Brian Burke, a director at business advisory firm Quantuma, which oversaw Select Fashion’s administration process last year, says the new Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill will help protect some retail businesses. However, he predicts CVAs “will form a large part of the future retail landscape”. 

Just a week after luxury designers and retailers teamed up to demand a shift in fashion’s selling calendar, the fashion industry’s leading bodies have put up a united front to support the new direction.

Over the past few weeks, the Drapers team has been speaking to wholesale brands, agents, independent retailers and multiples about how they will tackle the autumn/winter season as we come out of lockdown – including plans to discount unsold stock.

Demon Zhang, founder and chief designer of Chinese womenswear brand Mithridate, which shows at London Fashion Week, tells Drapers how the business coped with the Covid-19 outbreak and how it is getting back to work.

Scott Joseph, founder of vegan, gender-neutral accessories brand Fashion Without a Face, discusses how he launched his sustainable Manchester-based business in the middle of the coronavirus crisis. 

David Stevens, senior strategy director at brand consultancy Wolff Olins, says a green recovery from Covid-19 offers an economic and ecological opportunity.

Mike Lester, CEO of lifestyle retailer WoolOvers, unexpectedly doubled its sales in April.

Next’s decision to launch beauty halls in struggling shopping centres across the UK is risky, but boss Lord Wolfson rarely makes the wrong call. 

Victoria Prew, Drapers 30 Under 30 alumna and co-founder of peer-to-peer fashion rental start-up Hurr Collective, tells Drapers how the business is adapting to life under lockdown. 

Drapers examines the future of footwear chain Footasylum, after its proposed merger with retail giant JD Sports was thwarted by the Competition and Markets Authority

The high street is going to look very different when we come out of lockdown, in more ways than one.

Fashion brand consultant Elizabeth Stiles, who formerly worked in fashion buying and supplier account management for brands such as Urban Outfitters, Next, Miss Selfridge, New Look and Asda, reveals the common factors responsible for several retailers’ current troubles.

Erin Brookes, managing director and head of retail at Alvarez & Marsal, discusses how the restructuring firm behind Cath Kidston’s administration and footwear retailer Office’s sale process is spotting vulnerable retailers in the current retail climate. 

Tahira Taylor, strategy director at retail experience design agency Fitch, discusses how embracing technology, fashion brands can better evolve to create sustainable alternatives to fast fashion.

Erica Vilkauls, former CEO for womenswear retailers LK Bennett and East, discusses the importance of leadership and offers her predictions for the retail landscape post-coronavirus. 

Contemporary womenswear brand Paisie is stocked online at Wolf & Badger, Silkfred, Atterley, and at independent boutiques across the UK and Europe. Its founders, Vicky Ng and Kate Yiu, tell Drapers scaling down their spring collection as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Just over five weeks into the UK’s coronavirus lockdown, and fashion retailers are – tentatively – planning how to reopen stores. 

Alastair Kean, development director at retail design agency Dalziel & Pow, explains why retailers and brands should use the coronavirus shutdown to pivot creatively. 

Helen Brocklebank, chief executive officer of Walpole, the official sector body and voice of UK luxury, discusses British luxury brands’ ability to adjust to change and grow. 

Understandably, fashion is not thinking about its gender pay gap amid the pandemic. But creating more equal workplaces must be part of the industry’s future after coronavirus. 

Fashion and textile manufacturers across the UK have the capacity and skills to make much-needed scrubs and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health and social care workers, which makes the current nationwide shortages incredibly frustrating.

The British Fashion Council announced that menswear and womenswear shows will merge into a “gender neutral” digital platform for June. It seems likely that flexibility will be a key trend for the new season.

Stuart McClure, co-founder of retail sales aggregator Lovethesales.com, provides insight into how retailers and brands are using marketplaces to accelerate the sale of, and clear, discounted inventory. 

