Whistles names former Topshop design head as creative director
British fashion retailer Whistles has appointed Jacqui Markham to the newly created role of creative director. Markham, who will take on the position immediately, has been tasked with elevating the brand's design direction and wider creative vision.
Starting off in the industry as a designer at Oasis and Karen Millen, Markham went on to first become design director for Topshop and Topman, before taking on the same title at Asos and Urban Outfitters Europe.
She had also served as a design consultant for Topshop and Studio Jack over a number of years, and had, until recently, reverted back to that role on a freelance basis, according to her LinkedIn.
Markham will report to product director of Whistles, Camille Sullivan, who said Markham's extensive experience would be 'instrumental in driving both the brand and our product offering forward in our next stage of growth'.
In her own statement, meanwhile, Markham expressed plans to 'bring a fresh spirit to the brand' by 'channelling the visionary ethos set by Lucille Lewin [Whistles' founder, ed.] and building on the contemporary yet effortless, signature style of Whistles'.
Markham's appointment at Whistles comes as the brand embarks on a strategic repositioning of its label, with further expansion to focus on key markets in the UK, Ireland and the US.
The brand, which had been acquired by TFG Brands (London) in 2016, already boasts a notable retail network of 37 standalone stores and 76 concessions, and is present at department stores across the UK, US, the Netherlands and Germany.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
11 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Final event of Michael Johnson's revolutionary £9million Grand Slam Track embarrassingly CANCELLED
The four-time Olympic gold medal winner launched the venture last year Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE LAST event of Michael Johnson's new athletics league in Los Angeles has been cancelled due to cash woes. The pilot season of the Grand Slam Track was due to climax in California on June 28-29 following race meetings in Kingston, Miami and Philadelphia. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track is set to finish early Credit: Getty 2 The legendary sprinter's lucrative event has a prize pool of £9.2m Credit: Alamy Yet the two-day meet at the Drake Stadium will not go ahead with sources claiming the economics of the deal at the venue were poor. It is a surprise move to finish the inaugural series prematurely, especially when British stars Zharnel Hughes, Daryll Neita and Matthew Hudson-Smith were all planning to run. And it throws into doubt the whole business model for the GST for next year, especially as they pay top athletes $100,000 (£74,000) for winning each Slam. It began in the Jamaican capital in April but races took place in front of largely empty stands. READ MORE ON SPORT GAME CHANGER Major Premier League TV change with broadcasting giant to lose all coverage Four-time Olympic champion Johnson, 57, wanted to focus on track stars – there are no field events in the schedule – but the opening three rounds were beset by disappointing ticket sales. Johnson wanted to focus on the US TV market this time but there is a chance he might look to Europe for the 2026 edition with London a favourable destination. Sources close to the event say the ongoing riots in the city which are against Donald Trump's controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy were not the overriding factor in the decision to cancel. Johnson, a four-time Olympic gold medal sprinter, hoped to "revolutionise the track landscape" with the venture. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The season offered a total prize fund of $12.6million (£9.2million) split over four events. Johnson has been critical of the Diamond League for failing to bring in new audiences. Olympic legend and third fastest woman of all time demolishes parents at school sports day He said last year: " love this sport and owe everything I have to this sport. "It's been a shame for me to watch [the Diamond League] over the last couple of decades since I retired not be able to continue to provide the same amazing moments to people, outside of just the Olympics. "Over three billion people are watching the sport once a year during major championships and have an expressed interest to continue watching the sport if there was a place to do so. "So I see [Grand Slam Track] as a real opportunity from that perspective."
Leader Live
19 minutes ago
- Leader Live
British man survives Gatwick-bound Ahmedabad plane crash
The Air India flight, which was carrying more than 240 people from the city of Ahmedabad – including 53 British nationals, collided with a medical college on Thursday. The Hindustan Times said 40-year-old British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived the crash, telling the newspaper: 'Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.' A video of the crash circulating online showed the aircraft flying over a residential area before disappearing behind trees, followed by a huge explosion and large plumes of black smoke. The public should be prepared for a significant loss of British lives, Downing Street said. Images of the aftermath of the crash showed parts of the plane embedded into BJ Medical College as firefighters continued to tackle the smoke. Pieces of the aircraft's landing gear, fuselage and tail could all be seen protruding from the building. Officials said the flight was departing from Ahmedabad Airport with 242 people on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Air India said on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian national and seven Portuguese nationals. We are deeply anguished by the tragic event involving Air India Flight 171. No words can adequately express the grief we feel at this moment. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who have been injured. Tata Group will… — Tata Group (@TataCompanies) June 12, 2025 Tata Group, the parent company of Air India, said it would provide 10 million rupees (around £86,000) to the families of those who were killed in the crash. The company said it would also cover the medical costs of those injured and provide support in the 'building up' of the medical college the plane crashed into. Divyansh Singh, vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Association, told AP at least five medical students had been killed and around 50 were injured after the plane collided with the college. Campbell Wilson, the chief executive of Air India, expressed his 'deep sorrow' after the incident, adding: 'This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families and loved ones.' UK officials are being deployed to India to support the investigation, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said. The King said he was 'desperately shocked' by the incident and Buckingham Palace said he was being kept updated on the developing situation. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the crash was 'devastating', while his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi said it was 'heartbreaking beyond words'. Asked if people should prepare for a significant loss of life, a Downing Street spokesman told reporters: 'Yes. 'As the PM said this morning, the scenes emerging of the London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city at Ahmedabad are devastating. 'Clearly this is a deeply distressing time for families. The situation is still unfolding.' Air India chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described the incident as a 'tragic accident' and a 'devastating event', and said emergency response teams are at the site. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has stood up a crisis team in India and the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. The Reuters news agency reported 217 adults and 11 children were on board the flight. Gatwick said a reception centre was being set up for relatives of passengers on board the Air India flight. It is the first crash involving a Boeing 787 aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Flightradar24 said flight tracking data shows after taking off, the plane reached a maximum altitude of 625ft, which is about 425ft above the airport. It then started to descend at a rate of 475 feet per minute. A message from His Majesty The King following this morning's tragic incident in Ahmedabad. — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 12, 2025 Air India was acquired by Tata Group from the Indian government in January 2022 after racking up billions of pounds of losses. The airline's UK operations are at Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow, with routes to a number of Indian cities such as Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. It started operating flights to Gatwick in March 2023, with 12 weekly departures and five weekly departures to Ahmedabad. Gatwick said there was no impact on wider flight operations at the airport, but a Thursday evening flight to Goa had been cancelled. Recent analysis by the PA news agency found it was the worst airline for delays to flights from UK airports last year, with planes taking off by an average of more than 45 minutes later than scheduled. The airline has gained a poor reputation for delays and cancellations in recent years, partly caused by a lack of funds to purchase spare aircraft parts, which led to some of its fleet being grounded. The first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft involved in the crash was in December 2013. The plane was delivered to Air India during the following month. The FCDO said any British nationals requiring consular assistance, or who have concerns about family or friends, should call 020 7008 5000.
