London Calling

Cool Britannia lands on these shores with the arrival of Debenhams, the UK’s number-one retailer of fashion for women, men and children, accessories and lingerie, as well as bed and bath items.

Debenhams will open its first Philippine store on the third level of Shangri-La Plaza Mall on November 9.

Celebrating 100 years in 2005, the department store is a household name in Great Britain, with over 100 outlets at home and over 20 abroad. Famous for offering an unrivaled selection of goods at affordable prices, it’s only fitting that Britain’s favorite department store would be brought in by Rustan’s, one of our most respected and beloved department stores.

"Debenhams’ unique niche in the discerning retail industry comes from its philosophy of offering top-quality clothes, fashion accessories, cosmetics, and household effects with a higher proportion of exclusive label brands than any other retail chain in the world," said Anton Huang, EVP of Stores Specialists Inc., before a lunchtime fashion show at the Garden Ballroom of the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. "We are confident that the success of Debenhams will be repeated in its newest overseas home, the Philippines."

On the runway, models and showbiz personalities Albert Martinez, Epy Quizon, Dominic Ochoa, Aiza Marquez, Maoui David, and Ana Larrucea gave the audience a preview of Debenhams’ mouthwateringly chic and trendy fashions.

Instantly eye-catching was "Designers at Debenhams," an innovative range that features 19 in-house designers who design over 42 different brands carried exclusively by the store.

Available here are the latest trends by über-hot British designers like Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald and Jasper Conran.

You’ll gladly go boho forever with the embroidered skirts from Butterfly by Matthew Williamson. This London-born designer, who graduated from the prestigious Central St. Martins School of Fashion, is still being buzzed about by top magazines like Vogue thanks to the whole bohemian revival, which is right in step with Williamson’s Eastern-flavored, richly embellished style. Travels through India and Asia have inspired clothes that feature his signature vibrant colors and lavish detailing.

Another attention-grabbing label was Star by Julien Macdonald, with his glitzy tops perfect for holiday merrymaking. The Welsh designer was most recently at Givenchy, and Macdonald is known for his glam way with celebrity dressing. Fans include Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Minnie Driver, Liv Tyler, Joely Richardson and Kylie Minogue.

Jasper Conran is one of Britain’s most successful designers of all time, winning awards like "Designer of the Year" from the British Fashion Council in 1986 and the Laurence Olivier "Costume Designer of the Year" in 1991. For his line J by Jasper Conran, fit and versatility are key, yet his feminine tailoring remains sophisticated. No wonder his client roster includes Lauren Bacall.

A standout for men was Rocha by John Rocha, a Chinese-Portuguese designer who fuses Chinese with Celtic culture. As a result, his pieces boast a handcrafted look, with their luxurious fabrics, appliqués and embellishments.

Other labels include Antoni + Alison (quirky, art-inspired, relaxed duds that Nicole Kidman and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher wear on the weekends), St. George by Duffer (skateboard and urban-street-inspired boyswear), Betty Jackson (stylish, classic womenswear), Elie NY by Elie Tahari (the American designer known for his styled collections), and sexy Reger lingerie by Janet Reger.

So current are these offerings you’d never know these brands were launched in Britain over a decade ago. "Designers at Debenhams," plus the store’s collection of over 50 highly successful in-house brands, will be spread out over 17,000 square feet of selling space at Shangri-La Plaza, which will be completed in less than six months.

Debenhams will be bringing to Manila a strategic mix of quality in-house brands and exclusive designer labels at great value for money.

Their more affordable in-house brands include Red Herring (casual directional clothing for men, women and children), Pineapple (a fun range of exclusive sports/loungewear for women and girls), Maine New England (sportswear and performance-enhanced clothing for the family), Babbleboom (babywear and younger kidswear), and Tigerlily (girlswear), as well as Casual Club, J Taylor, and Debut.

Aside from clothing and apparel, Debenhams also carries exclusive homeware brands – they have an extensive range of towels and bed linen that are the height of modern design.

Bauble-lovers will go gaga for the store’s jewelry from Erickson Beamon and Vicenza, and bags by Fiorelli.

It’s this unique mix that makes Debenhams different from the competition, offering customers value for money and diverse choices in terms of products and price.

"We feel so strongly about the Debenhams concept in Asia that we think this is just the beginning," adds Alison Holmes, Debenhams head of international product and development. Moreover, Debenhams guarantees outstanding customer service, another factor that will set it apart from most of the retailers in the market today.

On November 9, Manila will finally get an extended glimpse of London cool. Glamour is not in the gutter, as cynics would have you believe. It’s alive and kicking, thanks to cutting-edge designers and retailers. Long live Britannia, and long live Debenhams!

Debenhams is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc.