Latest news with #Calamonte
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
The Australians who caught fire at the icy 'top' of European football
For aspiring Australian footballers, a stint in Europe is almost a rite of passage. With the likes of Tim Cahill, Sam Kerr and Harry Kewell to look up to, a shot at multi-million-dollar contracts and international stardom can be understandably irresistible. So, when Oliver Kelaart swapped Melbourne for Spain as a teenager intent on a career at the top of the European game, he probably meant it more figuratively than latitudinally. But in June of 2020, there he found himself, on an eight-hour bus journey from the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik to the tiny north-western village of Blönduós. Kelaart was signing for Hvöt, a team then competing in the sixth division of Icelandic football. It may not have been the fairytale transfer he had always dreamt of, but it was the start of a journey that would see him questioned by local police, earn a call-up to the Sri Lankan national team, and link up with an NPL stalwart responsible for one of the most prolific goalscoring seasons you've probably never heard of. Three months before Kelaart's move to Iceland, European football had all but shut down as the COVID pandemic wreaked havoc in the continent's south. For Kelaart, that meant his stint with lower-league Spanish outfit Calamonte had been cut short, and he had traversed a good chunk of the country to lock down with his girlfriend at her family's farm near Madrid. Already in his early 20s and yet to "make it" in Europe, Kelaart was set on getting back onto the pitch as quickly as possible. So, when Hvöt came calling, it may as well have been Real Madrid President Florentino Perez on the other end of the line. "At that point, I was just like, I'll take anything to keep training and playing," Kelaart told ABC Sport. "And it happened quite quickly. Within the space of two or three days, everything was signed." Iceland is beautiful, rugged, desolate and evocative. But it can feel a long way from the rest of the world. And as Kelaart quickly learnt, his new home of Blönduós could feel a long way from the rest of Iceland. Perched on the northern reaches of the island's west, the village's 1,000-capacity football ground could comfortably hold its entire population. Upon his arrival in Blönduós, the club supplied Kelaart with accommodation and a job delivering food and goods to the town's shops. "Going into that small town, everyone knows everyone, they embraced this new person coming in," Kelaart said. "But being a new person coming into that town … they'd see a new face and be like, you know, 'Who is this?' "Because I'm a person of colour as well, it's kind of like, 'What is he doing here?'" It wasn't long before Kelaart caught the attention of local authorities. "I think it was my second day at work, and the police actually came in and they had photos of me, my football photos from online, and they were just kind of questioning me and just asking me why I was there," he said. On the pitch, however, it quickly became clear why Kelaart was there. Arriving halfway through the season, he made more than a goal contribution a game as his side fell just short of promotion to the fifth division. By the end of that first season, COVID restrictions had tightened and Kelaart's Icelandic future was up in the air. But the promise of a trial with newly promoted first division outfit Keflavík kept him on the island for the COVID-affected off-season, during which he travelled to the then-tourist-less hotspots and took the photos that years later would accompany this article. Kelaart's trial at Keflavík was a success — but only after he endured two of the most arduous weeks of his professional life. Still living in Blönduós, he would work his delivery job from 6am to midday, then drive four hours and the height of the country to arrive in Keflavík, where he would train before travelling all the way back to northern Iceland. But it all paid off. Kelaart was offered his first professional contract, and he says making a full-time living from football was an "indescribable feeling". "It wasn't a crazy amount of money," Kelaart said. "Probably a little bit less than the normal salary there — not anything insane, but like, just enough to live by and save a little bit." With his days as a remote Icelandic delivery man behind him, Kelaart relocated to the island's southern-most reaches, where he would link up with another Australian in the middle of his own Icelandic rumspringa. Unlike Kelaart, Joey Gibbs was already in his footballing prime by the time he arrived in Iceland. Ten years earlier, he had made his professional debut as a