Draft:Gifi Fields
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Gifi Fields | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gordon Ivan Fields June 29, 1951 Santa Monica, California, United States |
| Occupations | Fashion designer and businessman |
Gordon Ivan "Gifi" Fields (born 29 June 1951)[1] is a fashion designer and businessman with an extensive career in the British fashion industry. He is a co-founder of the British Fashion Council[1][2] and associated with the popularisation of the rah-rah skirt.[3]
Biography
[edit]Fields was born on 29 June 1951 in Santa Monica, California, United States. He was educated in Shrewsbury and at William Ellis School, London and after leaving school at the age of 16, he founded a succession of fashion labels.[1] In 1970, he founded Ragfreak Clothing, which closed in 1971 when he founded Gingernut. When that closed in 1975, he founded Coppernob in 1976.[1]
He was a co-founder of the British Fashion Council in 1983, the same year he began an association with Snob[1][2], which continued until the chain was sold to Etam in 1987.[4] Fields also served as a director of the British Fashion Council, with Companies House records documenting his directorship until his resignation on 28 June 1993.[5]
Career
[edit]Fields had an association with Top Shop. Sir Ralph Halpern, then a merchandise manager for the chain, asked him to design a range that was initially sold through four branches. Coppernob and Top Shop subsequently worked together periodically from the chain's launch in 1970.[6]
In 1983, Fields invested £8,000 in the second show staged by Amalgamated Talent, an organisation established to showcase emerging fashion designers. [7]
In 1984, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner described Fields as a leading figure in London's fast-moving fashion industry, highlighting Coppernob's rapid approach to designing and bringing new styles to market.[8]
By 1984, Coppernob had expanded to more than 100 concessions, with the Daily Express reporting that its annual turnover was expected to reach £17 million. [9]
During the 1980s, Fields was associated with the popularisation of the Rah-rah skirt.[3]
In 1985, Fields provided backing for London's Individual Clothes Show, a showcase involving more than 50 predominantly small designers. [10]
By 1990, Fields was managing director of Coppernob and headed its six-person design team. The company operated 32 shops and 35 shop-in-shops, and reported turnover of £22 million for 1990–91. [11]
In 1998, Coppernob launched the Virtual Catwalk Catalogue, described by the Sunday Express as the first interactive computer clothes show. The site showcased Coppernob collections and was planned to allow online purchases. [12]
In 2006, Fields announced plans to develop Coppernob into a nationwide retail chain, beginning with a shop-in-shop at Debenhams' Oxford Street store, with a further five outlets planned. [4]
In the year to May 2012, Coppernob, still owned by Fields, recorded sales of £20.5 million, an increase of 29%, and supplied retailers including Tesco and Evans. [13]
In 2013, Coppernob created Scarlett & Jo, a plus-size womenswear brand launched through Evans in 40 stores across the UK on 8 February.[14]
In 2015, Fields relaunched plus-size clothing brand Scarlett & Jo independently as an ecommerce business, launching its own dedicated website on 2 November.[3]
In its first year operating independently, Scarlett & Jo was nominated in four categories at the British Plus-Sized Awards, while Fields was nominated for best person in business.[2]
In April 2016, Fields organised a Scarlett & Jo event in London involving more than 100 plus-size women in an attempt to set a world record for the largest plus-size fashion photoshoot. [15] [16]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Debrett's People of Today 1998. Debrett's Peerage Limited. 1998. p. 638. ISBN 1-870520-39-4.
- 1 2 3 Konan, Julie (26 July 2016). "How I got here: Gifi Fields, founder of plus-size retailer Scarlett & Jo". Drapers. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
- 1 2 3 Macdonald, George (2 November 2015). "Fashion veteran Gifi Fields launches Scarlett & Jo ecommerce site". Retail Week. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
- 1 2 "Top supplier plans launch of nationwide womenswear chain". Retail Week. 21 July 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
- ↑ "BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL people". Companies House. GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ "Top class". Daily Mirror. 8 May 1991. p. 24.
- ↑ O'Byrne, Robert (2009). Style City: How London Became a Fashion Capital. Frances Lincoln. p. 115.
- ↑ Kaye, Mary (1 March 1984). "London is back in forefront of design". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. p. 8.
- ↑ Modlinger, Jackie (31 May 1984). "Rags to Riches". Daily Express. p. 13.
- ↑ Hyde, Nina (16 March 1985). "Roomy at the Top". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
- ↑ "Coppernob". Mid Sussex Times. 2 November 1990. p. 17.
- ↑ Smith, David (8 March 1998). "Fashion starts a new trend". Sunday Express. p. 49.
- ↑ Gallagher, Victoria (11 February 2013). "Supplier Coppernob posts sales surge". Drapers.
- ↑ Neilan, Catherine (23 January 2013). "Evans launches new "young" sub-brand". Drapers. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
- ↑ Gyton, Georgi (20 April 2016). "Plus size clothing brand to attempt world record photoshoot". Campaign. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
- ↑ Fields, Gifi (3 May 2016). "Curves in the City - A World Record". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 5 September 2026.
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