News by Ashutosh Kukreja

River Island has announced the launch of Harpenne, a new online womenswear fashion brand, debuting September of this year. Harpenne aims at serving the older female customers of the High-Street fashion market, as the brand believes it is a demographic that has “predominantly been ignored on the high-street.” Harpenne would be a completely new brand, separate from River Island, as it targets a completely different consumer base. However, the two brands still be under the same umbrella, as both are owned by River Island Group Holdings.

“Harpenne was created after noticing a huge gap in the market, we want to give the forgotten customer a voice,” says Fiona Lambert, the managing director of business development at River Island. Aspiring to serve all women regardless of their age, Harpenne seeks to create distinctive and individualistic clothes designed to flatter women of all skin colours and body types through its unique prints and colour palette.

Lambert goes on to mention that, “The pieces within the collection are inspired by culture and individuality. Aimed at women with attitude, Harpenne wants to revolutionise the retail offering so all women can embrace their sense of style and feel confident, no matter what their age.”

The brand intends to deliver quality fashion clothing to women at an affordable price point, while sticking to its ethos of making something to fit the need of each – centered on women, who are, according to the brand “rediscovering themselves and are embracing their sense of style”.

In its collections inspired by “European flair and femininity”, Harpenne wishes to create timelessly classic pieces, with a “sense of style and attitude, not chasing the latest trend so the pieces stand the test of time”. And for its debut Autumn/Winter 19 collection dropping in September, Harpenne will showcase 120 such ethically sourced pieces, of lasting quality and enduring styles. The brand would be adding new styles every week, and making limited edition collections in smaller quantities, to be retailed online.