substitute in the A-League grand final. However, he never quite found a home in Australia's top league. Instead, he built a career as one of the NPL's most reliable strikers on either side of a brief stint in Hong Kong. The A-League is one of the few top football divisions in the world that does not feature promotion or relegation. Fans have long called for that to change — and Football Australia's unveiling of its plan for a National Second Division promises it will soon. For Gibbs, it was the lack of footballing mobility that meant he jumped at the opportunity to sign with Keflavík in 2020. "I love the NPL, but after five years in the same league, always playing the same opposition, there is that glass ceiling," Gibbs said. As the Black Summer bushfires raged back home in New South Wales, Gibbs arrived in Iceland to a blizzard and only weeks before the COVID pandemic delayed the start of the new season. But when he eventually got on the pitch, Gibbs was a hit in Iceland, scoring 21 league goals in 19 games as his side pushed its way back to the first division. He became something of a local celebrity in the 15,000-person, south-eastern fishing town of Keflavík, where most of the foreigners were either footballers or basketballers. "Really small town vibe where they'll probably let you know when you're not doing well … so it was good to have a good first season," Gibbs said. "I think it really set me up well to be well-liked in the town and made life easier living in a foreign country, that's for sure." His second year was also a success — 10 league goals and a handful of assists helped Keflavík survive relegation. Meanwhile, Kelaart, although struggling for game time at Keflavík, was inching closer to an international debut. In recent years, the Sri Lankan national team has undergone a footballing revolution, with more than 10 diaspora-based players becoming national team regulars, including Brisbane Roar's Jack Hingert. Raised in Melbourne by a Sri Lankan father and a Spanish mother, Kelaart was initially contacted about the possibility of representing Sri Lanka, not by the Football Federation, but by a member of a fan-run Facebook page. Sri Lankan Genes is a group in which football-mad Sri Lankans scour the globe in search of players who could be eligible to represent the national team, then contact the potential players and facilitate an introduction to Football Federation Sri Lanka. Kelaart's transfer to the top division of Icelandic football made him visible to the group, and his common Burgher surname alerted them to his eligibility. Due to governmental issues and a FIFA ban, Kelaart's international debut was pushed back to 2024, but since then, he has become one of the first names on the Sri Lankan team sheet. Traditionally, Sri Lanka's Golden Army has been one of the true minnows of international football — having not even come close to qualifying for an Asian Cup and boasting a FIFA ranking often in the 200s. But thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Cambodia last September, the team begins 2025 in the third round of 2026 Asian Cup qualifying — the furthest towards Asia's premier international tournament it has ever found itself. Kelaart's national team career has become the main driver in his footballing life, and, in part, is what prompted his move to NPL Victoria side Hume City earlier this year. His final season in Iceland came with third-division side Hauker. Kelaart says it wasn't a bad year, but with the lower leagues of Iceland not featuring breaks for international windows, he missed much of the season through national team commitments. And with the passage from Iceland to Sri Lanka being one of the less trodden international voyages, he would often spend multiple days travelling either side of Sri Lanka games. "We played a game in Myanmar, and the journey home was like Myanmar to Bangkok, Bangkok to Colombo, Colombo to Doha, Doha to Norway, Norway to Iceland," Kelaart said. "Your body is just cooked, and it takes a toll … we're definitely not flying first class." As for Gibbs, his time in Iceland came to an end as the 2023 season drew to a close. Now a schoolteacher, Gibbs was able to speak to ABC Sport as he drove from work to a Tuesday night training session with NPL club Mount Druitt Town Rangers. In a career that has spanned almost two decades and has included minutes in an A-League grand final, he still rates the seasons he spent as a Keflavik icon among his most special. "It ended up being a really great experience and is one of the things I look back on most in my career," Gibbs said. "It's hard to say what's the thing you cherish the most, but it's definitely something I'm so happy I did and have so many good memories from that time."
