Weird Fish, the Cheltenham-based casual leisure brand, has recruited Kelvin Vidler as international sales director.
As former managing director of Americana International (the fashion group behind the Bench and Hooch brands) and clothing company Lee Cooper, Vidler has extensive experience in international expansion. He will drive Weird Fish’s international wholesale business, initially targeting Northern Europe.
Famous for its distinctive fit and fabrics, Weird Fish is one of the UK’s fastest growing multi-channel lifestyle brands. It has 11 standalone retail stores and 450 wholesale accounts in the UK and Holland.
Founded in 1993, the company enters its 20th year with intense product development, an up-weighted brand identity and a dedicated womenswear focus. Backed by Piper, the leading specialist investor in consumer brands, Weird Fish reports +20% SS14 pre-sell and +8% sales growth like-for-likes for the first half year. Its signature garment ‘The Macaroni’ celebrated its millionth sale this summer and the brand has just launched an online menswear trial with House of Fraser.
Says Kelvin Vidler: ‘This is an exciting opportunity with a fantastic brand that has the huge international potential I have experienced in previous lives. With many UK brands being swallowed up by large companies, homogenising the offering, it’s great to be working with a growing independent brand whose core values are with the product and customer.’
John Stockton, managing director of Weird Fish, adds: ‘We welcome Kelvin to the team as an integral part of Weird Fish’s future. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and core experience in international business which will be fundamental to the group’s ambitious growth plans.’
For more information, please contact:
Matt Janes, Head of Brand Communications.
Tel: 01242 526222. Email: matt@weirdfish.co.uk
Or George Thwaites at Clearwood Communications
Tel: 07884 117534. Email: george@clearwoodcommunications.com