Timberland and Vans owner’s new London HQ ‘shows commitment’
06/06/2019
The seven-storey building, Axtell Soho, will serve as a showcase for buyers and partners to view the latest collections, and for the group’s employees to share ideas and host meetings.
It has dedicated floors for Timberland, The North Face, Vans and Kipling, and a showcase space for Napapijri, Dickies, Eastpak, Icebreaker and Smartwool, as well as newly acquired shoe brand Altra. It also has a digital innovation and design studio on the sixth floor and a landscaped rooftop garden.
Timberland’s creative director Christopher Raeburn said the brands within VF are transforming. “Timberland is looking to push things forward in terms of sustainable design so this is an opportunity for people to come and see what’s happening within the UK and Europe,” he said at a press conference. “It speaks highly that a company like VF is investing in London and the UK at a very challenging time.”
He also told journalists about his influence since taking his role two years ago, including looking at simpler and more flexible supply chains and increasing the proportion of recycled materials in designs.
Martino Scabbia Guerrini, VF EMEA group president, said: “Having our experiential brand showcase for retail customers in the centre of one of the top fashion capitals will help our brands to support our company growth in the years to come, including recruitment of the industry’s best talent.”
He added that the year since the building work began on Axtell Soho has been “intense” for the group, not least because of the spin-off of denim brands Wrangler, Lee and Rock & Republic, as well as the VF outlet business, into Kontoor, which finalised at the end of May. In that time the group has also bought and sold 10 businesses with a cumulative value of $5 billion.
“We are a big group but we can change direction quickly,” he said.
The UK represents 20% of European sales for VF, around £500 million per year.
VF operates 57 stores in the UK, 20 of which are in London.
Image: Timberland creative director Christopher Raeburn talks at VF’s Axtell Soho launch. He is joined by Martino Scabbia Guerrini (far right), Sonja Schiefer, director of the BMW Group Designworks (far left) and Damion Burrows, architect at Darling Associates
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