Latest news with #Olympia
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Olympia council votes 4-3 to send $20 minimum wage, Workers' Bill of Rights to public vote
The Olympia City Council voted 4-3 on July 22 against an initiative to adopt a Workers' Bill of Rights and raise the minimum wage across the city to $20. It unanimously voted to forward the initiative along for the people to vote on in November. The decision came after several community members provided testimony both for and against the proposal, and nearly a split vote between council members. Mayor Dontae Payne was the deciding vote. The council voted unanimously in a separate vote to send the initiative to the November ballot. The council will take action on for and against committees for the ballot initiative during its Aug. 4 meeting. The initiative states workers deserve fair and secure scheduling with advance notice of their work schedules. They also want the opportunity to move into full-time work when available, and to be paid fairly for their work. The initiative also outlines workers' right to a safe workplace. If adopted, the minimum wage in Olympia would increase on Jan. 1. A phase-in period is included for small and medium-sized businesses to adapt to paying higher wages. Comments from the public Emily Clouse, a Thurston County commissioner, spoke in favor of the initiative, but not on the behalf of the commission as a whole. Clouse said she grew up in her parents' coffee stand and car wash business, and she respects how hard small businesses work to make payroll and build community. She said she knows from her work at the county and as a service provider in Olympia that the people keeping those businesses running are the same people on housing waitlists, in line at the food bank and trying to piece together child care. 'When pay hours and scheduling are unstable, everything in a family's life becomes unstable: housing, health, school and safety,' Clouse said. 'That instability hits hardest for young workers, caregivers, queer and trans workers, immigrants, disabled folks and people coming home from incarceration, exactly the neighbors we say we want to keep rooted here in our community.' Clouse urged the council to pass the initiative as written and said setting a fair baseline helps good employers who are already doing right by their staff. Alice Rosewater said she's a local library worker and member of the executive board for the Thurston Lewis Mason Central Labor Council. She supported passing the initiative and said ballot initiatives are rare in the City of Olympia. Rosewater said the number of signatures needed in order to put an initiative on the ballot is unreasonably high, and much higher per capita than what's required in other cities in Washington. 'Over 5,700 signatures after ballot collection have to be verified, representing nearly 10% of the entire population,' Rosewater said. 'But in spite of this massive hurdle, Olympians have made their voices clear. We demand a higher minimum wage. We demand basic workplace protections in our city.' Rosewater questioned whether it was democratic to send the initiative to a vote of the people when it gives business lobbyists the chance to pour money into campaigns to sway the public opinion. Tammie Hetrick, the president and CEO of the Washington Food Industry Association, didn't support the council adopting the initiative Tuesday night. She asked that it be moved to a public vote for further consideration and for the public to learn more about its implications. Hetrick said she's concerned there will be unintended consequences on the cost of food for grocers and convenience stores that average a 1% profit margin. 'They would not have a choice but to increase food costs to comply with this mandate,' she said. Mindy Roberts is a staff member at the Union Gospel Mission. She said the morning of July 22, more than 80 men and women woke up on the floor of the mission. Before the end of the morning, the mission had served more than 300 meals. Roberts said most of their employees make at least $17/hr and are provided meals. She said they have subsidized housing and try to do everything they can to make sure employees are cared for. She said if the initiative passes, the mission can't afford to pay its workers. 'We won't be able to keep the shelter open, potentially, or we're going to have to stop serving those meals, or we're going to have to talk to the children that are being served and let them know that the kid's club isn't going to be able to be open in September,' Roberts said. Marisa Wulff, co-owner of the Mud Bay pet store chain, asked the council to forward the initiative to a vote of the people. She said the city needs to find the right balance between great jobs for people and the survival of Olympia's local businesses. 'Our company is owned by our family and we're passionate about being a good employer,' Wulff said. 'We provide schedules three weeks in advance. We provide medical, dental and vision insurance for our full-time employees, a generous staff discount, paid time off and a 401K match. We provide security buttons for employees when they work alone.' Wulff said during the last few years, the complexities of being in business have increased dramatically because of increased costs. 'We have had to make cutbacks, including reducing store staffing levels by more than 20%,' she said. 'We have 140 fewer employees than we did three years ago with the same number of stores; our employees used to be almost all full time. We've had to shorten shift links and hire part time. Many of our stores now open and close with only one person.' Wulff said her company is struggling to compete with goliaths like Chewy and Amazon. 