www.footwearpartnerships.com

 Our friend Stephen from the UK and founder of Footwear Partnerships sent me the following in a response to my questions regarding up and coming brands and new brands starting up in the UK. I did a little homework and found the website links and hope you enjoy learning about a couple new brands. Both of the brands to watch I think have a lot of potential and I am looking forward to seeing where they go!  Thanks again Stephen for keeping us up to date on what’s going on in your world!

Brands to watch
Men’s – Watch out for Nanny State, fast becoming a favorite of the UK retailer.  The brand is fashionable styling with good price points. http://otherclothing.co.uk/emo-fashion/nanny-state-shoes/ -This looks like a cool website!    
Women’s – Rakish Heels, they are still in the early days but I think they have a great fresh product.  http://www.rakish-heels.com/index2.html

Challenges launching in the UK
Obviously, in a challenging climate any new launch is going to be difficult however, in saying that, buyers have to and are looking for new exciting opportunities to give them a competitive edge and hopefully reignite consumer interest. So, if you have something new, unique, exciting and distinctive now could be the perfect time to start looking at launching in the UK.  -Stephen Gill stephen@footwearpartnerships.com

….I believe that since this invitation is coming from an expert in the UK industry that any of you out there considering launching in the UK should really look into it! J Thanks Stephen!