Jigsaw (clothing retailer)
The Jigsaw Group is a British fashion brand that sells womenswear, menswear, accessories, childrenswear, homeware and designer labels.
Jigsaw became the first premium brand on the British high street when it launched in 1972. The company has been working with the finest mills, cutting edge photographers, up-and-coming models and renowned architects for over four decades. Today, Jigsaw’s portfolio includes 79 Jigsaw stores and 37 concessions in the UK; 29 shops worldwide including in the USA, Australia, the Middle East, Singapore and South Africa; The Shop at Bluebird; The Duke Street Emporium; an international website; and licensing business. The company is independently owned by Robinson Webster (Holdings) Ltd. The major shareholders are John Robinson and management.
History
With an entrepreneurial streak and keen eye for style, John Robinson and Malcolm Webster filled an old Post Office van with sixty sheepskin coats sourced from Istanbul, Turkey, and brought them home to the UK. They could not sell them quickly enough. So, in 1972, the pair opened a store in London’s Hampstead and the Jigsaw brand was born.
In the years that followed, Jigsaw became known for introducing the concept of ‘premium high street’ to the UK. Women who cared about style rather than trends came to Jigsaw for its designer products with designer quality, but at high street prices. In 1989, Jigsaw won the British Fashion Award for Contemporary Design, followed by The British Fashion Council’s More Dash Than Cash award in 1990.
With womenswear established in the UK, Jigsaw launched in Australia in 1991 and unveiled a menswear range in 1994 under the direction of Chris Bailey. During the 90s, Jigsaw began to work with fashion’s most cutting edge photographers, beginning with Juergen Teller, the photographer at the forefront of the anti-fashion movement at the time. This paved the way for collaborations with Tim Walker, Terry Richardson and Paolo Roversi.
The pace continued and, in 1996, Jigsaw opened a new flagship store on London’s Bond Street, designed by architect John Pawson. Famed for his minimalism, Pawson created a warm, polished, contemporary space with bush-hammered granite floors and easy, daylight-inspired wall washes. Pawson’s iconic design set the pace for future spaces, both for Jigsaw and the rest of the UK high street. In the same year, Jigsaw launched a childrenswear range: Jigsaw Junior. In 1997, Jigsaw won the British Fashion Award in the Retailer category.
Jigsaw’s reputation as the coolest fashion brand on the UK high street was firmly established.
Expansion
Jigsaw began to expand its offer via licensing, beginning with eyewear in 2001. Licensed products now include bedding, towels, candles and dinnerware. In 2004 Jigsaw opened its first store in the USA. The following year, the company opened The Shop at Bluebird on London’s King’s Road, a lifestyle concept boutique selling designer fashion labels, beauty products, books and homeware.
Three years later in 2008, Jigsaw launched a transactional website. Today, the business is fully multi-channel. In 2012, menswear re-launched under Frances Walker. The menswear business had been licensed to Chris Bailey, who took it externally and re-branded it as Uth in 1998. It closed in 2001. Today, Jigsaw Menswear creates clothes with an attention to design detail rarely seen on the high street. As well as collaborating with industry specialists such as Northampton-based shoe makers Sanders, the brand sources fabric from some of the world’s leading mills including Abraham Moon & Sons, Alfred Brown and British Millerain.
New management
In 2013, Jigsaw appointed Peter Ruis as the group’s chief executive. Ruis delved into the brand’s heritage to influence its future direction. He opened the Duke Street Emporium in London in 2014, which offers customers an edited selection of pieces from the Jigsaw mainline and the Shop at Bluebird in a Grade II listed building. An in-store café, run by Fernandez & Wells, is surrounded by magazines and art books, which are also on sale. The concept, developed by Dalziel + Pow, reflects the changing nature of shopping: a meeting place and sensory experience, somewhere to be inspired. In the same year, Jigsaw collaborated with the William Morris Gallery on a capsule collection. Jigsaw ended 2014 as the winner of Drapers’ Retailer of the Year award. For autumn/winter 2015, Jigsaw launched A-Line by Jigsaw, a limited edition, 40-piece womenswear collection aimed at challenging the designer fashion landscape.
From 2006-07, Catherine Middleton, then the girlfriend of Prince William, was employed by Jigsaw as an assistant accessories buyer.[1] She worked there four days a week to help her manage her high-profile relationship, but eventually left on 1 November 2007.[2] The couple also holidayed together at Robinson's villa on the island of Mustique.[1][2]
Shops
The shops all have an individual style, seeking to create a slightly eclectic feel. This has been achieved by using different designers for the shops over the lifespan of the company, including Nigel Coates, John Pawson and AMD.
References
- 1 2 Andersen, Christopher (2007). After Diana: William, Harry, Charles, and the royal house of Windsor (1st mass market ed.). New York: Hyperion. pp. 283–291. ISBN 9780786891245.
- 1 2 Joseph, Claudia (2011). Kate: The Making of a Princess. Random House. ISBN 1907195351.