'Chewy is shipping products into our communities, but they are not providing jobs for our residents, and we are,' she said. Comments from the council The proposal to adopt the initiative without sending it to the public to vote on was supported by council members Clark Gilman, Jim Cooper and Robert Vanderpool. Gilman said the measure came before the council with more than enough signatures to qualify it for the ballot. He said the council should pass the measure and use time and resources that would be spent on an election campaign instead to meet with employers and workers and conduct a study to address the council's questions. 'One of the questions we've asked often is, who will this measure benefit? And in my world, the working class is not a temporary phase, it's a lifetime of work,' Gilman said. 'Hourly workers in many different industries, workers in different phases of their life, all would benefit from increased pay and scheduling protection, whether the paycheck comes from a boutique or large, locally owned or corporate employer.' He said the people who would benefit from the Workers' Bill of Rights in the community range from teenagers who have to contribute to the family budget, to many parents with school age children, to elders who must continue to work to pay for their health care concerns and expenses. 'The measure is an important step to leveling the playing field in Olympia and creating a strong Olympia where everybody has a chance to belong and an opportunity to live with dignity,' Gilman said. Cooper said the Workers' Bill of Rights isn't a vague aspiration, but a clear, community-driven mandate. 'Over 13,000 signatures were submitted, far exceeding the threshold required,' Cooper said. 'That's not just a number. That's thousands of our neighbors, constituents and local workers from around the region telling us they want action now.' He said the protections laid out in the initiative aren't radical demands, but baseline expectations of a just and moderate economy. 'Studies consistently show that higher minimum wages do not reduce youth employment,' he said. 'In fact, they often lead to better job stability and more predictable hours, things young people need just as much as anyone else. And for nonprofits, fair wages help retain staff, reduce turnover and improve service delivery.' Cooper said the council often meets to talk about housing affordability, zoning, density and supply, but rarely are wages discussed. He said 44% of households in Olympia fall under the term asset-limited, income-constrained and employed. He said these are people who often work full time but still can't afford their basic necessities. 'Housing costs in Olympia have risen 55% over the past seven years, while wages have only risen 38%,' Cooper said. 'The gap is not just a statistic. It's a trap. It keeps people stuck in the cycle of rent burden, unable to save, unable to move, unable to build wealth, and when people can't move up, they can't move out.' Cooper said the city can't solve its housing crisis without addressing wages. 'We cannot build a thriving city on the backs of underpaid workers,' he said. 'We cannot keep deferring decisions that we have the power and the responsibility to make.' Mayor Dontae Payne said he couldn't be in support of the initiative because there were a number of things he found problematic. He said the initiative isn't written well and he's concerned about the impacts it will have on smaller businesses in Olympia. He said just last week the council had a study session and posed questions to city staff that the council needed answers to before coming to a decision, yet no answers have been provided. 'They're basic questions: what are the current economic conditions of the City of Olympia? Why are we making this decision, and for whom? How many will it impact? Who will be affected? What are the consequences that we foresee and what are the ones that maybe we're not thinking about?' he said. Payne said the city hasn't done its homework, and it shouldn't be passing policies without all the answers. He said Olympia isn't Seattle, and you can't take what's happening there and plot it in a city the size of Olympia. 'Please understand that there will be those who will benefit from this action and there will be those who do not,' he said. 'And it is just not a reality to sit here and say that it's going to be beneficial to the majority of people in this community, because I don't think it will, and so I will not be supporting adopting it as an ordinance to the city tonight.' Solve the daily Crossword
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Darren Kiely: 'All these things are hard to believe they're happening'
Viral folk-pop star Darren Kiely is gearing up to headline the final night of the Bulmers Live at Leopardstown series this Thursday. Hailing from a small town in Cork, Kiely, who fuses traditional Irish roots with modern folk-pop influences, began singing in 2019 and quickly drew attention for his powerful vocals and heartfelt songwriting. A gifted multi-instrumentalist from a young age, the star recently dropped his newest single, Married on My Phone. 'I guess, living away now, you lose touch with people,' Darren Kiely told the Irish Mirror ahead of his massive Bulmers Live at Leopardstown show. 'I'm kind of running into people that I would have known when I was back in school. And I feel like people are living kind of completely different lives to what I remember it as. 'I just wanted to write something about how jarring that could be and how that situation could pop up. I've seen kind of crazy life events for people I kind of used to know online. 'I think it's just kind of a mad thing how maybe 20 or 30 years ago, people just kind of went out of their lives and never, never saw or heard of them again. 