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Topshop really is back! Former High Street fashion giant announces return to physical retailing ahead of wider summer comeback
Topshop is returning to physical retail for the first time in four years with a one-day pop-up event ahead of a rumoured high street return this summer. The hotly-anticipated event in collaboration with Defected Records will take place on May 10 at the house music label's basement space in Shoreditch, East London. Called 'Topshop & Topman In The House', the pop-up will offer early access to the brand's new Talamanca collection and limited-edition Topshop x Defected T-shirts. Free tickets are already sold out for the event from 10am to 6pm which will feature live DJ sets and cocktails, but walk-ins will also be welcome subject to capacity. The so-called 'activation' is the brand's first in-person shop since its final stores shut permanently during the pandemic lockdown in 2021 when it was bought by Asos. It also follows a series of cryptic Instagram posts since March hinting at a retail comeback for Topshop this August which have sent fans into a frenzy. Last month Asos confirmed it was preparing to bring Topshop back to the high street after signing new wholesale partnerships with brick-and-mortar retailers. Asos boss José Antonio Ramos Calamonte said on April 24 that the chain had spent 'two years rebuilding the product assortment of Topshop' ahead of the relaunch. People walk past the closed Topshop on Oxford Street during the pandemic in November 2020 He added the 'first step of this comeback' is a new website, and the physical retail return will see the brand open shop-in-shops in some outlets. According to Retail Gazette, Mr Calamonte added: 'We are listening to our consumers. We understand that they want Topshop to have a level of its own.' He did not ruled out opening standalone stores in future – but an Asos spokesperson later clarified that Topshop's return for now will come through traditional wholesale arrangements rather than branded shop-in-shop concessions. Announcing the new pop-up earlier this week, Topshop's global marketing director Moses Rashid said on LinkedIn: 'TOPSHOP x DEFECTED present: TOPSHOP IN THE HOUSE. 'We've seen your comments and couldn't wait until August to see you IRL… Launching an exclusive 1 day shopping experience, with a basement takeover with Defected Records.' Mr Rashid said the event will also feature beauty counters and is a nod to the brand's iconic in-store experiences from its heyday on Oxford Street. Asos is expected to announce more details about the return in August over the coming months. However, Topshop will definitely not be returning to its former flagship store at 214 Oxford Street, which is now occupied by the new Ikea which opened yesterday. The Swedish furniture retailer bought the site, once the jewel in Sir Philip Green's retail empire Arcadia Group, for £378million in October 2021. Topshop had 70 stores when it closed for good, but Asos bought it out of administration in February 2021 for £295million along with Miss Selfridge, Topman and HIIT. The brand has since been online only via the Asos website – and last year Asos sold a 75 per cent stake to Heartland, an arm of Danish fashion business Bestseller. Bestseller is controlled by the major Asos shareholder Anders Povlsen, the billionaire behind Vero Moda and Jack & Jones – with the sale prompting hopes that Topshop could return to the high street. This was following by a bombshell announcement on social media in March that sent fans into a frenzy. It showed a couple standing on an industrial rooftop below a huge Topshop sign, followed by a message: 'We missed you too'. Captions spaced out across three posts on the company's official Instagram added: 'We've been listening'. And its website also teased a return, with the homepage of simply saying: 'Topshop coming soon.' This message still appeared on the website this morning. Brits rejoiced at the news, with one saying: 'Topshop announcing they're returning to the high street is a joy only millennial girlies will understand. We've missed you x.' Another added: 'I feel like my parents just got back together.' And a third joked: 'Millennials everywhere are screaming, crying & throwing up… I'm one of them.' London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was among those calling for the return of Topshop, saying at the time: 'I'd meet my mates outside Topshop, my daughters took me shopping at Topshop and I know every type of Topshop jean. 