Harrods expands menswear offering with revamped Designer Collections room. A newly redesigned second-floor space focuses on weekend dressing, outerwear and lifestyle brands including Herno, Purdey and Barbour. September 23, 2026, 12:01am LONDON - Harrods is refining its menswear proposition with the unveiling of a newly redesigned Designer Collections room on the second floor of the retailer's Knightsbridge flagship, in a bid to expand its lifestyle offering and target the modern "full wardrobe" shopper. Billed as a one-stop destination for contemporary dressing, the space aims to reflect how male customers now buy across categories and occasions rather than hunting for one-off pieces. The emphasis is on the weekend wardrobe and elevated everyday style. The room offers a lineup of menswear and lifestyle brands including Herno, Purdey, Barbour, Sease, Orlebar Brown, Paul & Shark and Vilebrequin. At its center sits a multibrand area designed to encourage browsing and discovery across the category rather than brand-by-brand shopping. There is also a new dedicated pop-up space that will host exclusive launches, seasonal stories and brand activations throughout the year, giving brands a platform to spotlight capsules and collaborations while introducing newness to the Harrods shop floor. The launch also raises the bar on the in-store experience, with six newly designed shopfits that nod to each brand's identity and craftsmanship while maintaining a cohesive visual identity. "The new Designer Collections room marks a significant expansion of our lifestyle category and reflects how our customers are increasingly shopping for a complete wardrobe," said Yasmin Mehmet, menswear buying manager at Harrods. "We are seeing growing demand for versatile pieces that seamlessly transition across different occasions, particularly within categories such as outerwear, knitwear and gilets. By bringing together a carefully curated selection of brands and creating an environment dedicated to discovery and inspiration, we are further strengthening our offer for the modern menswear customer," Mehmet added. The opening of the men's Designer Collections room follows the gradual unveiling of the International Designer Rooms on the womenswear-focused first floor starting from June. These openings form part of the store's wider multimillion-pound refurbishment program, designed to further elevate the shopping experience within one of the world's leading luxury retail destinations. Previously, Harrods has also redeveloped the Designer Collections rooms, which combine larger shop-in-shop concepts for brands including Hermès, Brunello Cucinelli, Ralph Lauren and Yves Salomon alongside a selection of more niche and specialist labels. Newsletters

Introducing Abiola Olusola, the Nigerian designer making waves on the global fashion stage. The Nigerian designer talks to ELLE about starting her eponymous brand and joining the inaugural cohort of Brand63Africa. By Julia StormPublished: 19 September 2026 Abiola Olusola had no idea who was going to attend her debut London Fashion Week show earlier this year. 'Once Elle UK saw the security and the King's guard coming in, Elle UK realised someone important was arriving,' says the Nigerian fashion designer as she beams down the camera over Zoom, recounting her surprise meeting with King Charles. Olusola is one of the five designers to be selected for the inaugural cohort of Brand63Africa, a social enterprise founded by Eva Omaghomi CVO to connect fashion designers of African heritage and the diaspora with the global luxury market. Abiola Olusola and attendees of the Brand63Africa launch event at Sale e Pepe on February 19, 2026 in London. Olusola's fashion career was not set in stone - her first degree was a Bachelor's in English Literature and Language. And before that? 'As a kid I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but fashion eventually took over.' In 2015, she graduated with a BFA in Fashion Design from Istituto Marangoni, Paris and moved back to Nigeria where she launched her brand in 2017. Within the very first year Olusola was approached by leading luxury retailers, including Temple Muse in Lagos. Since then, she has continued to develop the brand; rooting its designs in Nigerian culture, working with local artisans, and manufacturing product via an in-house studio in Lagos that is staffed by a team of skilled female seamstresses. Her designs are evocative, wearable and luxurious at once. Through bold prints, embellishments and vibrant palettes, she unlocks the modern woman's wardrobe by creating silhouettes that feel decidedly elevated. The designer looks to movies, her mother and the '60s for inspiration, explaining that she has 'always been captivated by the grace, style and elegance' of her mother's generation. 'I watch a lot of classic Nigerian movies from the 1960s to study that sophisticated era of style.' Advertisement - Continue Reading Below At the end of 2025, Brand63Africa came across Olusola's desk by way of consultant Lulu Shabell, who is tasked with curating the platform. 'Every time I see a message from her, I know something exciting is happening,' says Olusola of her longtime collaborator. Through the Brand63Africa platform, Abiola Olusola was on the schedule at February's London Fashion Week and this September, she has launched a select edit of designs at Harrods. One of the pieces available as part of the collection is a mini dress called the Asiri, which translates to 'secret'. Featuring prints of fairies whispering to one another, the dress, as Olusola says, is designed to feel like a 'precious little gem that holds something secret'. Intrinsic to the brand is its implementation of a Nigerian hand-printing technique called Adire. 