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Press and Journal
4 days ago
- Business
- Press and Journal
Union Vinyl no more: Haven for Inverness music lovers closes its doors
Union Vinyl owner Nigel Graham has never been one for the easy option. Even when struggling to keep his Inverness business afloat amodt costing of living rises he has been loathe to sell some of the biggest albums around. Taylor Swift, he explains, won't be found on any of his shelves. 'It's not really what we do,' he told The Press and Journal. 'They can go to HMV for that.' Nigel quietly closed the doors of the Market Brae record store on Saturday for the last time. The business celebrated its 11th birthday just a few weeks ago, but rising costs meant it couldn't continue. It has been a must-visit destination for music lovers from the city and further afield, and will be missed by its many regulars. His musical journey will, however, continue at Union Vinyl's sister shop in Nairn. Nigel told The Press and Journal: 'The cost of living has proved too much. 'Unfortunately, it was just not sustainable to keep the shop going. 'I had been looking to have someone take it over, but no one could get it over the line. 'It takes a special kind of person to do this job. 'It's a passion project. It's not for the money'. Union Vinyl was born because of Nigel's long-time love of collecting records. He began at just 10 years old and would travel around the country as a teenager to find Bowie recordings. When money was tight, he decided to sell a few of his prized records and discovered that he could turn his passion into a business. Initially opening as a pop-up on Union Street, the record store went from strength-to-strength, moving first to Academy Street and later to Market Brae Steps. How an obsession for collecting records cued up a business opportunity in Inverness Nigel also opened a second premises, Vinyl 2 Vintage, in his hometown of Nairn in 2021. Vinyl 2 Vintage will remain open and Nigel plans to move much of Union Vinyl's existing stock to the shop on Nairn High Street. There will, however, be a final chance to visit Union Vinyl and maybe pick up a bargain. A closing down sale is to take place on June 6 and 7. Although Nigel has no desire to stock many of today's more popular artists, plenty of his records were still flying off the shelves. Blondie's Parallel Lines, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours 'never last more than a couple of days' before selling out, he revealed. He was also always keen to recommend any album by his idol David Bowie. On the shop's last day, Nigel's employee Robert Ross played Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust one last time before closing the doors. The last song on the album is Rock 'n' Roll suicide, which Nigel described as 'quite apt'. Nigel said: 'The overheads are not as high for our shop in Nairn, but in Inverness we were paying a lot more and it just got too much. 'We just weren't getting the customers. 'They say there is this big vinyl resurgence but I don't think there is – we have never really seen the impact of that. 'Big businesses and corporate companies do kill the independent shops.' He added: 'We do have a certain type of customer though. 'If they are into Taylor Swift or whatever, they can quite happily go to HMV for that. 'It's not really what we do. 'I was also stretched between the two shops. That was a factor. 'The shop in Nairn is bigger and better and I will have more time to devote to it now. 'I hope some people will want to cross the divide to Nairn to come look at some vinyl. 'I like to think some of my regular customers will come over.' Despite looking forward to devoting more time to his Nairn shop, Nigel said he was sad to close his Inverness shop. It sits just yards from where he used to hunt for records in his younger years. He said: 'I do feel it's a shame. 'There has been a record shop on Market Brae steps since the 1970s. I think it's a loss of a tradition. 'I would love someone to take it on.'
Scotsman
26-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Michelle Mone: Who is the Conservative peer? What is Ultimo and what is Michelle Mone's net worth?
