‘Back-on-track’ John Lewis launches ‘circular’ fashion collection

Good news continues from a reviving John Lewis Partnership on two fronts. Its outgoing chair Sharon White has given the retailer a positive endorsement saying the business is “back on track” and “more fit for the future”.

Meanwhile, the wider drive towards clothing sustainability has taken another step forward with John Lewis’s latest collection launch aiming to “minimise waste and maximise longevity”.

And it’s quite a statement from the department store retailer, which said the ‘circular design’ collection is the “first stage of an environmental overhaul of its products”.

The specially designed range will be “just the beginning” of an overhaul that by 2028 will reach thousands of products, the retailer said.

Described as including products that will “stand the test of time”, the initial 20-piece range includes knitwear, pyjamas, babywear, mattresses, duvets and pillows.

Importantly, products in the range have an increased amount of recycled content. The jumper, for instance, is made with Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA) certified cashmere, while the sleepsuit is “made to be passed on”, after being tested to higher durability standards.

John Lewis commercial director Kathleen Mitchell said the retailer was looking at ways to “combine style and sustainability” for its customers. “We know they want products that look good and that last, and that’s exactly what these designs offer.”

Its circular design includes clothing that can be more easily recycled so it has restricted the number of fibres/fabrics used, with the pyjamas replacing the usual elastic waistband with a fabric tie.

And after a bumpy ride in her five-year tenure as John Lewis Partnership chair, White will leave in September with a number of growth-related achievements under her belt.

“The big thing is, we’ve now got the cash to invest in the future of the business,” she told the Telegraph. “Across the two brands [John Lewis and supermarket Waitrose] last year we generated something like £210 million more, which means we’ve got the cash to invest into growth this year.”

In March, the group reported a return to pre-tax profits of £56m in the year to 27 January, compared with a £234m loss the previous year.

At the time, White said it was “entering a year of significant investment” and planning to spend £542 million, up 70% on a year before, and was “on track” to hit its target of making £400 million in profit by 2028.