George Davies (retailer)
| George Davies | |
|---|---|
| Born |
George William Davies 29 October 1941 Crosby,Merseyside, England, UK |
| Education | University of Birmingham |
| Occupation | Fashion designer and retailer |
| Children | 7 |
| Parent(s) | George and Mary Davies |
George Davies (born 29 October 1941 in Crosby), Lancashire, is an English fashion designer and retailer.
Davies headed Next from its creation in the 1980s, before moving on to start the fashion label 'George at Asda' in the 1990s. Leaving Asda in 2000 following their acquisition by Walmart, he launched the Per Una fashion collection at Marks & Spencer.
In 2009, Davies launched his 4th brand (called GIVe) which saw 26 stores opening in selected towns and cities in the UK along with an e-commerce retailing.
Dubbed as a "serial brand creator", the "King of the High Street" and "the leading fashion visionary" he was awarded the Drapers Record Life Time Achievement award in 2003 and the "Designer of the Decade" by Prima in 2004. It has recently been estimated by the Financial Times that Davies has been responsible for the sale of over £54 billion worth of clothing since his time at Next.
Davies is also considered to be an outspoken personality, particularly when voicing his opinions regarding the UK's retail sector.
George William Davies was born in Crosby,Lancashire, on 29 October 1941 to sausage maker George Snr, and seamstress Mary Davies. Davies cites his mother as his motivation to succeed in life in fashion:
His grandparents lived on a farm in Thornton, Crosby, and his parents moved closer to the coast when he was 11, when his mother took over a post office and his father became a sausage factory manager. Davies attended Bootle Grammar School, where he enjoyed sports including golf, football and tennis.
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