Michelle Georgina Mone OBE is a Scottish business entrepreneur and is the subject of a new BBC documentary. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The BBC has released a new two-part documentary, The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone, tracing the businesswoman's story from 1999, when she landed a deal with Selfridges at just 28, to her more recent involvement in a government PPE scandal during the Covid pandemic. Renowned as a brilliant self-publicist, Baroness Mone of Mayfair was frequently described as one of the UK's most successful businesswomen. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Michelle Mone. Picture: PA However, Baroness Mone has now been stripped of the Conservative whip, is on leave from the House of Lords and a business connected to her is under investigation by the National Crime Agency. Here is who she is, what happened and her net worth. Who is Michelle Mone? Michelle Georgina Mone OBE is a Scottish business entrepreneur and peer in the House of Lords. She is on leave from the House of Lords due to the investigation. She was born in Dennistoun, Glasgow on October 8, 1971 and grew up in the east end of the city, leaving school without qualifications at the age of 15. She initially pursued a modelling career, before successfully applying for a marketing job with the Labatt brewing company. Within two years, she had become the company's head of marketing in Scotland, but was later made redundant, prompting her to set up her own business. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Baroness Mone had been a Labour supporter, but defected to the Conservatives in 2010. Just four years later, she was a prominent voice in favour of the union during the independence referendum. In 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron made her his government's "entrepreneurship tsar", and weeks later she became a Conservative peer. How did Michelle Mone make her money? In 1996, Baroness Mone founded the lingerie company Ultimo, along with MJM International Ltd, with her former husband Michael Mone. The Tory peer has previously described her upbringing in Glasgow as giving her 'balls of steel', telling Michael Malone for his 2012 book profiling Scottish entrepreneurs, Carnegie's Call: "I thought it was normal to go to the local swimming baths to get a wash two or three times a week.' In 2014, Baroness Mone sold her 80 per cent stake in Ultimo, which went bust in 2018. She was appointed to the House of Lords as Baroness Mone by Mr Cameron to lead a review into supporting business start-ups in areas of poverty across the UK. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In 2018, she launched two businesses in the form of mentoring and lifestyle app, Connect 2 Michelle Mone, offering 'advice, guidance and inspiration' for those looking to take their lives 'to the next level', and 'tokenised venture capital fund' Equi Global Ltd. In the same year, it was revealed Baroness Mone's absence rate from the House of Lords was 88 per cent. She attended just 19 days out of a possible 157 at the House of Lords in total. She has also maintained an active interest in cryptocurrency. Former Conservative Party leader David Cameron with Husky dog Troika on the Scott-Turner glacier on the island of Svalbard, Norway | PA What is Michelle Mone's net worth? Michelle Mone's net worth is not precisely known, but is estimated to be in the region of £20 million or more. One website listing Baroness or Lady Mone as a motivational speaker cited her in-person event speaking charges as between £20,000 to £25,000, and between £15,000 and £20,000 for virtual events. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Who is Michelle Mone married to? Baroness Mone is married to Scottish businessman and founder of the Knox Group of Companies, Douglas Barrowman. The the Knox Group is worth an estimated £3 billion. Mr Barrowman was also a director of Aston Management Ltd (AML), which provided tax advice and offshore loan schemes to freelance workers, including social workers, locum doctors, nurses and engineers, before it ceased trading in 2010. Baroness Mone was previously married to Michael Mone from 1989–2011, with whom she had three children. Why is she being investigated? Baroness Mone is being investigated by the NCA as it looks into allegations of personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The evidence is said to include texts and emails from senior officials and at least three ministers concerning the procurement of masks and gowns during the Covid pandemic. Baroness Mone, 52, and her husband deny all allegations against them. The UK government is also suing PPE Medpro, a company set up by Mr Barrowman, to try and recoup £122 million over an alleged breach of contract concerning PPE, which was not used by the NHS because of a claim it did not meet required standards. PPE Medpro has denied the claims. Baroness Mone has claimed 'everyone in government knew of my involvement' with the company. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad When does the BBC documentary come out? The BBC documentary explores the rise and fall of one of the UK's most high-profile businesswoman, going from rags to riches to a possible jail term.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LVMH Prize Reveals 20 Semi-Finalists for 2025 Edition
