By George! Hasn't this designer done well

GEORGE DAVIES has a lot to thank his Liverpudlian mum for. And his auntie and cousin. For, if they hadn't made their own clothes throughout his childhood, then the stalwart fashion designer would never have sat down and looked at the patterns with them, nor would he have shown any interest in the female fashion world.

"It was just a bit of fun," laughs 66-year-old George, who was named as Designer of the Decade by industry chiefs in 2006 and has produced collections for Next, Asda and now Per Una for Marks & Spencer.

"I never thought that was what I was going to do. I even studied dentistry at university."

But the lure of fashion proved too much and, at the age of 21, he became a buyer for Littlewoods. And this is where his 40-year love affair with Edinburgh began.

From learning his craft in the Scottish textiles industry to opening the Capital's very first Next retail store in Princes Street – and being awarded an honorary doctorate by Heriot-Watt University in recognition of his fashion achievements – George just loves the city.

So it made sense that he invested in the university with the 2005 George Davies Centre for Retail Excellence and the International Fashion Marketing Msc/Diploma, which provides students with postgraduate training in the whole retail fashion business, from leading academics and retailers. And it was only natural for George – who now has a professorship from the university – to return to the Capital, to mark the relaunch of the centre and give a talk to fashion aficionados, as part of the Festival.

An Audience With George Davies takes place tomorrow at the National Museum and reveals the history of the retail innovator – as well as a sneak catwalk preview of the new Per Una autumn 08 range. "It gives me the opportunity to communicate directly with real fashion fans," smiles George. "The past 25 years have been full of excitement, laughter, lots of fears and a few tears.

"And I just love being up here. Edinburgh is a great place and Princes Street is a great shopping area. In the last few years I've seen Edinburgh people become more stylish. When we launched Per Una, we struggled. But the other year, out of the 250 stores we have (Per Una in], the Gyle is one of the top ten (performers]. That says a lot."

According to George, the British fashion industry has transformed itself. But more so has the average British woman.

"It's not just about fashion but about the whole role that women play in society," he says. "Fashion is an element of your whole life and what I find fascinating is the individual confidence in what women do now. That has led me to design the way I do, to design for people who are very confident.

"The market has changed, too, and is now very different in each town. So I develop ranges that fit into clusters. I put things on sale in Scotland three weeks earlier – it's a weather-related thing. Scotland get the new season ranges quicker and it gives me a real feeling and test to how new ranges will be received. It was the same in Asda with the schools range. We use Scotland to gauge the response."

He adds: "Scotland is very fashionable. Edinburgh has a passion for cutting-edge fashion. People go out a lot, dress up a lot and, as the capital of Scotland, there's a real cosmopolitan feel. And this is reflected in the style of the people in it."

George started out on the shop floor in Littlewoods in 1962, learning all about customer service, expectations and what shoppers wanted. From there, he was sent to Scotland to the textile factories to learn about the fashion industry.

"You can't design unless you study who you're designing for," he explains. "When you work in-store you learn so much, and get a great grounding to understanding the consumer. Then I learnt all about fabrics, inter-linings and everything that goes on a garment. A bra, for example, has around 16 components."

When he was 28, George left and started his own business, Schoolcare, which provided modern school uniforms. Then, three years later in 1975, he became a product and design director for Pippa Dee parties.

"These girls knew fashion and I learnt so much about it – Scotland was fantastic at that, and so fashion-forward. It focused on lingerie and nightwear, but we came up with the idea of launching fashion collections. Sales rocketed."

In 1981, menswear store J Hepworth & Son, which had a store on Frederick Street, headhunted George. "They wanted to move away from being menswear only, knew what I was doing with the parties and asked me to put a concept together. And the concept was Next."

In 1984, Davies became the chief executive of the group and launched Next for Men.

One year later there were mini department stores selling women's, men's and children's clothes as well as Next Interiors all under one roof.

"I knew we had to be on Princes Street," he recalls. "I bought the store in Princes Street in 1984 and put in a restaurant which overlooked the Castle. I loved that store."

By 1988, George had moved on. "It was too difficult to park in city centres and a real nightmare for people to shop. Asda got in touch and it was a great idea to launch a fashion brand for the supermarket which was out of town."

In 1990, George pioneered high fashion in supermarkets by developing the eponymous cut-price George at Asda range, selling it on ten years later.

"Everything I did, it was always to do with Marks and keeping their level of quality," admits George. "Even when I started Next, I actually positioned it so that it sat between Jaeger, which was then high-priced merchandise and good quality, and M&S, which was good quality but more basic."

So when the call came to join Marks & Spencer and launch his very own fashion range, he couldn't refuse. Per Una was born.

"That was a good day, but such a task is not easy. The key to building any brand is that everything you do – product, packaging, service – all has to be delivered to the customer as if it's been done by one person.

"With Per Una, all the staff who were to work with us came down to see us for a week's training course. That delivery is so important and often forgotten about. I still do 100 store visits a year to ensure it's all still working. I have the greatest respect for the customer. Consistency is key."

So what makes a stylish woman? "It's the ability to put the various items – including accessories – together. It's about how she puts it together and all the added extras. It's the ability to be in touch with fashion trends, but not overdo it. It's a visual thing. Every little detail makes someone stylish."

Tickets, priced £5, are on sale for An Audience With George Davies at the Edinburgh Fringe box office. Call 0131-226 0000 or visit www.edfringe.com