44—MARYLEBONE JOURNAL
STYLE
NEW BEGINNINGS
She was the force behind Fat Face and the making of Monsoon. Now Louise Barnes tells Stevie Martin about her vision for Marylebone native Fenn Wright Manson
For all its quality clothes and timeless cuts, Fenn Wright Manson was due for a revamp. “It’s one of those brands you have a warm fuzzy feeling about and can’t quite remember why. It just needed a bit of a polish,” explains CEO Louise Barnes, running around the newly polished rails of a stockroom laden with the fur jackets, beatnik jumpers and polka dot dresses that make up the new, as yet unreleased collection. A shearling coat nestled between two cashmere cardigans is plucked out and stroked, in a manner reminiscent of a child in a dressing- up box. “Oh isn’t it marvellous? Made by a little man in the East End. He’s wonderful.” She looks over her shoulder conspiratorially. “We can’t put it in all the stores, but it’s definitely going in Marylebone.” Marylebone High Street, where
the very first Fenn Wright Manson retail store was established 12 years ago, is at the centre of Louise’s plan to put Fenn Wright Manson back on the sartorial map. To date there are three stores fully refurbished in the UK – Wilmslow and Ringwood are the other two – but it’s Marylebone that spearheaded the transformation. With its airy, boutique style, it’s the same Fenn Wright Manson but more contemporary – and it’s setting the tone for others to follow. Not only does she plan to roll out
10 stores a year, but Louise wants to emulate that unique, intangible charm captured in the intimacy of Marylebone. Smoked glass lines
the changing rooms, which come complete with Jimmy Choo heels, helpfully placed on hand to eradicate those why-did-I-choose-to-wear-old- trainers moments. “It’s awful isn’t it? On the one day you want to try on a posh frock, you’ll undoubtedly be wearing horrific shoes. Or pop socks,” says Louise. Such flourishes give Fenn Wright a new edge, and there’s no doubt Marylebone suits its new direction perfectly. It’s that blend of quaint suburbia
and thriving city, crammed into one street lined with the chic and charming shop fronts that truly defines the Fenn Wright’s “think global act local” premise – and it makes pinpointing equally suitable locations for stores fairly difficult. “I was trying to think where else
to go in London over breakfast this morning and I’m struggling to think of somewhere like Marylebone. It’s the perfect mix of people that
know us from before and those we’d like to say hello to.” While further strengthening their ties with the big-name department stores such as John Lewis and Selfridges is important, the focus is very much on the company’s own spaces. It’s time to start pulling in customers and establishing this new, improved Fenn Wright Manson. If anyone is going to achieve this, it’s
Louise. Softly spoken, immaculately turned out and with a penchant for caressing coats, she certainly has the credentials needed to give the brand a lift. In 1986, after honing her merchandise and branding skills at The Burton Group and Etam, she was told a little clothing chain wanted a branding boost. Her initial impression was fairly mixed. “It was full of clothes with jingly-jangly bits, and I thought it was a bit weird. But when I met the team, I found something exciting, something a bit magical.” When she
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