for creating innovative, infectious and effective communication campaigns.
Applicants should aspire to or already demonstrate strategic thinking with both brand and market understanding, have a desire to create and manage ‘best practice’ above and below the line communications campaigns and be an enthusiastic and resourceful team player for both Yellowdoor and its clients.

About Yellowdoor
Working for Yellowdoor means you’ll have loads to be proud of and definitely won’t have time to be bored. We’re clever and creative and don’t stop until we get the job done, and even then we’re already looking towards the next challenge. We give our teams the freedom to be creative and get hard work and commitment in return. The pace is fast but the results we deliver make work rewarding and fun.


Please contact us at jobs@yellow-door.com outlining clearly which role you are interested in within the subject box accompanied by a brief cover letter and CV.
Applicants that do not state which role they are applying for will not be considered.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

A once in a life time opportunity

I realise that everyone is looking forward to Christmas but via the "In the Company of Wolves" Facebook page I was forwarded this message...

"Twenty Twenty are searching for up and coming fashion designers with the talent and drive to succeed in the fashion industry to take part in a new TV show. We welcome designers of any level, formal qualifications are not necessary although the ability to create clothing is a must. If you want the opportunity to see your clothes on some of the world’s biggest music stars then e-mail stylerocks@twentytwenty.tv or call 02074247715 for more information."


So maybe you would like to come out of hibernation get into fashion mode and get in touch.....



Thursday, December 15, 2011

First year skirts

This semester the first years have been working with Pudsey and creating a skirt the pictures of the skirts can be seen here.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Should interns get paid?

HMRC ( Her Majesties Revenue and Customs) has written to 100 fashion houses reminding them that they have to pay the minimum wage to all interns.

This article in the Daily Mail explains the thinking behind this ruling.

This is a really important issue for our students who gain valuable insights and deep learning, by interning for some of the best fashion houses in the world including McQueen and Hermes.

So do you think the Tax inspector is right or not?



Poll on the right hand side or comments below....

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Mary Portas tells us what to do with Britains high streets



Mary Portas (honorary graduate of the school) was appointed by the prime minsiter and deputy prime minister To quote her website, to report on the state of Britains high streets and to offer suggestions as to how to halt the decline and bring life back to our town centres. The report is out today and the link so that you can read it online is here 


The following list is a summary Marys 28 recommendations:

1. Put in place a “Town Team”: a visionary, strategic and strong operational management team for high streets
2. Empower successful Business Improvement Districts to take on more responsibilities and powers and become “Super-BIDs”
3. Legislate to allow landlords to become high street investors by contributing to their Business Improvement District
4. Establish a new “National Market Day” where budding shopkeepers can try their hand at operating a low-cost retail business
5. Make it easier for people to become market traders by removing unnecessary regulations so that anyone can trade on the high street unless there is a valid reason why not
6. Government should consider whether business rates can better support small businesses and independent retailers
7. Local authorities should use their new discretionary powers to give business rate concessions to new local businesses
8. Make business rates work for business by reviewing the use of the RPI with a view to changing the calculation to CPI
9. Local areas should implement free controlled parking schemes that work for their town centres and we should have a new parking league table
10. Town Teams should focus on making high streets accessible, attractive and safe
11. Government should include high street deregulation as part of their ongoing work on freeing up red tape
12. Address the restrictive aspects of the ‘Use Class’ system to make it easier to change the uses of key properties on the high street
13. Put betting shops into a separate ‘Use Class’ of their own
14. Make explicit a presumption in favour of town centre development in the wording of the National Planning Policy Framework
15. Introduce Secretary of State “exceptional sign off ” for all new out-of-town developments and require all large new developments to have an “affordable shops” quota
16. Large retailers should support and mentor local businesses and independent retailers
17. Retailers should report on their support of local high streets in their annual report
18. Encourage a contract of care between landlords and their commercial tenants by promoting the leasing code and supporting the use of lease structures other than upward only rent reviews, especially for small businesses
19. Explore further disincentives to prevent landlords from leaving units vacant
20. Banks who own empty property on the high street should either administer these assets well or be required to sell them
21. Local authorities should make more proactive use of Compulsory Purchase Order powers to encourage the redevelopment of key high street retail space
22. Empower local authorities to step in when landlords are negligent with new “Empty Shop Management Orders”
23. Introduce a public register of high street landlords
24. Run a high profile campaign to get people involved in Neighbourhood Plans
25. Promote the inclusion of the High Street in Neighbourhood Plans
26. Developers should make a financial contribution to ensure that the local community has a strong voice in the planning system
27. Support imaginative community use of empty properties through Community Right to Buy, Meanwhile Use and a new “Community Right to Try”
28. Run a number of High Street Pilots to test proof of concept

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Friday, December 9, 2011

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Space Couture

I thought that you might be interested in my other Blog http://www.space-couture.blogspot.com/


The Blog explores research by the course director of the fashion course into what are we going to wear in Space.... Enjoy

Bernat Klein textile innovator and fashion deigner

Bernat Klein (honorary graduate of the school) was interviewed by the Scotsman newspaper last week.