'And now it's just very different, and it's kind of something you can't really escape. I just thought it was just really interesting to me. 'I think it's kind of really jarring, and that's why I kind of wanted to make a song about it.' The folk-pop star released his newest single recently The songwriter has gone from strength to strength over his career, playing shows at Electric Picnic, the Olympia and more. Darren said through all the 'mad moments' he sometimes feels an 'imposter syndrome'. 'I think of some of the shows I've played at home,' Darren explained. 'I think of Electric Picnic last summer. We got to play in the Electric Arena there, and some of the shows in March, I definitely remember the Olympia being special. 'And playing in Cork, all those ones were just, I don't know if it was pivotal, but it was just, such a kind of a mad moment. They were all mad moments. 'And then, trying to put on shows in different different countries and for people to be there for all those moments feels like, it feels like someone else is doing it... so there's definitely like an imposter syndrome. 'But it's just trying to do it again and trying to go back and hopefully get those moments again. 'I feel like, if I can do it one more time around, maybe I'll be feeling the exact same way as I am right now, but I feel like I'll be more confident that it'll be something that might go on for as long as I wanted to go on.' A view of the crowd at Leopardstown Racecourse for the Bulmers Live Festival series in Dublin Kiely will be headlining night four of the Bulmers Live at Leopardstown series this Thursday, July 24, closing out the event with a bang. 'It's very exciting,' the folk star said of the upcoming performance. 'Playing shows at home is probably the most excited you could be for any shows. 'It's just always fun, having new music thrown into it is exciting... all these things are hard to believe they're happening. And then you're there. 'Even we were in Ottawa the other day, and you're like, 'This is mad'. My brain doesn't even look ahead to be like, 'Is there going to be people there?' And then there is! That's amazing. I feel massively inspired and excited now after having done that. 'I guess when you kind of plod along and you write songs, and you don't really see people, or you're just kind of watching a phone or stuff is going online. It's so nice to get out and play in front of people. It's a serious buzz.' Darren Kiely plays Bulmers Live at Leopardstown on Thursday, 24 July. Tickets from just €30 are on sale now here. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Who owns the ‘Jungle' homeless encampment in Olympia?
Days after The Olympian published a story about an elected official and others touring the homeless encampment known as the Jungle — a meeting that was spurred by concerns about recent violence at the camp — readers had more questions about the site between Martin Way and Pacific Avenue near Interstate 5. Chief among those questions: Who owns the land? The answer: Although the city of Olympia owns some of it, most is privately held by a business called JJP Group LLC, which also owns the Chevron station near the camp on its Pacific Avenue side. A representative of JJP Group LLC declined to comment. The Olympian, working with a Thurston County Assessor's Office representative, identified six parcels owned by JJP Group between Martin Way and Pacific Avenue that total 16.40 acres. The city owns two parcels that total 6.75 acres. Why does the city own those parcels and what arrangement do they have to access the site for camp residents? The city-owned property was purchased in June 2021, said Assistant City Manager Stacey Ray. 'The city purchased the property for multiple uses including, but not limited to, the future extension of Ensign Road and to allow the city more flexibility in managing several informal homeless encampments and providing other housing and homeless services to individuals living there,' she said. Accessing the private property, including a large chunk of land near Martin Way, is the result of a two-year option agreement to purchase land in the area that was agreed to between the city and JJP, Ray said. That option is still in place, she said, and it specifies that access will be allowed for trash cleanup, homeless outreach activities and for the installation and construction of fencing between the camp and neighboring businesses, she said. Neighbors weigh in The Olympian decided to ask a neighboring business owner about the experience of operating next door to the camp. THC of Olympia, a marijuana retailer, couldn't be closer. The business is situated steps away from the front entrance to the camp at 3200 Martin Way E. THC owner Ciaran Wilburn, who has been there for about nine years, said the camp has evolved from one he described as a group of 'old-timers looking to escape society' to what he called a 'large drug and mental health crisis.' Wilburn said he does not have many issues with the people who occupy the camp, but he scoffed at a city officials who say the city is doing a good job of balancing accountability with compassion at the Jungle. 'This is compassion?' said Wilburn as he stood outside his business and gestured at the camp. He rattled off a list things that would help: better defined camp spaces, more sanitation services, running water and security cameras that might prevent crime. 'Put the camera systems up you have in the grocery store parking lot, so at least there's the illusion of security,' he said. Wilburn wasn't done. 'This is the most accepting area I've ever visited, and this is how we're dealing with this? It's a joke,' he said. 