Whistles conquers the 'middle market' of British womenswear

While Marks & Spencer announced a 6.8% drop of general sales last month, another corner of the British high street has been quietly flourishing. Whistles, the clothing brand set up by Lucille Lewin in the 1980s, announced this week that it had bought back the majority of its shares from the Icelandic government, a move which has underlined its growing strength. Whistles, which has been independent since parting ways with the retail group Mosaic in 2008, has gone from strength to strength despite a tough economic climate. This success is largely due to Jane Shepherdson, the influential retail visionary who became chief executive at Whistles, after eight years as brand director at Topshop, in 2008. Since then, the clothes have gradually gained a recognisable slickness. New ranges have also been introduced, first footwear, and now Limited, a collection of luxury pieces which hits stores in early September 2012.

Jane Shepherdson Chief Executive at Whistles, Jane Shepherdson is the figurehead of our brand. Originally from Bristol, she studied in London and worked as Brand Director at Topshop. With an uncanny ability to know what women want to wear, she has been working her magic at Whistles since 2008. Here, we find out a bit more about her world. Can you describe what you do at Whistles? The most important part of my role is to establish the direction, the aesthetic, and what the brand stands for. What would you say the Whistles aesthetic is, then? Is that quite a modern way of dressing? They’re pieces women can slot into their wardrobe… Yes, that’s important – but we also want to provide solutions. Have you seen women wearing Whistles on the street? Is it inspiring when you see real women wearing it? How else do you keep up with what women want out of their clothes? So you could be in a Whistles store and be served by Jane Shepherdson? Is there anyone you have in mind when thinking about the Whistles woman?

CEO Talk | Jane Shepherdson, Chief Executive Officer, Whistles | CEO Talk LONDON, United Kingdom — Perhaps it’s not surprising that, in her spare time, Jane Shepherdson does flying trapeze in Hoxton, smack in the heart of achingly hip East London. Right from her earliest days in the fashion industry, Shepherdson has been known for taking risks and having her finger on the pulse of what’s cool. After getting her start as an assistant buyer at Topshop, back in 1984, Shepherdson spent twenty years working her way up the ladder to become Topshop’s brand director, effectively overseeing the retail, product, finance, HR and property departments of a company that, under her leadership, was transformed into a globally recognised brand, emblematic of the dynamic nature of British high street fashion. But in 2006, one week after Topshop boss Sir Phillip Green announced a now-defunct fashion collaboration with Kate Moss, Shepherdson abruptly resigned. Shepherdson’s next move was closely watched. BoF: Let’s start with the results. JS: The results are good. BoF: Really?