Barry Bown has been a member of the JD Sports plc team for nearly three decades and during that time he has acquired firsthand experience of working at the top of the competitive Sports Fashion industry.

How did you get into JD Sports Plc initially?

I was Assistant Manager working for a sports company called ‘Olympus Sports’, which in the 80s was the biggest sports company in the UK. One day two men walked in, John Wardle and David Makin who happened to be to co-founders of JD Sports. In short, they asked what was I doing there and how long I had been there for, and as the conversation progressed they asked if we could have another conversation at a later date. The second conversation took place in December 1983 and on the 1^st January 1984 I started with them as the Store Manager of their largest store in the Arndale Centre (Manchester).

How long were you manager at the Arndale store?

I was the Manager for around 6 months and then John and David asked me if I would start looking after the other stores (Bury and Sheffield). It needs to be kept in mind that the company at that time was exceptionally immature with staff that hadn’t been through any training and didn’t really know much about management. I was in a fortunate situation because I had joined JD after being with Greenwood’s, which was an old-fashioned menswear company who had taught me about general management principles. For the job at Olympus, I had to leave and move away from home for 6 months to undertake their training course, so I was a lot more experienced than the other management at JD. My role started to evolve with travelling between Manchester, Bury and Sheffield and it was like that for the next twelve months or so.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of working in the Sports Fashion industry?

I think a main drawback is the commitment that I have had to give to the job. I’m still, what hopefully is considered, fairly young at 49 years old. I’ve been at JD for 28 years and I’ve been CEO (Chief Executive Officer) for 12 years. I’m in a very fortunate position, where I’ve been able to meet other people that, had I been in another life, wouldn’t have had the chance to meet. Having the chance to have a coffee with Paul Weller, becoming a good friend of Ian Brown, Shaun Ryder or going down to Paul Simonon’s Art studio have all been definite pros. I think the other benefit as well is that it’s provided my family with a reasonably comfortable lifestyle, where we’ve been able to do what we wanted to do for the last 12 years but the downside to that is the 18 years prior to that where we couldn’t do anything because the business wasn’t as successful.

How do JD Sports approach their marketing and sales?

You have to make sure that you never escape the consumer’s mindset. We make sure that JD and the properties of the JD Sports Fashion Group are extensively it’s about our position as a retailer. The big retailers all have a synonymous tag, for example Tesco’s is ‘every little helps’. JD’s tag has tried to be ‘The Best of The Best’; JD is a brand, and with the level of product differentiation within the brands, we have got to make sure that we are either the cheapest, and clearly JD is never going to be the cheapest, so is has to be the best! It’s essential that we continue to adopt that mantra so that we don’t just occupy space on the high street.

What are the key business attributes that you feel are key to becoming successful in an organization?

Determination and working as hard as you possibly can, trying not to think that you are too clever and going about the job in a very diligent manner. Try to get along with your colleagues, the work place can be very divisive and I would advise anybody to keep their nose clean, work hard and the ‘cream always rises to the top’, so they say.

What would be your advice for any young graduates who hope to go into
your line of work someday?

I don’t know if there will ever be the opportunity to do what I did, because starting off in a very embryonic company, where you can influence things by being part of a very small team in this day in age will be very difficult. I think you need to target what you want to do as a career and just keep ‘blinkers on’ and keep focused on it, and not let anything deviate away, because if you do start to pursue other options then you are just going to dilute what will be your ultimate goal. I just think it’s so important to stay focused.

Natalee Bown

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We imagine Chantelle sobbing through manicured talons, thanking Boo-Boo the Chihuahua for all his support, the losers looking on with contempt. Ok, so perhaps this is a slight exaggeration, but generally beauty pageants are less than favourably looked upon; the first American pageant was closed down as a result of public outcry. More tellingly, it was preceded by another pageant – for birds.

There is no doubt that times have changed, as have our cultures, both in the U.K. and across the pond. While pageants still remain at large in America, land of the free and home of this year’s Miss World, they are gaining popularity on our own soil. However, an interview with Amber Leape, who is currently taking part in Miss Hull after a previous successful stint in Miss Harrogate, cast a very rosy glow upon the pageant world.