'Nine years of watching this, the city's a joke.' What do camp residents say? The Olympian spent time at the front entrance to the camp to interview those coming and going. Those interviewed were uncomfortable with using their full names, but they did agree to first names and ages. Former long-term camp resident, Danielle, 35, pulled up in her car to pick up some people on the fringe of the camp. She recalled it was kind of cool to build her own shelter there, but although the camp was safe for the most part, it had an 'uncomfortable energy.' She said she was finally able to get housing with the assistance of the Family Support Center. She said there needs to be more shelters for women, so they don't have to wait as long in a camp like the Jungle for housing. 'It's not right, it's not fair,' she said. Does the camp govern itself? She said it is self-governing to a degree and that people hold each other accountable. When young people enter the camp because they are curious about it, they are told to leave, she said. 'It's not OK. The young should not be here.' Mark, 36, originally from California, said he has lived in the camp a long time. 'I like it here,' he said, adding that he has freedom in the camp and nobody bothers him. He described the camp as safe. C.J., 49, who was sitting in the backseat of Danielle's car, said she lived in the Jungle for five years before she secured housing. She said the camp has a hierarchy, but it's not too different from regular society in that there's an expectation that you'll pick up after yourself and not touch other people's stuff. There was a time when the camp had an 'aura of peace and calm' to it, but not in the last 18 months, she said. In that time, The Olympian has reported about a rape at the camp and the violent assault of a woman by a group of people. Wolf, 59, said he has lived at the camp for the last six to seven months. 'The goal is to get out of here,' he said. He, too, said the camp is 95% safe, although there are a few characters in the Jungle that account for that 5%. 'A lot of people help each other,' he said, adding that it feels like a 'big, loose, chaotic family.' Equal time When The Olympian wrote about the tour of the camp, one of those on hand was Olympia City Council candidate Wendy Carlson, who is challenging incumbent Clark Gilman. Gilman did not participate in that tour, so in the interest of equal time, The Olympian reached out to him after Tuesday night's council meeting to get his thoughts about the camp. Here's what he had to say: 'I agree that the living conditions are not appropriate for anybody at the Jungle, but I also recognize the reality that we don't have the resources to just end it,' he said. 'And so instead, we're in a position of managing it as best we can, and that's been through a combination of policing, of social work and mutual aid outreach, of having our crisis responders be in relationships with people there.' Gilman also said that without policy changes the problem continues. 'There's not a finite number of people who are very poor or who are not able to access health care services that they need,' he said. 'And as long as we keep minting more people who are very poor, and as long as we keep reducing what's available for health care, we're going to continue to have more individuals who are in this situation that we're trying to help as best we can and to manage the situation.' Concerns about 'Jungle' homeless encampment spur tour with Lacey, Olympia officials Four people charged in connection with June 18 attack in Olympia's 'Jungle' Olympia man charged with attempted murder in Lacey rape case faces new rape charge Solve the daily Crossword
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Is the Olympia Theater officially dunzo? Here's the latest on Miami's historic venue
The Olympia Theater, a beloved cultural landmark in downtown Miami, is poised for a long-overdue revival. Originally opened in 1926 as a silent movie palace designed by architect John Eberson, it features a ceiling that mimics a starlit night sky and Moorish-style décor. Over the decades, it evolved from a movie house into a performing arts venue, with its history deeply entwined with the city's cultural growth. But for the last five years, the Olympia has sat empty. Now, the theater that once saw performers from Elvis Presley to Ella Fitzgerald and Luciano Pavarotti perform on its stage might open its doors once more. The Miami City Council will vote Thursday, July 24 on a proposal that would see public charter school Sports Leadership Arts Management (SLAM) taking over the title to the Olympia and the adjacent 10-story building on condition of restoring the theater according to historic preservation requirements. SLAM was founded by music superstar Pitbull, of all people. Well, if anyone cares enough about Miami history to save a historic landmark from disuse, it's him. Under the agreement, the City of Miami would deed the theater to SLAM, which would cover the estimated $40 million in repair and renovation costs. The charter would use the theater for community events and student productions, while the building behind it would be used for classrooms. The newly announced plan would address critical structural repairs, modernize the building's technical systems, and restore its elaborate design. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and city commissioners have emphasized the importance of preserving the Olympia not just as a historic site, but as a site that could host concerts, theater, film, and community events, integrating it into revitalization efforts already underway throughout downtown Miami. If all goes according to plan, the Olympia Theater could reopen in time to celebrate its 100th anniversary, restored to the splendor that once captivated generations and ready to inspire new ones.
