ImagesMagUK_February_2022

www.images-magazine.com 18 images FEBRUARY 2022 INDUSTRY NEWS Skull Print wins custom clothing award Skull Print, a specialist in ethical garments based in Buxton in Derbyshire, has been named Custom Clothing Store of the Year in regional business awards. Founded in 2018 by Sam Hulme, the company was given the 2021/22 title in the Corporate Livewire Prestige Awards for Central England. Sam said she was delighted with the accolade, adding: “It came quite out of the blue. We have no clue still who nominated us.” Equipped with a heat press and a Brother GTX direct-to-garment printer, Skull Print offers custom printing but also has about 400 products available from T-shirts and hoodies to tote bags, with nearly all garments available in options such as women’s, long-sleeved and tie-dyed. One of the company’s popular designs features its mascot, Skull Cat, who is Sam’s cat and “truly the figurehead of the business”. The internationally run Corporate Livewire Prestige Awards recognise small and medium-sized businesses that have proven to be the best in their market over the past 12 months. imagesmag.uk/skull-prestige Merchandise World postponed due to Covid The organisers of Merchandise World have announced new dates for the postponed January show. The exhibition, which links up suppliers with distributors of promotional clothing and other promotional products, will be held at CBS Arena (formerly the Ricoh Arena) in Coventry on 13 and 14 April 2022. Merchandise World is organised twice a year by the BPMA (the British Promotional Merchandise Association) and Sourcing City. It was last held in September 2021 in Milton Keynes. The BPMA Awards Dinner will now be hosted on 13 April, and all existing bookings will be transferred to this date. imagesmag.uk/merch2022 Russell Europe unveils new logo and website Russell Europe has adopted Russell Athletic’s red, white and blue ‘Eagle R’ logo to create a uniform market presence globally alongside the launch of a new website. The new branding has been rolled out across the European division of Russell Brands, which is a specialist in the business-to-business provision of corporatewear. The Eagle R logo was first introduced in 1983 and, after a hiatus, brought back to life with a Russell Athletic ‘Heritage’ collection in the US and Europe in 2017. The new Russell Brands Europe logo comes without the ‘Athletic’ lettering below the Eagle R to more align with its corporate positioning, but the rest of the logo is identical to the Russell Athletic logo. “By doing this, we are aligning our market presence in Europe and at the same time differentiating ourselves from the Russell Athletic consumer business,” the company explained in a statement. The website, which went live this month, is designed to be very user-friendly and geared more strongly to Russell Brands Europe’s B2B customers’ needs. imagesmag.uk/russell-logo Dates for Promotional Showcase and Big Promotional Trade Show The organisers of The Promotional Showcase and The Big Promotional Trade Show have confirmed their event programmes for 2022. Featuring 23 suppliers of clothing and other products, The Promotional Showcase will be in Cardiff on 11 May, Brighton on 18 May, South Yorkshire on 19 May, High Wycombe on 19 October, and Leicester on 20 October. The Big Promotional Trade Show, which will feature 60 suppliers of promotional clothing, promotional merchandise and related services from the UK, Ireland and the rest of Europe, is being held on 10 March in Glasgow, on 27 April in Esher, on 5 May in Manchester, and on 22 June in Dublin, which was postponed from 16 March this year. The organisers have also announced events in the autumn, called The Big New Products Trade Show, which will major on the thousands of new products and ranges launched into the industry for this key selling period. imagesmag.uk/showcase2022 The new Russell Europe logo 1992-2022 Images has always been a fantastic resource and inspiration, providing valuable insight into current issues affecting the industry, now and in the future. The articles have triggered ideas and important purchases within the business. The new technology section is particularly helpful in shaping our medium and long-term purchasing decisions. Images is a must- read for anyone in the garment and textile decorating industry. – Roger Kentish, Force Wear The Big New Products Trade Show, pictured in 2019, has released its 2022 event dates Sam Hulme founded Skull Print, which has been named Custom Clothing Store of the Year Stay in the picture with our Instagram feed: @imagesmaguk