Amber, in her own words, ‘jangles like a plumber’s bag’ when she walks (a result of copious amounts of jewellery) and is a far cry from your average pageant queen. A short dark crop of hair defies the blonde bimbo stereotype and she is decidedly un-orange. It would appear that there are many misconceptions about the competition, mostly concerning what is actually involved.

There is of course the evening wear round and a ‘meet the girls’; the expected walking, smiling and looking pretty part. Yet there is much more of a focus on giving back to the community than first conceived. After winning Miss Harrogate’s charity round, Amber is determined for a similar success this year by hosting A Day in the Park. Far from purely focusing on the students, she is approaching primary schools and the local community to come and enjoy the magicians, music and general madness that she has planned. The event itself will take place at the beginning of May and all proceeds will go the children’s cancer charity, The Joshua Foundation. The eco-wear round carries on in a similar positive vein, merging fashion and environmental awareness.

There is no doubt that Amber could pull off a bin bag… Of course there are negative sides to the competition. The reassuringly community-based rounds are offset with a popularity round; walking up to people and asking them to vote. Embarrassing, unnecessary and resulting in shockingly bad feedback, this aspect harks back to the stereotype. Then there are the inevitable over-competitive girls, the nasty messages on Facebook, the supposed self-esteem issues. But even so, it would seem that the backstage antics are not as dark as we’d like to think: ‘Everyone assumes we’re swapping hairspray for silly string – some girls, they probably would,’ laughs Amber. For Miss Hull, the atmosphere between the girls appears to be one of practical joke infused comradeship. Amber entered with an ‘aw sod it’ attitude, because it was fun, not because she wanted to win; doing so well is just a bonus. Such an approach appears to be key as it is easy to become swept up in a tearful whirl of competition.

When asked why she is taking part in a beauty pageant, Amber admits to wanting to give the kooky girl a face: ‘she needs an identity’. Because she offsets the stereotype, Amber has had free reign with her sponsors, Beehive and Preen, in a way that most other contestants wouldn’t. She is truly enjoying the process and has met some fantastic people. Today’s pageants are morphing away from previous ‘Miss Congeniality’ ideals, and instead provide a focus on becoming culturally aware. All that’s left is to place a ban on peroxide…

You can vote for Amber Leape at www.missengland.info – just track the
Miss Hull branch.

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May can become very expensive with the big, all inclusive events like the End of Year Ball and the Media Awards as well as society dinners. When the tickets alone can cause some serious overdraft damage, the quest for different, suitable outfits that won’t make you want to cry when the bank statement comes in can start to seem as likely as J.K Rowling killing off Harry Potter – but it can be done.

For the men, suits can be borrowed from online retailers, or even stored in town but do remember that if the jacket is destroyed you will usually have to replace it. If you don’t want to spend huge amounts of money on a suit or quite simply can’t afford to, Primark and H&M sell some rather fetching numbers. Generally, buying is better than renting when it comes to suits; you never know when you might need one.

There is nothing at all wrong with the classic and rather elegant white shirt, black trousers and jacket with a black tie or bow tie, but don’t feel obliged to stick to it. Be adventurous with different colour jackets, shirts or even ties. Wear those black cow boy boots lurking under your bed. If you’re unsure whether a colour suits you, check with someone first. Preferably someone who wouldn’t lie to you. Dresses are a little trickier than suits as the usual problem of fit and cost is combined with suitability, wearing it again, time pressure and uniqueness.

Firstly, check charity shops- they may not be Harrods but they tend not to have the matching price tags either. The red dress in the centre is in fact a brand new Topshop piece and I didn’t even need to track down a bus to find it; it was from a charity shop down Newland Avenue for just £5. If the abundance of charity shops don’t offer anything of worth, some of the boutiques on the same road might. The money each will ask you to part with differs enormously so be prepared. Try Beehive, Tessies and Bed 14. Obviously the danger here is that several thousand other girls may have the same idea but fortunately most of these stores only stock a very limited number of each style, so running away from a clothes twin shouldn’t be too hard.