Fashion Network
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Scoop SS26: continuity and strength
Anyone looking for a radically new and different trend direction might have been disappointed with the latest edition of Scoop this week. But anyone seeking a strong, quality product offer with which they could just about fill their entire store for SS26 would have come away happy. The overall story was, as always with this show, about subtly, imperceptibly even, moving the trend forward and brands known for a unique style that stays relatively constant. It's also a testament to the enduring appeal of the loose-cut printed dress and it's sometimes interesting to see how many interpretations of that can be found and can genuinely stand out from the crowd. The event remained at London's Olympia this time (although in a different hall — Olympia National — that was easier to find than last season) and with its 'Magical Edition' theme, the venue's embellishment, the ethereal mannequins as you entered, even the xylophone player at the entrance all added an entertaining edge to a show that's very much a 'let's get down to business' one. And business is key. Forget the runways and seminar programmes at other shows. Here it's all about the stands and the collections. And those stands are increasingly mixed between the women's clothing that makes up the bulk of the offer, the accessories and ever more jewellery and beauty exhibitors. So to get down to detail, there were over 200 premium, contemporary designer collections and visitors came from some distance away (Japan and the Caribbean probably being the furthest). European buyers were out in force, with the negative psychological impact of Brexit perhaps less of an issue? There was a strong Irish contingent of buyers too (maybe due to the same reason), as well as plenty from Northern England, Scotland and Wales, in addition to the heavy presence of those from the Southern England for whom London is a much easier trip. Visitors included independents such as Matthew Williamson, Cordelia James, Chattertons, Cavells, The Dressing Room, Bob & Ted, Sister, Anya, Doyle's, Sass & Edge, Browns, and The Mercantile. And major department stores including El Corte Inglés, Galeries LaFayette, Printemps, Anthropologie, Le Bon Marche, Fenwick, John Lewis, Frasers, Voisins, Morley Stores, and Macbees were there. Brand focus The mix of brands showing was cosmopolitan too with plenty from the UK, of course, but 35 from France, 25 from Spain, 10 from Greece, and 20 each from Italy and Denmark. On the show floor, Nordic contemporary brand Noen embraced the print and embroidery focus of the show but did it with an individual twist. Particularly striking was its Art Nouveau-influenced line-drawn print, found on dresses and separates and appealing enough to work for co-ords that might have been overpowering if more colours had been used. The overall colour palette was built around white with blues, greys, lilacs, creams and a hint of lemon. The team told us that buyers wanted 'newness, freshness, natural fibres, something quirky, not 'flat' and nice embroidery'. And buyers were very aware that 'consumers don't want a one-day wonder, they want to build up wardrobes'. At the joint Bl-nk (pronounced Blank) and Conditions Apply stand, it was an interesting situation of the former (and older) brand being new to the show and the latter having shown there for 10 years. Also interesting was that while print was a major story for Bl-nk in the dominant colours of mid-green and pink, 'we haven't done quite so much, we've incorporated more block colours, so more plains, in order to enable our clients to be able to have a little bit more breadth in terms of how they can style. We think it's slightly bewildering to have something that's very, very print heavy, but then to have a plane to break it up makes it slightly more palatable'. That said, the label has been more ambitious for the season with items like a dress with head to toe lines of frills. For Conditions Apply, the story was built more around the fabrics and details, along with the prints — but it was another celebration of maximalism, although one that in this case made the most of traditional Indian textile techniques. Australian label Palm Noosa also embraced print but in a much bolder form. The watchword here was perhaps 'fun' and the story was all about conversational prints that were pure summer. Represented by agency Claret Showroom, dresses were cut loose and fluid and were primarily longer-length, although this time there were minis too — think slightly flared tunic shapes and fringed minis — suggesting a targeting of a wide age range