Aquascutum to expand into the lucrative accessory market

Aquascutum may have lost their creative directors Michael Herz & Graeme Fidler to Bally and run at a loss for the last few years, but with their new designer director on board in the form of Joanna Sykes, the new owners of the 159 year-old British luxury fashion label are ready to push ‘big’ into the accessories market. “Accessories were all licensed under the previous management,” Belinda Earl, part owner of Aquascutumn said at the Reuters Global Luxury Summit. “Those licenses all expire at the end of 2010, so from the beginning of 2011 we are able to source and develop our accessories and that’s what we plan to do.” Earl brings with her experience of brand building through her Jaeger business with Harold Tillman. [Reuters]