(Image by Chloe Rotter)
London Fashion Week is soon here and most sharply dressed shoppers are wondering where they will be able to find a reasonably priced buy.
With a recession still lingering and our wallets still recovering from Christmas, many are unable to spend a penny. If you’re longing for some retail therapy, then there might be an event for you at the Designer Warehouse Sales.
They stock high-end brands such as Gucci, Moschino and Valentino Red, but at heavily discounted prices, not the bank-balance-busting rates you might see in their own stores. In fact, there are more than 180 designers on display at the shop, situated in Islington Studios. It’s not just women that are catered for, either. There’s also a well-stocked menswear section too.
The sales began around five years ago, inspired by samples which were left over from designers. Instead of wasting them, owner and manager Roger Dack, who had previously worked with the likes of John Galliano, saw an opportunity to sell the designer items at knockdown prices.
Managing Director and Owner Roger Dack: “I started 26 years ago, I was a men’s designer, one of the things I did is that I was like a head master of a group of independent, individual menswear companies, and I had a common problem which was I had many samples to get rid of but there wasn’t enough funding. So I started selling samples informally and it worked really well and my friend asked me to do women’s wear as well and I was lucky enough to work with people like John Galliano”
(Image by Amrufm, courtesy of Flickr)
Mr Roger Dack continued; “It became a second business for me. It became a way for designers to turn their stock into cash and a way for people to get a good bargain.”
The Designer Warehouse Sales is known for their high volume of stock and unique pieces that cannot be found anywhere else. Customers from all over the UK travel to Islington just to get grab a bargain. It has become so popular even TV presenters and actresses attend the event.
Press officer Graham Fraser says that “designer clothing that is reduced to such a reasonable rate, is something that the public want.”
Vivienne Westwood, Viktor & Rolf and Marc Jacobs are just some that are reduced to over 60 per cent European brands such as Velvet are discounted by over 70 per cent. The company have progressed greatly; currently they have over 5,000 likes on Facebook and they have been featured in Time Out and The Independent on Sunday.
The Designer Warehouse Sales is open three days a week, 12 times a year to the public; an entry fee of £2 is required. The company has never advertised; but at least 80 per cent of the people that attend have been recommended by a friend.
If you’re interested in the next sale, go to designerwaresales.com or ring (0)207 697 9888.