'Wouldn't it be great to get Topshop back on Oxford Street?' The company later revealed that its post was plugging an 'audacious fan-fuelled art installation and treasure hunt' after it joined forces with London artist Russ Jones to create the 'We Missed You Too' art exhibit in Soho. The exhibit features 21 mirrors with comments from Topshop's army of followers. It also launched a 'treasure hunt' across London, where winners can bag a £1,000 Topshop voucher and exclusively early access to the website when it relaunches. Topshop was once the undisputed queen of the British high street. With its trendy clothes, sell-out designer collaborations and 100,000 sq ft Oxford Street flagship store, the brand attracted everyone from tourists and teenagers to 'It Girls' and fashion editors. During their heyday in the early noughties, celebrities and fashion icons flocked to be a part of the retail leviathan - owned by Sir Philip. Supermodel Kate Moss even launched her own Topshop range in 2007. She went on to do 14 collaborations with the company. Attracting the 'It Girls' of the day, British supermodel-turned-actress Cara Delevingne was even the face of Topshop's a/w 2014 campaign. At its high, Topshop seemed a true titan of the British high street, raking in £100million in profit, with hundreds of stores spread across almost every large town and city in the UK. But the store's popularity waned as it struggled to compete with fast fashion online, losing its younger shoppers to aggressive digital e-tailers like Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing. In 2018, former owners Arcadia revealed it was haemorrhaging cash, reporting a £93.4million pre-tax loss compared with £164.6million profit in the year before. And sales slumped 4.5 per cent from £1.8billion. As well as the financial woes, there was also the problem of image with Sir Philip Green himself. Retail experts, including Topshop's former brand director, pointed at how the BHS pension scandal and accusations of sexual harassment tabled at Sir Philip - which he denied - had tarnished the brand, putting off female and Gen Z shoppers. Then, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Arcadia was forced to shut 550 stores and furlough 14,500 employees. The move spelled the end of the shop's physical presence on the high street. By 2021, all Topshop stores had closed after the brand was bought by online behemoth ASOS in a £295million deal. Asos acquired Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT from the administrators of Arcadia, two months after the struggling group collapsed with a £750million deficit. Topshop started life in 1964 as the 'Top Shop' concession within the now defunct Peter Robinson department store in Sheffield. The company had spotted a growing need for fashion made specifically for teenage girls who wanted to embrace modern, forward-thinking design. Under the leadership of buyer Diane Wadey, Top Shop stocked styles by young British designers including Royal College of Art graduate Jane Whiteside, Jeff Cooper and Ronnie Stirling. The idea was a success and a concession in the Oxford Street branch of Peter Robinson soon followed, marking the start of the brand's decades-long presence in the West End. In the early 1970s, parent company the Burton Group split off Top Shop into its own independent chain of stores focusing solely on shoppers aged 13 to 24. Peter Robinson would continue to focus on shoppers over the age of 24. But by 1974, Peter Robinson, which had been a mainstay of British retail since the 1830s, was floundering and reduced its 22 branches to just six. Meanwhile Top Shop was booming. Within two years, Top Shop had 55 standalone branches and was reporting annual profits of £1million. Its next major image revamp came in the 1990s, the same decade that the Oxford Street flagship opened in its current location. Under the stewardship of Jane Shepherdson, who was Topshop brand manager from 1999 to 2006, the brand went from teen clothing store to a serious fashion brand with industry clout. 'It was a time when we were trying to prove Topshop had its own design credibility compared to a cheap high street retailer that used to copy everyone else,' Mr Shepherdson previously told The Standard. In 2001, Topshop launched its own label, Topshop Unique, and in 2005 became the first high street label to show at London Fashion Week. The move cemented its place as a brand worthy of the coolest names in British fashion, with It Girls including Zoe Ball, Sara Cox, Donna Air and Jemima Khan sitting front row. At the same time, Mr Shepherdson focused on collaborations with young British designers like Christopher Kane, and turned the Oxford Street store into a must-visit destination for schoolgirls, tourists and fashionistas alike. Mr Shepherdson added: 'We wanted to make it everything that a young girl wanted from a fashion store and for it to feel like a real luxury, special experience. I think for a time we achieved that.' In 2005 Topshop reported profits of £100million. After Mr Shepherdson's departure came another great Topshop milestone: the first Topshop x Kate Moss collaboration. The 2007 release was a hit with shoppers and graced the pages of fashion magazines. The supermodel would go on to produce 14 collections with the retailer up until 2014, with each one selling out within hours. 'The Kate Moss collaboration cemented the Topshop brand and allowed it to expand worldwide piggybacking off the name of the world's most famous supermodel,' pop culture commentator Nick Ede previously said. 