Dubliner Louis Copeland was yesterday named menswear Retailer of the Year for Britain and Ireland at a reception in London. The award was made jointly by FHM and Menswear magazines; Mr Copeland was also chosen as Classic Retailer of the Year at the same event.
Some 150 other outlets were shortlisted for the principal award announced after lunch for 500 guests at The Brewery in central London. The awards, running for five years, are recognised as the most important in the British menswear industry.
The prizes were presented by Melanie Sykes of Channel 4's The Big Breakfast. In addition to overall Retailer of the Year, there were 10 other categories including Designer of the Year, won by Paul Smith, and Multiple of the Year, won by USC which has just opened its first outlet in Dublin.
Speaking after the event, Mr Copeland said he knew he had been selected for the Classic Retailer category after one of his three premises in the capital had been visited last month by Tom Bottomley, a member of Menswear's editorial staff. But winning the overall award - where competition included London department store Harrods - had come as a complete surprise. Mr Copeland professed himself "delighted" with the accolade but said: "It's not me who won this award, it was all the staff who work with me." Begun by his father, Louis snr, half a century ago, the Louis Copeland shops carry a wide range of Irish and international labels for men.