Airborne denim

Fast fashion took on a whole new meaning last week when a private eight-seater plane flew into Weston Airport from Denmark carrying samples of spring clothing ranges to sell directly to Irish wholesale customers, before continuing its journey to Paris, Marseille and seven other European destinations.

On board were the two young Danish designers of the trend-driven denim label Only, with the brand’s sales and marketing team. Hot items were denim jackets with chain embellishment, polka dot T-shirts and shiny-shouldered sweatshirts. Only has stand-alone shops in Liffey Valley, Omni Park, Clonmel, and Enniskillen and will open in the Jervis Centre at Easter, one of seven new outlets planned for this year. The event was expected to generate some €60,000 worth of orders. Along with Vero Moda, Jack Jones and Exit, Only is among 14 brands owned by Bestseller, one of the biggest clothing companies in Denmark. Established more than 30 years ago, it employs 13,000 people globally and is a market leader in mid-market fashion in China, where it outsells HM, Inditex (Zara, Bershka et al) and Gap.