The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Gibraltar not joining Schengen free travel area under deal with EU, says Lammy
David Lammy has urged MPs not to believe the 'fake news' surrounding the UK's deal with the EU over Gibraltar's border with Spain. The prospect of Gibraltar 'joining' the European Schengen free travel area was 'never on the table', the Foreign Secretary told the Commons. The agreement on a 'fluid border' will allow travellers to cross by land without checks. Those flying into Gibraltar from the UK will face one check from Gibraltarian officials and another by the Spanish on behalf of the EU. In a statement on the agreement, Mr Lammy said: 'Residents of Gibraltar and residents of nearby Spanish communities will be able to go about their daily lives as they have done before. 'For those arriving by air into Gibraltar's airport, there will be a dual border control check, in a model similar to French police operating in London St Pancras station. 'Ignore the fake news, Gibraltar will not be joining Schengen. This was never on the table. Immigration, policing and justice in Gibraltar will remain the responsibilities of Gibraltar's authorities. 'For products entering Gibraltar across its land border, there will be a unique goods and customs model, avoiding the need for onerous checks at the border. 'And with this pragmatic solution, flights will be able to operate from Gibraltar airport to across Europe, driving growth and jobs for the people of Gibraltar. 'This Government is showing that a pragmatic, positive relationship with the European Union pays off for the British public.' The move could also see airlines start to add flights to Gibraltar from countries other than the UK in a boost to tourism. Officials say a hard border would have been introduced under the EU's incoming exit and entry control system if no deal was reached, causing delays for some 15,000 people who cross the border every day as every individual passport was checked. Talks on rules governing the border have been ongoing since Britain left the European Union in 2020. Conservative former minister Dame Harriett Baldwin asked: 'Can a British citizen flying from the UK to Gibraltar now be stopped by a Spanish official as they land?' Mr Lammy replied: 'There will be a second line queue, as there is in St Pancras, and there will be Spanish border guards and police situated in that second line. 'And of course, if there was an alert, then at that point, not on their own, but at that point, there would be a hand-back facility with the Gibraltar police, so they are working alongside that Spanish team. 'And if there was an alert, then the individual would have a right to legal advice. They would be either be able to return to their country of origin, let's say the UK, or they would be able to voluntarily go over to Spain to face the questions they are facing.' Deputy leader of Reform UK Richard Tice pressed the minister on whether Spanish border officials 'have an effective veto on the entry of a British citizen from the United Kingdom landing on British sovereign territory in Gibraltar'. Mr Lammy said if Mr Tice flew to Gibraltar and there was an alert in the Schengen system 'he would be handed back to the Gibraltarians, where he might feel more comfortable'. 'He will be able to access his rights and the legal system that he says he feels comfortable with, which is ours, and he would be able to return to the United Kingdom, where no doubt the Spanish would seek to extradite him, and many in this House would be rather pleased,' he said. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel urged the Government to 'safeguard our defence and interest' and maintain operations of the UK's military facilities. Gibraltar's airport is run by the Ministry of Defence and hosts an RAF base. The overseas territory also has an important naval facility. Dame Priti said: 'Can he confirm that nothing will be agreed that infringes on our ability to operate the base? And will members of our armed forces be able to access Gibraltar without needing Schengen checks?' She continued: 'Our principles have been that nothing compromises or infringes on the sovereignty and constitutional arrangements of Gibraltar, it is to remain British.' Mr Lammy said he had insisted on a 'sovereignty clause' in the treaty, after both the UK and Gibraltar governments insisted the changes would not affect the British overseas territory's sovereignty. He added: 'On the military base, it will continue to operate as it does today. There will be zero change. It's vital for UK national security, it's protected by this agreement, and that was a red line for us throughout these negotiations.' Gibraltar was ceded to the UK by Spain in 1713 and the population is heavily in favour of remaining a British overseas territory. The last time it voted on a proposal to share sovereignty with Spain, in 2002, almost 99% of Gibraltarians rejected the move.
