Aspinal of London: why the British brand is closing its UK stores
Some quintessentially British fashion brands are more popular overseas than at home. Aspinal of London, which has seen impressive growth in China and the UAE, and which trades on its heritage Englishness, is one of them. But it still comes as some surprise that the handbag and accessories maker popular with the Duchess of Cambridge, is looking to shut down all of its UK stores.
In a surprise move announced on Thursday, the brand announced it would keep its Harrods and Selfridges concessions and its UK online operations, but due to the crippling impact of the pandemic it is hoping to close the 10 city-centre boutiques based around the country. If approved, Aspinal will continue to operate - but not as we know it.
Aspinal may look like a heritage brand but it was set up by Iain Burton in 2001. It quickly gained traction among the society set, appearing regularly in the pages of Tatler and on the arm of the Duchess of Cambridge. Known for its well-made leather clutches and glossy totes, the brand grew steadily.
In 2018, facing an onslaught of new mid-priced accessories brands launching in the fashion market, it faced a make or break moment: fade away or push further into high fashion territory. Aspinal chose the latter and partnered with London Fashion Week designer Giles Deacon on a playful collection of illustrated trunks.
They also splashed out on a new flagship store on Regent Street St James’s, opened a branch at London City Airport and hired David Gandy as a face of the company. These moves grew sales by 7% to £31.4 million but the brand still saw pre-tax losses of £3.2 million, more than double the previous year
But while Aspinal is still popular among certain circles in the UK, many of its London sales come from international customers wanting to buy a piece of quintessential Britishness while here on holiday. “We have a phenomenal international customer base in London of Chinese, Asians, American and Middle Eastern visitors and Aspinal is a brand which has huge appeal for global audiences,” said Burton late last year.
Chinese students in particular have flocked to the brand. They often have a hefty disposable income to spend, usually on labels that embrace the heritage of the country they are trying to adapt to.
“Chinese students studying in London have actually been invaluable in promoting Aspinal in China through their social media channels,” says Melody Yeh, the operations director of Emerging Communications, a London-based consultancy focusing on Chinese digital marketing.
“Aspinal didn’t have much of a presence in China until the last five years, but once the brand started targeting Chinese students in the UK through Weibo and WeChat [two Chinese language social media platforms] their sales began increasing in China as well, simply through word of mouth.”
The brand’s recent push into China and the UAE bears that out - Aspinal has outlets in Shanghai, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and were planning to open up to a dozen more in that part of the world before the coronavirus hit. While those plans have been put on hold, they have confirmed that none of their Asian or Middle Eastern stores will be closing in the foreseeable future.
It is often difficult to know why brands appeal more to customers from certain countries than others. But in the case of Aspinal of London, which is selling a very particular sort of Britishness right down to its name, there is a romanticism to it internationally that hasn't quite hit the mark for audiences at home. But with a booming market in Asia and a loyal fan in Kensington Palace, perhaps that doesn't matter.
For more news, analysis and advice from The Telegraph's fashion desk, click here to sign up to get our weekly newsletter, straight to your inbox every Friday. Follow our Instagram @Telegraphfashion
