Fashion
Derek Rose announces death of founder
Published
September 2, 2025
Derek Rose, founder and chairman of the menswear company of the same name, died in late August. He’d taken the helm of the family business from his father in the 1950s and guided it as it grew and went international.
The company said he was an early champion of British manufacturing and craftsmanship, and his dedication helped the brand win the Queen’s Award for Export on two separate occasions.
Its success was recognised as in 1966 he was elected chair of the British Menswear Guild and also represented British fashion at delegations around the world.
The company said he “loved the clothing trade—not just the business itself, but the people and the products. He delighted in working with mills, manufacturers, agents and retailers to produce the garments that defined the brand. His global vision and insistence on quality led to a loyal clientele in more than 50 countries, yet he remained most proud of the relationships he built with our suppliers and customers”.
It added that the “Rose family and the Derek Rose team are committed to honouring Derek’s legacy. We will continue to uphold the values he lived by — quality without compromise, respect for craft, and a genuine care for the people who make and wear our garments”.
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UK-based womenswear fashion brand Sosandar PLC has reported a revenue rise of 15 per cent year on year to £18.7 million (~$24.7 million), with own site sales jumping 28 per cent, for the six months ended September 30, 2025 (H1 FY26). Gross margin held steady at 62.2 per cent, reflecting the company’s continued focus on strategic margin improvement.
The retailer posted a loss before tax of £1.1 million (~$1.45 million), broadly in line with expectations, due to seasonal second-half profit weighting and the impact of its own store roll-out alongside an earlier M&S cyber incident.
Sosandar ended the period with £7.7 million in net cash, slightly higher compared with £7.3 million on March 31.
The business continues to perform strongly with its third-party partners, especially Next, where it ranks as a top-selling brand. The company also launched a licensed homeware range with Next in September, which has delivered a strong initial performance in line with expectations.
Physical retail stores continue to weigh on profitability while they mature, although Chelmsford and Marlow are reported to be progressing toward breakeven in their second year, Sosandar said in a release.
Recent trading in October and November has been in line with expectations, with the website delivering continued strong growth. Trading through M&S has resumed following its cyber disruption. Gross margin improved further to 67.2 per cent in the ongoing period, driven by higher intake margins on new season ranges.
“We are really pleased with how the business has performed over the past six months. During this period, we delivered a return to revenue growth, supported by strong momentum through our own website which remains a key driver of both sales and customer engagement, alongside a resilient gross margin,” Ali Hall and Julie Lavington, co-CEOs commented.
Cash has strengthened to £9.5 million as at November 22 following the seasonal uplift, and the firm has completed a capital reduction, buying back 5,000,000 shares held in treasury.
Sosandar said full-year outlook remains on track, reiterating revenue expectations of £43.6 million and profit before tax of £0.4 million for FY26.
“The Autumn/Winter season has delivered another robust trading performance, with customers continuing to respond positively to our unique collections across both occasion and everyday dressing. Looking forward, the foundations have been laid for sustainable, profitable, cash generative growth,” the co-CEOs said.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
By
Reuters
Published
December 4, 2025
Some workers at LVMH‘s wines and spirits division Moet Hennessy are planning a series of strikes starting on Friday to protest against a cut in annual bonuses, according to union leaflets seen by Reuters, in a sign of growing discontent at a business where profits have slumped.
The call to strike by branches of the CGT union is the first to apply across all of Moet Hennessy’s larger brands from Hennessy cognac to Veuve Clicquot champagne, posing a challenge for Alexandre Arnault, son of billionaire Bernard Arnault, who became deputy CEO of the division earlier this year. The CGT union said Moet Hennessy chose to cancel all profit-sharing bonuses and other annual benefits this year, while LVMH keeps dividends to shareholders stable.
Moet Hennessy did not respond to a request for comment on this year’s compensation policy. The union is calling for limited strike days “in all of the houses’ sites in the coming days and weeks”, one of the flyers, due to be handed out to workers on Thursday, said, with the aim of getting management to negotiate on pay.
The first walkouts are planned for Friday at champagne houses Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot-Krug, the union flyers showed. Two union sources told Reuters that further strikes would follow, including at Hennessy, over the next two months.
Strikes are rare in the luxury industry, which after years of strong growth has been hit by a slowdown as sales stalled in China and price hikes deterred shoppers, while uncertainty over US President Donald Trump‘s tariffs has weighed on demand.
LVMH’s drinks business, accounting for about 7% of group sales, reported operating profit of 524 million euros ($610.98 million) in the first half of 2025, down 33% from the previous year. LVMH finance chief Jean-Jacques Guiony took over as CEO of the division earlier this year, with 33-year-old Alexandre Arnault as his deputy.
It was not clear how many workers would follow the call to strike. The CGT is one of France’s largest unions and has the largest representation among Moet Hennessy workers.
© Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.
As Bangladesh heads towards general election in February next year, the GED’s economic outlook is cautiously optimistic.
Deep structural weaknesses along with the political transition period could constrain economic momentum, Bangladesh’s Planning Commission recently said.
The economy could regain pace if the election leads to a clear political direction and reforms are carried out.
Election-related spending and possible disruptions may add further pressure on inflation and the foreign exchange market.
The update said the economy could regain pace if the election produces a clear political direction and the next government decisively undertakes long-delayed reforms, particularly in improving the business climate, stabilising the banking system and ensuring fiscal and energy security.
Without such reforms, the recovery may be short-lived, it noted.
Election-related spending and possible disruptions during the transition are expected to add further pressure on inflation and the foreign exchange market, complicating stabilisation efforts, domestic media reports cited the GED document as saying.
Overall inflation dropped to 8.17 per cent in October from 10.87 per cent a year earlier. Non-food inflation inched up to 9.13 per cent.
While bank deposits grew at nearly double-digit rates through August and September, private-sector credit growth fell to just 6.29 per cent—the lowest in at least four years and well below the central bank’s target of 7.2 per cent for fiscal 2025-26.
High lending rates, cautious bank behaviour and political uncertainty have depressed investment appetite. Meanwhile, government borrowing from commercial banks surged by 24.45 per cent in September, raising concerns about crowding out private borrowers, said the document.
Revenue collection in October this year fell short of the target by Tk 8,324 crore, achieving only 77.37 per cent of the month’s goal. All major revenue streams—import duties, domestic VAT, and income tax—underperformed.
Foreign exchange reserves improved significantly, rising from $24.35 billion in November 2024 to $32.34 billion in October 2025.
Export earnings remained volatile. Exports peaked in July at $4.77 billion, but suffered sharp declines in April and June.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
UK-based Sosandar lifts revenue 15%, FY26 profit outlook on track
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Strikes planned at LVMH’s drinks division starting on Friday – CGT union
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