'It was the biggest fashion breakthrough and led to his products being featured in magazines that would normally turn a blind eye to his designs in a snobbish fashion.' Other high profile designer collaborators include Mary Katrantzou, Richard Nicoll, Jonathan Saunders and Meadham Kirchhoff. The idea was replicated at Arcadia's other brands including Dorothy Perkins, which launched a Kardashian Kollection in 2012. Mr Ede added: 'These iconic collaborations were the top of their game. Many imitated but none were as good at tapping into the fashion zeitgeist of the times.' In 2009, Topshop arrived in the US, with Kate Moss and Sir Philip jetting to New York for the launch that saw shoppers queue up around the block. However, during the 10 years that followed, Topshop's shine started to fade. On the high street it faced greater competition from new rivals like & Other Stories, Urban Outfitters and Arket, as well as from established retailers like H&M and Zara, which offer designer lookalikes within weeks of their catwalk debut. Topshop also had a large number of brick-and-mortar stores - some 510 around the world, including 300 in the UK - which became less and less of a draw in the age of online shopping. In 2019 all of Topshop's US stores closed, just 10 years after opening. Compounding the problem was Topshop's sluggish digital investment and the aggressive rise in online, fast fashion retailers like Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing and Missguided, which have become the go-to destinations for Gen Z shoppers looking to snap up new, social-media worthy looks.
Fashion United
25-04-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Topshop confirms return to high street via wholesale partners
The relaunch of Topshop and Topman (TSTM) is continuing to unravel. This time, it appears the brands' current part owner, Asos, has confirmed a possible return to the high street. Yet, while many fans of the brands were hoping for a standalone store, it seems that a different approach is being taken first. In the e-tailer's latest financial report, the company confirmed that it was teaming up with 'a select range of wholesale partners' for the brand's upcoming relaunch, and it was thus 'excited to bring the best of TSTM to customers through new avenues'. This would sit alongside a branded standalone online store, set to launch 'by the end of FY25', the regulatory filing read. Plans were further elaborated on in a statement from Asos CEO, Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte, to The Mirror. Speaking to the media outlet, the executive said the company had reached agreement with specific wholesalers, before adding that 'we have listened to our customers and we understand they want a return to the high street'. While no physical Topshop stores have been confirmed, Calamonte noted: 'We haven't ruled anything out.' His comments come on the back of repeated social media activity teasing at the impending relaunch of the British brand, which most recently took to Instagram to share that it would 'see you IRL [in real life, ed.] in August'. Its roll out is being overseen by both Asos and its new controlling owner Heartland, which snapped up a 75 percent stake in the business back in 2024. Asos, however, has retained the wholesale and licensing rights to the labels. Read more:
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Topshop to return to high street with outlets in other retailers' stores
Topshop is to return to the high street via other retailers' stores, its owner Asos has announced as it played down the impact of rapidly changing tariffs and tax rules on its US sales. The UK online fashion specialist said it had already signed deals to sell Topshop clothing to a number of retail partners and was looking for more, but the first step to a more independent image for the brand would be the relaunch of a stand-alone website later this year. No standalone stores or concessions in bigger stores are planned at present but the company said it had not ruled that out longer term. 'The time has come to become much more present with consumers in the UK and globally, said José Antonio Ramos Calamonte, Asos chief executive. His comments came as the company revealed sales continued to fall rapidly – down 13% to £1.3bn in the six months to 2 March, while pre-tax losses narrowed to £241.5m from £270m a year before – amid hefty competition from rivals such as China's Shein and Temu. Calamonte said the company was focusing on 'delivering value' for its customers in a 'volatile environment' amid rapidly changing plans for tariffs and tax breaks on imported goods in the US. Sales in the US dived by 30%, which the company attributed to 'market conditions' as well as action to reduce unprofitable sales. In the UK, sales fell by 6% as the number of website visits and orders dropped. However, full-price own-brand sales rose by 9%. Calamonte said Asos would probably benefit if, as expected, the UK scrapped or reduced a tax break for products costing less than £135 sent direct to consumers from abroad, which has driven the growth of Shein and Temu. However, he added: 'We want to win by offering consumers the best possible product and that's where we put all our energy.' The CEO said Asos, which sells goods worth about £300m a year in the US, had 'the flexibility to react to whatever comes' on tariffs, as its products were made in a number of countries including Turkey, Morocco, eastern Europe and even the UK, as well as China and the Asia-Pacific region. 