The dress on the far right is Lipsy from Beehive. Abate fears of wearing the same dress as fifty other people by thorough accessorizing, it will make it much easier for your friends to find you and will save them running up to 49 other girls in a mass case of mistaken identity. Finally, designer dresses will always be incredible. The yellow dress on the far left is BCBG MaxAzria from Harvey Nichols. Before parting with half of your semester’s loan, bear in mind that alcohol, rides, chocolate fountains and Asylum in general is not a known combination that agrees with expensive clothes. If you do choose this route ensure that it can be dry cleaned and chat up your local seamstress before the night.

Borrowing clothes from a similar sized friend is another very viable option. Just make sure you ask first so she doesn’t end up having to wear jeans because you stole her outfit. No amount of drinks would make up for that. If you do borrow and a calamity does happen, clean, fix or replace ASAP. Manners girls! Above all, be comfortable in whatever you wear, both physically and mentally. An ill fitting outfit will look ill fitting no matter how pretty it is on the hanger.

Likewise, if you are constantly worrying about your neckline of trouser length you will not enjoy yourself. Remember you are surrounded by students; it’s not Hollywood and any slight sartorial error will probably only be remembered by you and your close friends (although if they’re that close they shouldn’t be letting you walk out of your house making an error). Whether you want to wear a full on princess style pink meringue wedding dress or a tiny black body con piece you are entitled to. Be daring and have fun.

Far right: Natalie wears Lipsy Dress, Floral hair bands and bracelet, All from Beehive.

Charlotte Fletcher
Photos: Jonno Witts

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What we don’t like from our own wardrobes is another’s most sought-after item, and vice versa. A long time ago (longer than you’d expect) an idea was born that would bring together unwanted items to grant them an extension of their rail life: the clothes swap was born.

As far as I was concerned, this idea only took off a couple of years ago: the first time I’d heard of a clothes swap was a discussion on the radio about how women were organising home parties, much like the Ann Summers or Virgin Vie get-togethers that surround finding new products you like in the comfort of your own home. Clothes swaps allowed women to trade clothes with their friends at home; throw in a couple of bottles of Blossom Hill, a few bowls of nachos on the table and hey presto: you’ve got yourself a cheap night with the girls, and a new wardrobe: perfect!

Only this wasn’t the start, or end of clothes swaps. Swapping events originally began during the Second World War, originally organised for children’s clothing when money and resources were sparse, but soon caught on and became a wide-spread event for men and women’s clothing too.

Our reasons for clothes swapping today might be fairly distant from the needs of war materials, but with the not-so-far-back recession, and now seemingly endless cuts and extortionate rises in the cost of living, clothes swapping is far from simply being a fun fashion event; it’s financially economical too. Of course, as students we knew this already; we’re in a constant state of credit crunching as far as anyone’s concerned, so for us clothes swapping couldn’t make more sense.

Today it seems to be more popular than ever: not only is the concept fun and financially sensible, but the environmentally conscious ones amongst us are seeing the benefits of it too. Even something as simple as opting to swap a single item rather than buying one, however small it may be, is, to use the fashionable term, reducing our carbon footprint. Not only can you feel good about your new items, you can be rest assured you’re doing the best thing for numerous social aspects too.

Clothes swapping is gaining popularity so fast that we don’t even have to restrict ourselves to making exchanges with people we know. Local events are happening frequently: Zoo Café on Newland Avenue hosts at least two clothes swapping events a year, and more recently Fruit, the newly renovated bar on the city’s marina hosted an afternoon of swapping and clothes modification workshops.

Of course, people have doubts over the condition and value of items they may find, but in my experience you can usually expect to find a fairly like-for-like exchange basis in place. The items you contribute are given a rough value, usually in terms of tokens, which you receive in receipt of your items, to then buy other items with. Some may be valued more highly than others, so it’s really up to you how you want to shop.

If you’re the creative type, looking for items with low token prices may be your thing, to then take home and apply the small modifications or total redesigns you have in mind. Others will want to splash all their tokens on that one, perfect item which will undoubtedly be the target of many keen hands. The trick is to know what you’re looking for and to head straight for it once you’re in there. And doubts over quality? The last clothes swap I attended saw me come away with at least three brand new items, all with tags still attached. I might have spent £60 on them in the shops, instead I paid a pair of shoes I was bored of and a few dresses I never wore anymore.