as well as ensuring there's something for the existing, slightly older customer. French brand Les Filles D'Ailleurs is a regular at the show and one that can always be relied upon to offer an alternative to the maximalist, print-heavy focus that many of the labels embrace. This time its palette of an almost-lemon cream, white, pale pink, blue and grey was a subtle backdrop for surface effects and textural finishes. A simple full skirt was transformed with an ultra-light taffeta that can work as well when crinkled as when smooth. And a perennially popular shirt dress reinvented given an edge with an allover bubble texture. Spanish labels were out in force, as were jewellery brands, underlining the increasing importance of this category to fashion boutiques as well as specialist jewellers. Combining both, UNOde50 (showing for only the second time) summed up the strong trend for sometimes-abstract organic forms in gold or silver, largely devoid of gemstones. Founded in the 1990s and with prices ranging from around £35 up to £150, it hits the sweet spot for many womenswear boutiques, although its designs are as much about 'statement artworks' as fashion pieces so it's no surprise to hear that it sells to art galleries as well as fashion stores. It saw particularly strong interest in its Manta Ray collection at Scoop. Another Spanish brand and Scoop first-timer, PDPaola, has been intensifying its efforts in the UK market in recent periods (as well as the US) with store openings and it's clear from its presence at the show that wholesale is crucial too. Featuring sterling silver, 18-carat gold- and rhodium-plating, it has an in-built advantage with its 1.6 million Instagram followers and actress Kelly Rutherford as a brand ambassador. Despite having 45 stores globally, it's also strong in wholesale and in the UK already sells to Selfridges, Liberty, John Lewis and a number of major independents. At the event it was showing its letter necklaces, charms, and sculptural pieces (again, a major trend at the show and a strong interpretation of it by a co-founder who was originally an architect), which it said were well-received by independent retailers. The brand is considering returning to the show based on the sales on day one alone. And once again from Spain, footwear brand Naguisa was doing strong business based on its reimagining of Spanish classics. Think espadrilles with a twist and more. That could have simply been a new type of braiding for an espadrille effect around the edge of a pair of sandals. But it was also taken further with crochet and intricately woven leather uppers (both of which we're told were proving popular). The view from the show floor It was hard to find anyone showing at Scoop with a bad word to say about it. And while a few seasons back, some had bemoaned the move from the Saatchi gallery to Olympia, everyone seemed happy this time with the space at Olympia National. And despite Sunday afternoon (day one) being quiet, perhaps due to the men's Wimbledon final, exhibitors seemed happy with overall attendance by day three. Alex Radford of agency Palladio Associates said it had been 'super busy' with the Vilagallo, Dream Catcher and Orfeo Paris brands it was showing all strong. It saw 'a lot of good buyers' including French department stores. 'The layout this season is better, the wider aisles make it easier for the buyers and shows the collections better and make it easier to do business'. Sam Hunt and Tara Marie Roche of London and New York-based bags brand écotorie said they'd 'written orders, seen old friends and new customers, so we couldn't be happier. It's been the right type of retailers too, more premium, from lovely areas like Richmond, Chiswick, Norwich, Ireland, Scotland and overseas as well'. New to the event was Stephane Kelian and the label's president Estelle Bauer called it 'wonderful… Launching a French collection that is quite expensive can be difficult but here it has received incredible feedback. I do a lot of fairs including Germany and Tokyo, Scoop really stands out, the atmosphere is warm, and the entire show is beautiful. I would definitely like to return in February'. Maria Alvares Rilla of Spain's Sophie and Lucie called it 'the most beautiful show you can go to in Europe, it is boutique and so well curated. What [organiser] Karen Radley does at Scoop is to act as a host, so you feel you are part of something special and very personal. The show has its own rhythm, you can work steadily here without feeling overcrowded but meeting all the right boutiques and stores. For Sophie and Lucie it is an important show, and the UK is becoming one of our most important markets'.
