Beyond the Hype
Founded in 2005, END. Clothing was created through a shared passion for fashion, design, art and music and its vision was to bring together world-renowned names, emerging designers and unearthed brands from all corners of the globe. RLI was joined by company CEO Sebastian Suhl to discuss how it now offers its global community unique experiences via physical concept stores and digital touchpoints.
Originally joining End. in late 2024 as a Non-Executive Director/Board Member, Sebastian was thrilled with the opportunity as the business is a unique lifestyle blend of fashion, performance sport, home and much more – all served in an inclusive manner. So when he was offered the opportunity to step into the CEO role last year, it was a chance that he could not pass up.
Having come a long way in a relatively short time, one of the keys to its early success was its adoption of its online channel well ahead of many of its competitors in the fashion industry. Today, around 80 per cent of its turnover is generated online and about half of the business is generated from outside the UK. Nonetheless, their collection of stores, four in the UK and one in Milan, remain a significant part of the company, not only in terms of turnover generated but also as community hubs.
While they are a global business their priority markets are UK, US and Australia. They also maintain customers across Asia and Europe, whilst the name is growing in the Middle East and Suhl and the wider team see particular potential and are considering a specific project in this region.
The company was founded as a physical store over 20 years ago. Even as the online segment has ramped up over the years, stores are as important as ever to them. The in-store experience is completely different and very much complementary to online retail.
“In terms of product categories, the majority of our business and our main focus, is apparel, in particular the contemporary segment. We also maintain our authority in sneakers, performance sport and streetwear,” highlights Sebastian Suhl, CEO of END. Clothing. “Additionally, we will continue to develop our interesting designer segment. In recent seasons, END. has evolved from a men’s label to encompass women’s categories as well. Womenswear has posted strong growth for the company and now accounts for approximately one quarter of our total turnover.”
On 14 September the group launched END. Label – their first own-branded collection. The concept was conceived to serve their core contemporary male and female customers with authentic products they know they covet.
END. do not consider themselves a ‘luxury’ business in the classic sense of the term. They are a cultural hub serving a specific community. Their focus is instead on curating and creating a specific product offering as well as ongoing experiences of various types, remaining committed to bringing an inclusive vision of lifestyle to market.
“Distinguished on several levels, a significant portion of our product offering is exclusive. Historically, we are known for products co-created with brand partners that are now increasingly evolving into collections – both with fashion and sports brands. Beyond product, we offer our customers different experiences in terms of special events and presentations of art, fashion and other worlds, both in and outside of our stores,” says Suhl.
Discussing how they balance maintaining a distinct British identity whilst resonating with consumers in global markets, the CEO says a specific type of Britishness – Northern – is central to their brand platform. This distinctive identity is one of the facets of END. that sets them apart from other retailers. While they have developed into a global player, they have never lost sight of their original identity and in fact they are proud of it and strive to make sure it is visible in everything they do moving forward.
With AI now a question on everyone’s mind, across the board the team at END. has embraced AI and are actively using a wide array of tools across business functions. Priority AI areas for them include onsite and in app personalisation, as well as merchandising optimisation and as support to creativity.
Moving from the topic of AI to sustainability, Suhl feels that discovery does not equate to wastefulness. While they offer a great discovery experience to their customers, they strive to do so in a responsible manner. First, they tailor their production to their needs and do everything they can to limit overstocking. They also never destroy products at the end of a season. In the products they have co-designed as collaboration or those they produce themselves for the new END. Label, they source sustainable materials and work exclusively with an ethical supply chain.
Speaking about the future, the CEO comments that they aim not only to be considered as a brand, but to operate as one. “Multi-brand will continue to account for most of the business even as we ramp up our END. Label alongside selected collaborations,” Suhl says.
“The key is for all these products – fashion, sports, lifestyle…- to be part of the distinctively Northern British END. world – unpretentious, authentic, inclusive… but cutting edge,” Suhl concludes.