So what are you waiting for? Raid your wardrobe, search for an event or grab some mates and tell them to do the same and give your wardrobe the free update that seems too good to be true!

Laura Smith

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Hullfire (HF): Tell me a little about yourself.

Ling Ling (LL): I was born in China and studied at Imperial College, London about 9 years ago. I was interested in fashion design and marketing, so with my existing knowledge in accounting, mathematics and financial services I combined the two fields, giving me broader skills and strength.
HF: Where did you get the idea from?
LL: It all started off around 4 months ago when I  found myself going to the wardrobe and unable to find anything to wear,  I thought it would be handy to have an online management system for clothes, where you can upload separate pieces of your wardrobe to possibly share with friends.
HF: Briefly what does the website feature?
LL: You can upload your wardrobe onto the site, publishing elements of your style for others to see. By doing this you can easily manage outfits and get responses from other people. You can also suggest friends, like friends and their outfits, receive status updates, and newsfeeds. I wanted to combine the elements of Facebook with fashion. Here, the community is the stylist.
HF: Why are you doing it now?
LL: Now is the time when things are fast moving, people get businesses up and running within months, even weeks if they have the right knowledge and contact. From what I know, nothing like this type of website has been created yet, so I thought this is the best time to get started and jump in at the deep end. Investors were cautious but I had friends who were willing to support me financially and set me off on the right foot. These times are fast and furious, and are best time to get a foot in the door.

HF: What are your plans for the future?
LL:  I would love to bring high street stores onto the site, where you can create outfits with the latest fashion. Another idea is an auction site, where people can sell their unwanted and unworn clothes, and small designers can sell their own designs. There is also talk of a mobile app which is another branch that top closet could reach out to.

Launching very soon,
www.top-closet.com

Frankie Quigley

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Describing itself as an ‘international social experiment in style’, the site focuses on street fashion; users can upload pictures of themselves in their favourite outfits, often artistically shot in an urban setting. Viewers can then ‘hype’ up the outfits and the ones with the most ‘hype’ appear in their pride of place on the front page. It’s clear that this isn’t only a place to gain inspiration from others, but also to virtually brag about your own style.

Multi-lingual comments and user profiles imply this site is very international, with Europeans gaining the most hype (says a lot about the unique style of Europe compared to others across the globe), though Brits aren’t featured as much as I’d expect. Each post, like most fashion blogs, is given a random, poetic title, no doubt aiming to sound artistic but often coming across as a bit pretentious. Not quite sure how a title such as “you can count on me like one, two, three” says much about a picture of an outfit, unless it’s made of numberetti. To fashionistas, these sites are addictive, and it’s surprisingly easy to kill hours of leisure staring at other people’s wardrobes. So what’s the appeal?

It’s simple enough; seeing a girl wearing a chiffon blouse with lacy shorts can make you think, ooh, that looks pretty, I
might team a chiffon blouse with lacy shorts next time I’m out and about. Ooh, that girl’s wearing suspender tights with a floaty dress, maybe I’ll try that. Trends that bewilder most people can be easily understood once you’ve seen it on an impromptu model. And the bonus – it’s free! High-end fashion magazines can cost as much as £5 these days (cheeky Vogue), but the internet is a priceless goldmine of fashion inspiration, with the ‘models’ even wearing the clothes you could buy in Topshop on the weekend. For designers, this is a way to get millions of people staring at your designs without the bonus of an A-Lister being underneath them. What’s not to like?

As blogging and micro-blogging steadily take over the world, something so widely appreciated as fashion was always going to swamp the net. There’s virtually no risk, as long as you know what you’re doing. Uploading your picture only for it to be slated can be a hard blow, but if you’ve got the confidence, seeing your look on the lead page of a huge website is spectacular for your ego. Next time you’re struggling to decide what to wear, don’t rule out the internet. It might just give you the edge you’re looking for.

