Two weeks ago, the much-loved luxury fashion platform Matches went into administration. The news came as a big shock, not least because the company had only just been bought by Frasers Group for £52m.
It’s a major loss to the fashion industry and all loyal Matches customers (who didn’t enjoy its 90-min delivery service?). It also stung personally: Matches was the first partner for my own Tiger of Sweden collection (this week’s cover star, Earl Cave, models it perfectly). More than just a store, Matches was an incubator for emerging designers, taking a punt on their early designs and mentoring them into the big, bad commercial world. What other retail space will continue that nurturing spirit?
