Freemans moves into designer fashion with Julien Macdonald

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jul 13, 2020

Freemans, the British online clothing retailer owned by Germany's Otto, has announced the signing of an exclusive three-year deal with Welsh fashion designer Julien Macdonald.

The collaboration is part of a strategic move to elevate the retailer’s fashion credentials via exclusive partnerships with designers, influencers and coveted brands over the coming years.

Macdonald’s first collection for the company will include a contemporary range of womenswear, accessories and homewares that will launch in full next Spring.

He has had a similar deal with department store Debenhams since 2003, creating Star by Julien Macdonald alongside his ready-to-wear line which shows at London Fashion Week.

Nicknamed the ‘King of Glamour’, the designer has dressed many celebrities such as Madonna, Beyoncé and Kylie Minogue and his style is known for making a bold, glamorous statement.

Curated edits from the range will be available via Freemans’ sister brands Kaleidoscope and Curvissa, and parent company Otto said selected brands in Germany will also sell part of the collection.

Ann Steer, CEO of Freemans said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Julien on this new collection which confirms our commitment to our customers to bring them exclusive brands with differentiated product that we know they will love”.

The initiative marks a new chapter for Freemans Grattan Holdings, the UK division of the Otto Group. Established over 100 years ago, the group owns several mail-order brands that have transitioned into e-commerce, including freemans.com, grattan.co.uk, bonprix.co.uk and kaleidoscope.co.uk.