Nicola Sheppey

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Perhaps the biggest question is why an increasing number of men are transforming their morning face splash to a full on beauty regime. The answer, it would seem, is not too dissimilar to women’s motives. There is no doubt we live in a youth-obsessed society where twenty is the new thirty and fifteen is the new twenty-five. If a dash of concealer will hide aging dark circles, there is an increased pressure to slap on the slap. Sure, there is a still a fixation with the ‘man-charm’ of an older male, yet until that stage of life, the anxiety to retain youth remains. Throw in some celebrities à la David Beckham, sporting freshly polished pink nails, and men are more likely to become commercially and psychologically hooked. Even David Dickenson’s multiple sins with a fake tan bottle have failed to repel a new generation of perma-tanned males. Does this mean we are experiencing a new dawn of man? A man whose bathroom cupboards are more filled than ours, who is more knowledgeable about the latest skincare developments and who, God forbid, will spend more on a full head of highlights and a blow dry.Websites such as guyliner.com are making this concept more of a reality than ever. Mascara, concealer and eyeliner are now all available in masculine packaging to the Peter Andres and Russell Brands of the world, while guyliner’s lip balm is distributed nationally through River Island. Freshly inspired by this season’s menswear catwalks, we may be confronted with a high street of harlequin, pantomime-inspired gentlemen. Yet, as with women, when men’s makeup is worn correctly, it can look natural and enhancing.

Elvis, James Dean and Marlon Brando all wore mascara – it was one the things that set them apart from their contemporaries. Bowie’s bolts of lightning and elaborate cosmetic creations, whilst less than subtle, were works of art that acted as the basis of his image. Somehow, it just worked.

Makeup is omnipresent in our lives, gender regardless. The innate desire to create an image for oneself is coming to the forefront of fashion and lifestyle, particularly in regard to our XY brothers. Whether it’s a tub of moisturiser that appears on his shelf or a beauty case to rival Dame Edna’s, our new breed of metro-men should be encouraged, if only so we can prey on their primer and make use of mascara the morning after.

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Ok, so I get that with all the pressure on women to look like their Hollywood counterparts it must be quite stressful. Painting nails, plucking eyebrows, putting on lipstick, and those clamp things for eyelashes(?!) are all foreign to me (and probably most guys) and I wouldn’t have the first clue about how to put make-up on but I do see enough women on a night out to know that there is no need to go overboard with it.

When researching for this article I began by talking to my mate in the pub, and between the two of us we couldn’t figure out why these women wear so much. So I decided to reach out to my female friends. They informed me that girls wear make-up because “it makes me look prettier” and “it makes me more confident” to which I replied “Don’t be so silly! You know you’re very pretty without” (yes I always have the right lines ready, but it is true though). So with this revelation I got thinking and came to the conclusion that women wear more make-up than usual in clubs because they want to attract a guy.

Apparently some fashion magazines give out tips along the lines of “apply lip gloss every hour so he notices your shiny lips”. When my friend told me this I could not believe it. I know some guys are like vultures but now apparently men are like magpies?! Let me start by clearing this up. If a decent guy likes you he will want to see your inner beauty. He will want to treat you how you deserve to be treated and will be interested in talking to you, not staring at your lips or…indeed other places.

Seriously, how many guys do you know that will actually notice when you have that new haircut, or compliment you on a pair of shoes. I’m sorry ladies but the majority of us just don’t. We do notice, however when you wear so much fake tan that look like you have just come from a certain racist 1960s show. It’s not cool and you will most likely only attract one kind of guy (the vulture). Subtlety. Subtlety is the key! Just use a small amount of make-up. You will look natural and believe me that is a lot nicer because really you are very beautiful and nice guys will like you just the way you are.

Jonno Witts

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 This fashion fad started with designer label Juicy Couture, who first paved the way for the famous velour tracksuit as daywear for many. This prompted booming development in the world of loungewear. People were actually wearing such casual clothing outside for all to see; not just for the pyjama days. The comfortable approach and variety of bold, bright colours made these suits a favourite of young superstars everywhere and it wasn’t long before it inevitably caught on in the realm of the non-celebrities and surprisingly into sub cultures of the youth.

