WHISTLES buying and merchandising project | Page 8

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histles is a high-end fashion retailer founded in 1980 by Lucille and Richard Lewin. In 1986, Whistles purchased the duvet collection of Dries Van Noten. Initially,

when Whistles started, its style was been described as “yummy mummy”. Then, the company
started to face problems, it was diminishing in the market. In 2008, as the backer company of it, Icelandic Retail, was declared bankrupt. Jane Shepherdson shifted in and became
the CEO of Whistles. Since the appointment of Jane Shepherdson, Whistles experienced a
revolution in its style. It begin to have cleaner silhouettes with a more sophisticated palette.
The strategy that Whistles made in 2009 was a big turning point, it begin to seek out young
customers. The strategy was a successful point that returned Whistles back to the market again.
Under the adventurous spirit of leading the company by Jane Shepherdson in 2014, Whistles
begin its men’s collections. In 2014 Whistles successfully presented their collections in the
London Fashion Week and this was a contributing factor in the moving forward and gaining
momentum in the market.

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