ENTERTAINMENT retailer, HMV, is diversifying into fashionwear, with a new range of clothing and accessories going on sale across its stores from September 1st.
HMV is partnering with a small number of select fashion brands that share its passion and affinity for music, including Boxfresh, Lee Jeans, FLY53 and Eastpak.
HMV’s Oxford Circus flagship store will additionally stock designs by Rocawear – the label founded by Hip Hop icon Jay-Z.
The ranges, which will predominantly feature men’s clothing, such as tops, t-shirts, shirts, jackets and jeans as well as accessories including bags, hats, belts, wallets and sunglasses, will go into 38 larger HMV stores, including in London’s Oxford Street, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Southampton, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin.
The ranges will be merchandised in a dedicated instore department branded The Studio, which will also carry related and licensed entertainment products.
Smaller HMVs will stock a more limited selection of Amplified and other t-shirts and accessories to ensure that the majority of HMV’s 280 stores have some kind of fashion offer.
HMV has been transforming itself in recent years to become a broad-based entertainment brand that gives access to much of today’s popular culture – whether in the home, through its stores and online shop, on the move via its new hmvdigital downloads site and, following the acquisition earlier this year of MAMA Group concert venues and festivals, via the ‘live’ experience as well.
HMV’s move into fashionwear represents a natural progression for the company, which has already been successfully stocking licensed merchandise, such as artist t-shirts supplied by leading manufacturer Bravado, for some years.
The new lines that HMV will stock instore and, in time, online at hmv.com and potentially also at HMV-owned music venues and festival sites, are intended to appeal to as many customers as possible, but particularly to core music fans and gig goers, who may appreciate the opportunity to check out and buy the latest street fashions – often those worn by the very bands and artists they’re into, when they are instore picking up the latest CDs and entertainment.
The growing cross-over between music and fashion in recent years has led to a number of discernible street styles, giving rise to such terms as festival chic, and it’s this, mainly younger, audience that HMV is primarily targeting.
HMV’s new fashionwear range will be launched with a number of instore events that celebrate the relationship between music and fashion.
These will include live performances and fan signings presented in association with Lee Jeans by hot new band Everything Everything, who will appear at their hometown HMV in Manchester (31 August) and at HMV 150 Oxford Street (3 Sep) to promote their debut album Man Alive. During the same period Brit-rapper Kano, who is a brand ambassador for Boxfresh, and notably wore their street-gear to great effect onstage with Gorillaz at this year’s Glastonbury, will visit HMV stores in Southampton (2 Sep) and Leeds (3 Sep) to meet fans and perform tracks from his much-anticipated new album Method To The Maadness. (sic)
HMV is also tying in with the Eastpak Antidote Tour taking place in October/November and featuring live performances from various artists including Sum 41 and The Black Pacific at a number of venues around the UK, including HMV’s own hmvforum in London (29 Oct).
HMV fashion manager, Richard Stockwell, comments: “Music and fashion can be a perfect fit for HMV, not least because they overlap and influence each other so strongly these days.
“And, of course, we now also own a number of music venues and festivals in addition to our stores, so our brand is even more uniquely placed to create a compelling retail offer to our customers and a cool environment for them to shop in.
“Now they can check out and buy the latest street fashions at the same time they come in to make their music and entertainment purchases.
“We’re absolutely delighted to be partnering with such great fashion brands that fully share our own passion for music. I can see so many opportunities for us to work together in future, whether it’s collaborating jointly with artists and labels or even running complementary activity at gigs and festivals.”
International marketing executive for Boxfresh, Matt Winton, adds: “HMV is a great tie-in for us as music is so intrinsic to the success and appeal of both brands.
“Boxfresh has been collaborating with Kano – a key artist for us, throughout 2010, and this has culminated in Kano’s album releasing around the same time as the Boxfresh launch within HMV’s new-look fashion department.
“What better way to celebrate this exciting new relationship than through an intimate instore performance by Kano?”
Richard Mazzega-Ward, country manager for Eastpak UK, says: “We’re proud to join forces with HMV in the UK and Ireland.
“Eastpak is the coolest bag brand in the UK, with a deep heritage in art, fashion, urban sport and music, and HMV is the perfect partner to reach a cool, music-loving audience. Eastpak has the perfect product selection for the HMV customer, and we look forward to building a long-lasting and beneficial relationship with them.”
Ends.
Enquiries
Gennaro Castaldo, HMV Press & PR. gennaro.castaldo@hmv.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7432 2033 / +44 (0)7801 194 139
Editor Notes
About HMV
First established in July 1921 through its ground-breaking record store in London’s Oxford Street, and famous world-wide for its iconic ‘dog-and-gramophone’ trademark, featuring ‘Nipper’, 90 years on entertainment brand HMV enables its customers to get even closer to the artists and to the music, film and games they love whether in their homes or at work, on the move or via the ‘live’ experience.