'I feel confident we are well prepared to react to this challenge,' he said, adding that the group was 'monitoring the situation very closely as it is changing quite a lot'. Asos products are not subject to import tariffs in the US because they benefit from a tax break for items worth less than $800 sent direct to consumers from abroad. That loophole will be closed for Chinese-made products from next week. Calamonte said only 5% of the group's sales in the US was generated by products sourced in China. These were likely to face higher tariffs when rules changed, but that would not necessarily mean higher prices for US shoppers, he said. 'We adapt to the market we will not push prices we will follow the market.' The Asos boss said there were no signs of Chinese-made products being dumped in the UK or Europe but Asos was 'not fighting the battle of being the cheapest in the market and we are not going to change that now'. He added that the UK online fashion market could not get any more competitive than it already was. 'Some companies are operating cheaper than us and we are still finding green shoots,' Calamonte said. Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Mayor
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Topshop to return to high street with outlets in other retailers' stores
Topshop is to return to the high street with outlets in other retailers' stores, its owner, Asos, has announced as it played down the impact of rapidly changing tariffs and tax rules on its US sales. The UK online fashion specialist said it had signed deals to set up Topshop branded areas with a number of retail partners and was looking for more, but the first step to a more independent image for the brand would be the relaunch of a stand-alone website later this year. No stand-alone stores are planned at present but the company said it had not ruled that out longer term. 'The time has come to become much more present with consumers in the UK and globally, said José Antonio Ramos Calamonte, Asos chief executive. His comments came as the company revealed sales continued to fall rapidly – down 13% to £1.3bn in the six months to 2 March, while pre-tax losses narrowed to £241.5m from £270m a year before – amid hefty competition from rivals such as China's Shein and Temu. Calamonte said the company was focusing on 'delivering value' for its customers in a 'volatile environment' amid rapidly changing plans for tariffs and tax breaks on imported goods in the US. Sales in the US dived by 30%, which the company attributed to 'market conditions' as well as action to reduce unprofitable sales. In the UK, sales fell by 6% as the number of website visits and orders dropped. However, full-price own-brand sales rose by 9%. Calamonte said Asos would probably benefit if, as expected, the UK scrapped or reduced a tax break for products costing less than £135 sent direct to consumers from abroad, which has driven the growth of Shein and Temu. However, he added: 'We want to win by offering consumers the best possible product and that's where we put all our energy.' Read More Major League Pickleball and PPA Tour complete long-awaited merger The CEO said Asos, which sells goods worth about £300m a year in the US, had 'the flexibility to react to whatever comes' on tariffs, as its products were made in a number of countries including Turkey, Morocco, eastern Europe and even the UK, as well as China and the Asia-Pacific region. 'I feel confident we are well prepared to react to this challenge,' he said, adding that the group was 'monitoring the situation very closely as it is changing quite a lot'. Asos products are not subject to import tariffs in the US because they benefit from a tax break for items worth less than $800 sent direct to consumers from abroad. That loophole will be closed for Chinese-made products from next week. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Calamonte said only 5% of the group's sales in the US were generated by products sourced in China. These were likely to face higher tariffs when rules changed, but that would not necessarily mean higher prices for US shoppers, he said. 'We adapt to the market we will not push prices we will follow the market.' The Asos boss said there were no signs of Chinese-made products being dumped in the UK or Europe but Asos was 'not fighting the battle of being the cheapest in the market and we are not going to change that now'. He added that the UK online fashion market could not get any more competitive than it already was. 'Some companies are operating cheaper than us and we are still finding green shoots,' Calamonte said.
