Black White Denim wins name battle

Wilmslow-based premium womenswear indie Black White Denim has won its battle against The Scottish Knitwear Group, after the company planned to open a store under the same name. The group, which is the distributor for Pringle

and Ben Sherman in South Africa, had intended to open a shop in Johannesburg in July called Black White Denim, using the indie’s identity as well as concept.

Owner Jo Davies discovered the plans after The Scottish Knitwear Group approached the brands stocked by the indie to be included in the new South African store. This led to the Cheshire boutique and e-commerce retailer embarking on a high-profile legal fight demanding that the group change the name of their proposed store.

Although the group had initially said the project would go ahead without change, it has since backed down from its plans and pledged to open under a different name.

Commenting on the battle, Davies said: “We had to stand up to this, even though we were a small independent taking on a multinational. We were determined not to let our name and concept be taken from us.

“We’re a small independent who has carved a livelihood by establishing a clear niche through a well thought out, hard-won concept in which we have invested all we have.”

Indie Black White Denim wins identity battle

Davies added: “It was a classic David versus Goliath fight and, at first, The Scottish Knitwear Group tried to brush us off. However, as the case gathered momentum and we sought the support of bodies who could leverage huge influence, it became impossible for them to ignore as to proceed would have fundamentally damaged their reputation.

“This victory proves we were right to take on the fight, despite how daunting it was for us. We hope it proves to other small businesses that they shouldn’t take any threats to their business lying down.”

In a letter sent to Davies, Scottish Knitwear Group managing director Rory Scott commented: “It has been decided by the business not to open the intended store under the name Black-White-Denim but to rather select another name for the store.”

The Black White Denim concept launched in 2010 and since then the boutique has received numerous accolades including being voted by fellow independent retailers as the 4th most inspiring independent fashion business in the UK.