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Womenswear veteran Frank Lyman is building a huge new office for his brand, but he has not forgotten the importance of independents and still gets excited by sales
He may have been in the industry for more than 40 years, but Canadian Frank Lyman shows no signs of slowing down.
In fact, the founder of mainstream womenswear brand Frank Lyman Design has a busy 2014 ahead. Firstly, a 177,605 sq ft building in Montreal, Canada, is currently under construction to become the brand's new head office and will take the business to "the next level", says Lyman.
It includes a state-of-the-art automated receiving and shipping system along with modern showrooms. The office, which is due to open in the spring, is located close to Montréal-Trudeau airport to help ease access for visitors to Frank Lyman Design's headquarters.
However, at the heart of the business is its product, which is a favourite among mainstream womenswear independents in the UK. Lyman explains that the brand continuously works to update its offering and for spring 14 has launched a new capsule collection of cocktail dresses and floor-length gowns to provide its stockists with a strong range of "extra special" pieces. Johanne Baron, vice-president of design and a long-time associate of Lyman, is responsible for the look of the range.
The 39-piece evening dress collection, Lyman by Frank Lyman, includes knee-length bandage-style dresses and one-shoulder frocks. Wholesale prices range from £80 for a knee-length dress to £110 for a floor-length gown.
Across both the mainline and the new capsule collection Lyman says the fabric, fit and style of a garment are all hugely important, but that pieces need to have "the wow factor". He adds: "Personal customers email me around 10 to 15 times a day to say thank...