Lucinda is a great client of Models1, here’s the little chat we had…
Julien: Hi Lucinda, can you tell me a bit about Urban Outfitters?
Lucinda: Urban Outfitters is a youth lifestyle concept store – a one stop shop for all your wardrobe needs. We stock a vast range of product: menswear, womenswear- both own label and brands. We also sell homewares, music and accessories. We have stores across Europe and a fully transactional website. Look out for more stores coming soon – we hope to open our next store in Edinburgh at the end of the year…

J: Urban Outfitters is cooler than cool, everywhere I look it seems people are walking around with an Urban Outfitters bag full of goodies. how do you guys manage to always stay a step ahead?
L: Our buyers don’t follow catwalk trends but are inspired by travel, music and subculture. We have some great destination stores in Stockholm, Antwerp and Copenhagen where people on the street are a constant source of inspiration to our Buyers.

J: Online shopping is taking over the world it seems at the moment, how important is the online side of the business for Urban Outfitters?
L: It’s extremely important to us as it’s a multi-channel business. We have seen incredible growth in online sales from across Europe, as we can reach lots more customers before we get the chance to open an actual store. However, the site is about more than just shopping, it’s also a great place for us to interact with our customers and visa versa. It’s also really important that our customers relate to the style and look of the models on the site.
J: You have seen hundreds of Models in castings, did anyone ever really stand out for you? why was that?
L: We’ve held a lot of castings here at Urban Outfitters and have been pretty lucky in finding some fantastic models. One of my favorite girls is definitely Anouk Hagemeijer from Models 1. As soon as she came through the door, we knew she was a great fit for the urban brand. She has such a fresh look and a cool vibe about her. We love having Anouk on shoot, she is hard working, easy going and fun. She always brings her personality to the pictures, which is so essential. It is really important to us that our customers relate to our models. Anouk regularly shops at Urban and really suits the product.

J: What is your staple item of clothing for summer 09?
L: This summer, definitely my grey BDG urban cropped tee. I love teaming it with my denim shorts and a studded belt. If I am not feeling so brave I layer it up over a dress or bodycon skirt. It’s such a great festival staple.

J: What should we look out for A/W 09/10?
L: Carin Wester, this great Scandinavian designer who is new to our designer floor and exclusive to us in the UK. Her velvet dresses in yellow and purple are amazing statement pieces and she has also done some fantastic chunky knits for those cold winter nights. We are also hotly anticipating Luella for AW. Her red and blue military coat is a must have!
Urban’s own label is moving away from the more boho style and going more streamlined. Look out for some fab blazers. There are some great accessories too- studded bags and vintage watch necklaces.

Lucinda’s favourite image, by Mario Testino!