Fashion's most promising young creatives don't seem to be in a mood for quiet luxury, or casual clothes. 'We are seeing several compelling trends among emerging designers from all over the world, from a renewed interest in tailoring, to handcrafted embellishments and bold occasion dressing,' Delphine Arnault observed in announcing the 20 semi-finalists for this year's edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. More from WWD The Rise and Fall of the Fashion Empires EXCLUSIVE: Tag Heuer Is Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix's First Title Partner Louis Vuitton Partners With École du Louvre, Launches Scholarship Program to Study Its Heritage They originally hail from 15 countries, including Egypt, Ghana and Saudi Arabia for the first time since the prize was founded in 2013. The shortlisted designers are to present their collections at a showroom on March 5 and 6 during Paris Fashion Week, and a committee of experts will whittle the group down to eight finalists. Arnault, the force behind the prize and a key talent scout at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, noted that two of the semi-finalists have competed for the prize in the past: Renaissance Renaissance by Lebanon-based womenswear designer Cynthia Merhej in 2021, and Soshiotsuki by menswear designer Soshi Otsuki of Japan in 2016. The other 18 semi-finalists are Alainpaul by Alain Paul, France; All-in by Benjamin Barron, United States, and Bror August Vestbø, Norway; Boyedoe by David Boye-Doe Kusi, Ghana; Francesco Murano of Italy; Josh Tafoya, United States; KML by Ahmed Hassan, Saudi Arabia; Meruert Tolegen by Meruert Planul-Tolegen, United States; MFPEN by Sigurd Bank, Denmark; Nicklas Skovgaard, Denmark; Penultimate by Xiang Gao, China; Pillings by Ryota Murakami, Japan; Sinéad O'Dwyer, Ireland; Steve O Smith, United Kingdom; Tolu Coker, United Kingdom; Torisheju by Torishéju Dumi, United Kingdom; Yasmin Mansour, Egypt; Young N Sang by Sang Lim Lee et Youngshin Hong, South Korea; and Zomer by Danial Aitouganov, The Netherlands. The 20 labels are competing for a grand prize of 400,000 euros and mentorship by LVMH teams in such areas as sustainable development, communication, copyright and corporate legal aspects, marketing, manufacturing and the financial management of a brand. The winner of the runner-up Karl Lagerfeld Prize walks away with a 200,000-euro endowment and also enjoys a one-year mentorship. Finally, the Savoir-Faire Prize comes with a grant of 200,000 euros and a one-year mentorship. The victors are to be named at a ceremony later this year. 'This year again, many of the brands place high value on experimentation and aesthetics, just like our Savoir-Faire Prize which is entering its second edition,' said Arnault, who is also chairman and chief executive officer of Christian Dior Couture. 'This award highlights the importance of craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability, echoing three key issues for today's fashion and luxury industries. 'I would like to congratulate all the semi-finalists and look forward to meeting them at our showroom in Paris,' she added. This is the 12th edition of the prize, which this year attracted more than 2,300 applicants from all over the world. Once again, the general public will be invited to discover the designers and vote for their favorite collection online from March 5-9 at The LVMH Prize will also distinguish three fashion school graduates, who can apply online until March 30. Each winner, as well as their school, will receive 10,000 euros and join the design studio of one of the group's houses for one year. LVMH's stable of fashion brands includes Dior, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Fendi, Loewe, Loro Piana, Kenzo, Berluti, Emilio Pucci and Marc Jacobs. The LVMH Prize is open to fashion designers from all over the world aged between 18 and 40 who have created at least two womenswear, menswear or genderless ready-to-wear collections. The annual contest has helped propel the careers of such talents as Marine Serre, Nensi Dojaka, Thebe Magugu, Simon Porte Jacquemus and Grace Wales Bonner. Last year's winner was Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson, whose upcyled creations underlined the importance of sustainability as the fashion industry grapples with overproduction and a slowdown in luxury spending. Best of WWD Bottega Veneta Through the Years Chanel's Ambassadors Over The Years Ranking Fashion's Longest-serving Creative Directors
