Why fashion was where it all went wrong for Debenhams

[Rayan™]

back in 1993, Debenhams was considered a hub for fashion innovation. With the launch of its debut ‘Designers At Debenhams’ range, it became the first retailer to recognise the power of the high-end / high-street collaboration, boasting a roster of relevant young labels (Ben Di Lisi, John Rocha and Jasper Conran were among the earliest recruits) as partners.

Trouble is, those were still the names responsible for propping up the department store’s fashion kudos when it finally slid into administration this week.