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Ex-BHS boss to lead women's fashion retailer LK Bennett | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
The former boss of collapsed retailer BHS will take over as chief executive of British fashion chain LK Bennett. | |
Darren Topp has been appointed to lead the business, which counts the Duchess of Cambridge among its customers. | Darren Topp has been appointed to lead the business, which counts the Duchess of Cambridge among its customers. |
It also provided Theresa May with her signature leopard print kitten heels on her first day in Downing Street. | It also provided Theresa May with her signature leopard print kitten heels on her first day in Downing Street. |
Mr Topp endured a difficult time at BHS as the department store disappeared from the High Street just over a year after being sold by Sir Philip Green. | Mr Topp endured a difficult time at BHS as the department store disappeared from the High Street just over a year after being sold by Sir Philip Green. |
LK Bennett, an upmarket retailer of women's clothes and shoes, said Mr Topp was a "veteran of British retail" whose experience included 20 years at Marks and Spencer. | |
Taking over from interim boss Robert Bensoussan, his task will be to boost sales, which dipped slightly to £94m last year. | |
Mr Bensoussan has been with LK Bennett for eight years and only planned to serve as chief executive until the company found a replacement. | |
The retailer has 114 shops in the UK and Ireland, including a recently opened concession in Harrods, as well as stores in the US and Middle East. | |
'Accessible luxury' | |
Despite the slight fall in sales, the company is growing, due in part to better online shopping and it plans to open its first Russian store this month. | |
Mr Topp said: "LK Bennett is a fantastic business and we look forward to building on and continuing Robert's strategy of developing LK Bennett as a premium accessible luxury brand." | Mr Topp said: "LK Bennett is a fantastic business and we look forward to building on and continuing Robert's strategy of developing LK Bennett as a premium accessible luxury brand." |
He will be joined by his finance guru from BHS, Michael Hitchcock, who has been appointed chief financial officer at LK Bennett. | |
The two repeatedly clashed with former BHS owner Dominic Chappell, who they blamed for the retailer going out of business. | The two repeatedly clashed with former BHS owner Dominic Chappell, who they blamed for the retailer going out of business. |
In particular, Mr Topp said he challenged an attempt by Mr Chappell to transfer £1.5m of BHS money to a company owned by a friend of Mr Chappell. | In particular, Mr Topp said he challenged an attempt by Mr Chappell to transfer £1.5m of BHS money to a company owned by a friend of Mr Chappell. |