Bangladesh building disaster Source: Rex Features Disaster: more than 400 lives were lost …

The industry must navigate an ethical way through this crisis by providing support not only for businesses’ immediate teams but also international and developing world partners, says Maman Bébé founder Laura Tenison 

Bridal and occasionwear designer Kate Halfpenny tells Drapers about how her business is adapting to the coronavirus pandemic, and supporting legions of brides in the process. 

Diane Wehrle, Springboard’s marketing and insights director digs into the fashion industry’s unpredicted Easter weekend, and predicts that retail parks will benefit most from an increase in footfall after Covid-19. 

Three designers who show at London Fashion Week and London Fashion Week Men’s tell Drapers how the coronavirus pandemic has affected their businesses

Christopher Nieper, CEO of womenswear brand and manufacturer David Nieper, explains how he responded to local hospitals’ needs for gowns and scrubs. 

Helen Riley, fashion acquisition manager at Ebay UK, says fashion brands must think carefully and responsibly about stock levels after the coronavirus crisis. 

Lingerie brand Nudea’s co-founder and CEO, Priya Downes, tells Drapers she is lucky that the six-month-old brand is digital first, but finds it “tough to see the light” about future funding possibilities.

Claire Spencer-Churchill and Alex Lyles, co-founders of agency Claret Showroom and resortwear trade show Splash Paris, explain how they are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

One supplier has called for retailers and brands to pay up for cancelled goods. The author has asked to remain anonymous. 

Oliver-Matei Buhus, operations director of high street supplier Paragon Clothing, tells Drapers how the coronavirus pandemic is shaking every aspect of fashion retail industry.

The retail property industry must let go of upward-only rent reviews if shops are to survive after coronavirus, argues Mark Burlton, managing director of independent retail real estate business Cross Border Retail. 

Sunny Bird launched Bournemouth-based women’s fashion brand Perfect Dress Company three months ago. She discusses how she is keeping the business going through the coronavirus outbreak. 

Nick Whitworth, co-founder and managing director of Cornish sheepskin brand Celtic & Co, talks to Drapers about how the Drapers Footwear Award-winning label plans to pull through the coronavirus crisis.

Jo Davies, owner of Cheshire-based boutique Black White Denim, says independents have the agility to survive the coronavirus crisis and fight it with positivity.

Paul Hayes, CEO of Seasalt, explains how the lifestyle retailer is coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Founder Lucy Aylen shares how agility and a focus on community spirit is helping womenswear brand Never Fully Dressed cope with coronavirus’s impact on wholesale partners.

Julia Redman, founder of consultancy BuyersEye and former head of buying for menswear, kidswear and homeware at value retailer M&Co,  discusses the responsibility buyers have to support their suppliers through the Covid-19 crisis

Daniel Odermatt, senior product and marketing manager at Swiss textile company Ventile Fabrics, discusses the rise in “well-made” and performance-driven clothing materials. 

George Heaton is the founder of luxury streetwear label Represent, which is stocked by Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. He tells Drapers how the business is reacting to the impact of coronavirus.  

Martin Mason, managing director of footwear manufacturer and brand Tricker’s, explains how the 191-year-old Northampton business has reacted to the coronavirus epidemic.

The future of the traditional wholesale model in fashion has been the subject of much debate over the past few years.

Vanessa Hodgson, founder and managing director of Suffolk- and Norfolk-based independent womenswear chain Collen & Clare, discusses how communicating amid the coronavirus crisis is the “only hope of moving forward”. 

Simon Berwin, owner of Simon Berwin Advisory, and former managing director of menswear supplier Berwin & Berwin, discusses the importance of supporting those less fortunate during the coronavirus outbreak. 

During times of crisis, difficult decisions are necessary to save businesses in the long term. But the way in which some retailers have culled staff and cancelled orders will rankle for months to come. 

Blair Nimmo, UK head of restructuring at advisory firm KPMG, tells businesses to make claims “clearly, early and with evidence” for the best chance of securing extended credit quickly. 

Neil Clifford, CEO of high street footwear chain Kurt Geiger, explains why he has taken the decision to suspend his salary until stores reopen and how the business is supporting NHS workers fighting the virus on the frontline.