HMV offers a specialist and eclectic range of products, services and experiences that give unrivalled access to today’s popular culture through a number of complementary channels:
• 280 stores around the UK and Ireland offering specialist selections of music, film and games across all genres and platforms; a growing range of technology devices and accessories; as well as artist merchandising and t-shirts, licensed products and fashion clothing ranges inspired by music and film housed within HMV’s newly-launched ‘Studio’ sub-brand.
• An online store at www.hmv.com with free home delivery.
• A content download service at www.hmvdigital.com <http://www.hmvdigital.com> powered by 7digital (50 per cent HMV owned)
• Strategic brand partnerships, including Orange Mobile in-store concessions in over 25 stores.
• Gamerbase pay-to-play online gaming in over 50 HMV stores instore (HMV owned).
• Live music and entertainment through sale of event tickets via hmvtickets online and instore.
• HMV ownership of 12 MAMA venues such as the hmv Apollo, Jazz Café and Heaven in London, the hmv Picture House in Edinburgh and the hmvInstitute in Birmingham; and MAMA festivals including Lovebox, High Voltage, The Great Escape and Global Gathering.
• The acclaimed hmvcurzon cinema collaboration with Curzon Artificial Eye in Wimbledon, London – to be rolled out to up to a further 20 HMV Group sites over the next two – five years.
• Access to artists and content through record label/film studio relationships and artist management, including MAMA-Owned SuperVision management – home to Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs.
• HMV is part of HMV Group plc, which also operates the Fopp chain in the UK, Waterstone’s bookstores in the UK and Ireland and HMV stores in Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore.
About Boxfresh
Boxfresh – ‘In the right place at the right time since ’89’.
Boxfresh is one of the founding fathers of the UK streetwear movement. Founded in 1989 in Greenwich Market, and born against a backdrop of the explosive Rave scene of the late 80s.
Over the last 21 years, Boxfresh have championed some of the finest artists to come from these shores and have always collaborated with the unique musical talent that keeps Britain at the forefront of global pop culture. From Massive Attack and Roots Manuva back in the day to Carl Barat of The Libertines and Kano today. Like their artists, Boxfresh have never been elitist or generic – they simply reflect in their designs what they see in everyone’s daily lives.
This ethos ensures that Boxfresh have the uncanny habit of always being “In the right place at the right time since ’89”.
About Eastpak
Eastpak is the authentic brand for packs and bags, famed for their style, toughness and functionality. In 1976, Eastern Canvas Products – a key supplier of knapsacks and ammo pouches to the US Army – found a new consumer in local college kids, and the Eastpak brand was born.
Eastpak prides itself on its ‘Built to Resist’ philosophy and offers a 30-year warranty on most of its standard packs and luggage, so people can buy with confidence.
Eastpak has produced collaborations with The Prodigy, The Kaiser Chiefs and the Ed Banger record label, and such fashion designers as Raf Simons and Christopher Shannon. They also sponsor the Eastpak Antidote Tour, an annual multi-national tour that encompasses some of the best Punk Rock music from some of the World’s hottest Rock Bands.
About FLY53
FLY53 is an edgy and fiercely independent fashion brand whose clothes continue to be worn by the World’s greatest musicians and artists including The Charlatans, We Are Scientists, The Lost Prophets, Jared Leto and Hadouken!
FLY53’s philosophy is to create striking and intelligent clothing that is well designed, unique and inspirational.
FLY53 are ‘Outfitters For The Resistance’. Staying true to its heritage, the brand continues to collaborate with musicians, injecting integrity, creativity and quality into an increasingly bland market.
FLY53 – conceived, designed and born into the world to protect and serve the 24-hour party people.
Pull on, wear in, rock out.
About Lee
For over a century Lee Jeans have been a pioneer in all things denim. Today, Lee products are inspired by real people in the real world, with the collection focused on excellent fit and product innovations aimed at the new generation of today.
Lee Jeans prides itself on its close roots to music, dressing many bands and artists over the years including Kings of Leon, Noel Gallagher, Kasabian and more recently highly tipped bands The XX and Everything Everything.
Lee Jeans are a part of life and when worn by people with character can tell their own rock and roll story in a 1,000 words.
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Contact: Gennaro Castaldo
Phone: +44 (0)20 7432 2033 / +44 (0)7801 194 139
Email: gennaro.castaldo@hmv.co.uk
Website: http://www.hmv.co.uk