 Social groups such as ‘Chavs’ took the tracksuit to a whole new level. As we may know them today, they have been noted to prefer these rather than the usual apparel of any other youngster. The connotations of such sporty causal styles with the sometimes notorious stereotype have often been seen as quite negative but many designers have turned this around by creating an alternative slant on such wear making it OK to wear lazy, sloppy clothing, without being put into a definite category; think Stella McCartney with her luxe sportswear range for Adidas.

Clothing brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch and more recently their sister company, “Gilly Hicks- “the cheeky cousin of A & F” have revolutionised this ‘loungewear’ phenomenon by making slack, comfortable wear for everyone whilst actually being attractive and fashionable at the same time. The aptly named Gilly Hicks’ “Hang out” range consists of sweat pants and big baggy hoodies, which now dominate over tacky shell suits and continue to be a hit with the public. Another newly listed loungewear designer, Belgian born Sylvie Gabriel, whose mantra is ‘To embrace life in the most relaxed way’ launched a line called “Lounge Lover”, selling casual wear of all types.

 If purses won’t stretch to such height then many alternative high-street stores have cottoned on to the genius idea of combining trendy with lazy, two words which wouldn’t usually fit together so snugly. Famous sportswear brands such as Adidas, are now not solely just producing for the active wearer; “Adidas Originals” is becoming fashion of its own, mixing athletic with casual day to day outfits. It’s that mix, that mongrel fashion which seems to be taking over the all-matching, perfect dress code. We like a bit of deviancy when it comes down to expressing ourselves.

 Foot wear is a loungewear niche that Ugg continues to dominate. They essentially are massive pillows for the feet. Despite their comfort there is the ever present question of their suitability for the outdoors. Many Australians would take one look at someone in the street wearing these and tell them to go back inside. In their eyes they are loungewear and therefore for the indoors only. This epitomises the indoors mingling with the outsiders of fashion.

 University is the prime location for sartorial laziness to kick in. It is a place where everyone does their own thing and in turn their fashion sense goes the same way. People start turning up to lectures wearing pyjamas, and although it seems strange at first normal fashion sense becomes distorted and it soon becomes perfectly acceptable. Although it’s certainly not smart, comfort is rapidly becoming the way forward; a lesson many grandparents have tried teaching for years. Active wear has ceased to be simply running shorts, tights and sweats but has instead been replaced a whole new variety of clothing for a range of people.

 By: Frankie Quigley

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 However, it is this element of danger that attracts women to wearing red. Dressing in a splash of red immediately brings out, and encourages, a more provocative ‘wild side’. The power of effectively becoming a human traffic light will often increase a woman’s confidence tenfold. And why not? When worn in the right way and the right amounts, red is an incredibly classy colour. Just remember the incredible transformation of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. With that certain red dress and a set of pearls she was pulled from prostitute to princess; it is unlikely that any other colour could have worked such show-stopping cinematic magic. After this moment the popularity of red dress soared, particularly from 2000 onwards. The red dress still holds a place in history, as far back as 1531 when a religious convert, Juan Diego, claimed to have a vision of the Virgin Mary wearing a red dress. This saintly woman wearing -shock horror- red? Surely not. More recently, a rather less saintly Marilyn Monroe epitomised the red dress in the fifties, frequently teaming it with fire engine lipstick and the attitude to match.

 No one can navigate the tricky field of wearing red it would seem. As much as every woman may fantasise about stepping out in head-to-toe crimson, in reality very few have the confidence to feel comfortable in such an ensemble. There is nothing wrong with wearing a red dress; it is in fact somewhat commendable. Smaller amounts of red make it more practical for a day-to-day look and add an edge to any outfit: think a smattering of scarlet lipstick, a reed thin belt or a dash of ruby costume jewellery.

 Sure, red is tricky, red is danger, but above all, red is fun. Wearing red can transform the perspective of others – it is questionable whether any other colour has such a mesmerising effect. Burgundy, cherry or full frontal scarlet, grab some red and prepare to dazzle this February. Let’s well and truly put that red light on!

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