Look good, feel good

1 August 1999



Britain’s workforce is demanding the very highest standards of performance from its workwear and an image that makes it look good as well as feel good, reports Marc Sansom.


For both the employer and the employee, looking good and presenting the right image to the customer is increasingly important.

For the employer, in today’s highly competitive markets, workwear presents an opportunity for brand extension and image enhancement.

For the employee, looking good at work, whether in a shop, restaurant, hotel, bank, aeroplane or in the office, improves the profile of their employment and, argues Bruce Oldfield, one of Britain’s leading fashion designers, interprets the way in which they think and feel about themselves and their choice of career.

Essentially, British working culture has altered dramatically in the past twenty years with encouragement being given to individual responsibility and decision making at all levels—the demand for distinctive and fashionable clothing at work is reflecting this new autonomy.

The recruitment of Bruce Oldfield, by Alexandra Workwear, culminated most recently in the launch of the new Cadenza Collection. The new range, says the company, mixes designer fashion with functionality to create a selection of business clothing that is modern yet formal.

One of Europe’s leading professional clothing suppliers, providing over 7.2 million items of clothing and accessories every year to more than 200 000 customers from commerce and industry, Alexandra has in the past been seen as a traditional blue boiler suit supplier.

Alexandra’s chief executive, Julian Budd, said: “It’s true that we have been seen primarily as a supplier of traditional industrial workwear—all be it with a strong reputation for quality and service.

“We are now very concerned with raising the profile of the corporate and imagewear areas of our business in line with modern trends. This is why we recruited Bruce Oldfield.”

Goal

Mr Budd stresses, however, that the goal of Alexandra is to embrace all sectors where garments are worn in the workplace.

He said: “We are much more than a boiler suit supplier and we want people to know this. We can supply any company in any sector with all their clothing needs—from officewear to imagewear to protectivewear. We can act as a one stop shop and can also design garment ranges for clients bespoke.”

Whilst the emphasis is certainly not being removed from other more traditional areas of Alexandra’s business, the recruitment of Bruce Oldfield has certainly given a stronger focus to the company’s designer workwear business.

“The aim of working with Bruce,” said Mr Budd, “was to bring design into businesswear. The new Cadenza range will in many ways be the flagship—although this does not imply that it is more expensive. Any additional cost is due to the quality of the textiles used and the expertise which has been placed into the design.”

The new range uses a number of new specialist fabric blends with a compromise made between functionality, comfort and image.

The main focus of the collection is an innovative range of mix-and-match business clothing in pinstripe, check and plain polywool lycra stretch fabric. The business range, says Mr Budd, is for corporate companies looking for an up-to-date but smart corporate image for their employees.

Responding to the needs of hotels and restaurants to project a stylish image for staff whilst ensuring that garments are practical to wear and easy to look after, the Cadenza Collection includes a range of formal hospitality wear which updates the classic look and uses a stretch wool lycra blend fabric for ease of movement.

The popular ‘Cowprint’ selection of Chef’s garments has been continued following, in the company’s words, the “wild success of last year”. Utilising a bold black and white print, the ‘Cowprint’ is said to be for those who are serious about their profession, but with a modern sense of humour. A teflon coating to the fabric and drawstring waistlines meet the practical requirements of commercial kitchen work.

The Cadenza range also provides a variety of clothing for healthcare staff and a new dungaree design in hickory stripe in addition to Alexandra’s distinctive boiler suit design.

Bruce Oldfield first started working with Alexandra in January 1998 following the launch of a fifteen year design partnership agreement.

Mr Budd said: “We approached a number of designers but on meeting with Bruce Oldfield there was an obvious synergy between the direction we wanted to take and Bruce’s desire for a new and different challenge.

“We also wanted someone who could assess the design qualities of our current ranges and then to develop and lead the next generation of product. Bruce fitted the bill.”

Despite the broad experience of Alexandra in the supply of professional clothing and the design expertise of Bruce Oldfield, there were problems along the way.

Mr Budd said: “Both Bruce and ourselves were on a rapid learning curve from the outset. We were keen to learn about the design issues involved and Bruce had to adapt to the demands as well as the limits placed on his designs by the working environments in which the garments were to be worn.

“For example, not all fabrics are suitable for use in a restaurant environment where drinks may be split. This meant some restrictions on the fabrics Bruce could use for his designs—a challenge he quickly overcame.”

Commenting on why he entered into such a long agreement to work for Alexandra, Mr Oldfield said: “I am always looking for new challenges and Alexandra presented me with a very interesting proposal. When you are designing for the workwear sector there are always new problems to be solved and new challenges to tackle.

“It is not like simply designing a fashion item, there needs to be an understanding of the demands of the environment in which the garment will be worn and a compromise has to be reached to ensure the highest levels of functionality are combined with a design that is comfortable, stylish and fit-for-purpose.”

Mr Oldfield, who in the 1980s worked as a design consultant with Marks and Spencers, believes that workwear is at the beginning of a new and more stylish era of development.

He says: “Workwear and imagewear, is still a developing business which is presenting lots of new opportunities, so I expect to see out the 15 year contract I have with Alexandra. There are new projects to tackle all the time and this ensures that the challenges keep on coming.”

Alexandra are currently working on a number of important projects, including one with the Virgin Hotel Group and one with the Tower Hotel in Dubai.



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