'We aim to create beautiful, fresh clothes that women can dress up or down effortlessly,' says Olusola. 'Its collections are typically seasonless, so Elle UK carry styles over seamlessly. For Elle UK, it's about creating a contemporary, unique and original brand for women who live modern lifestyles.' Olusola laughs excitedly when speaking of Vaneesa Kingori OBE, who serves as chair of the creative committee for Brand63Africa. It had happened that before the London Fashion Week launch, her social media manager had reached out to Kingori on Instagram to send her a piece from the collection. On the day of the launch event - where Kingori acted as the host - she walked in wearing the best-selling black co-ord set, which, as Olusola explains, 'created a real buzz around the brand.' 'Brand63Africa is especially exciting as it platforms and positions Luxury African fashion alongside its global counterparts,' Kingori explained to ELLE UK. 'The world is finally learning what the continent has long known, that across multiple sectors, Africa and its diaspora's innovation, creativity and quality is world class and foundational. Just as African art and creativity were once perceived as primitive crafts, to now projecting a generation value of $200 billion by 2030. Or just as venture investment's recent historic surge to over $1.6 billion in African tech startups highlights the shift in valuing African intellect rather than just its natural resources. This cohort of designers [of Brand63Africa] and brands belong on discerning collectors across the world and Harrods as a partner could not illustrate this more perfectly.' ELLE Collective is a community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from its Editors and industry experts, as well as the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Multiplatform Fashion Editor Julia is the Multiplatform Fashion Editor at ELLE UK. Her experience spans fashion journalism, styling and commerce, with roles held at leading editorial titles. At British Vogue, she worked across the fashion team before joining Vogue.co.uk's shopping vertical, where she was part of the team recognised with a BSME award. In her current position at ELLE UK, fashion trend reporting, shopping edits, designer profiles and fashion month coverage are all within her remit. Watch Next Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Harrods develops bespoke collaboration with Hong Kong brand Silk. In September 2026, London department store Harrods flew members of its global marketing team to Hong Kong to develop a bespoke collaboration with Silk, a young local beverage brand. The partnership aims to place Hong Kong-style bubble tea directly into premium lifestyle culture. Silk was founded on the conviction that Hong Kong-style bubble tea deserves a place in premium retail. For the young beverage maker, working directly with 1 of the world's most recognisable department stores confirms its place in high-end lifestyle branding. Global retailers target local Asian culture. Department stores across Europe and Asia increasingly look past standard licensing deals in favour of direct, culturally rooted partnerships. Securing authentic local products gives established department stores cultural credibility with younger Asian travellers and domestic luxury shoppers. For Silk, entering a joint project with Harrods validates a premium pricing and branding strategy for a product category traditionally sold at low street prices. The commercial risk sits in execution: luxury consumers expect elevated ingredients, distinct packaging and narrative depth rather than standard co-branding. Shifting playbook for independent beverage brands. Regional beverage brands in Asia previously relied on regional franchise networks or overseas store openings to build global scale. Partnering directly with legacy international retailers offers an alternative route to worldwide visibility without the capital expense of offshore physical stores. The Harrods project mirrors broader retail shifts where Western heritage operators seek relevance in Asian consumer hubs through high-profile regional collaborations. The development process required London brand teams on the ground in Hong Kong to oversee formula and packaging design. Next steps for the collaboration. Harrods and Silk will confirm rollout schedules and retail availability across physical counters and export channels once final product formulations clear development. Questions & answers. Q. What is the primary goal of this collaboration for Harrods? A. Harrods aims to place Hong Kong-style bubble tea directly into premium lifestyle culture. This strategy helps them secure authentic local products, providing cultural credibility with younger Asian travellers and domestic luxury shoppers. Q. How does this partnership benefit Silk, the Hong Kong beverage brand? Q. What commercial risks are involved in this type of collaboration for luxury retailers? Q. What steps were taken to develop the product formulation and packaging? Reader pulse Is Harrods' collaboration with Silk a smart move for premium bubble tea? 17,895 votes so far