By George! Fashion boss Davies set to launch a new clothing line in UK

FASHION guru George Davies – best known as the founder of Next and originator of the George at Asda label – is preparing to launch a new venture that would see him return to the UK retail scene for the first time in four years, writes Neil Craven.

Industry insiders say Davies, whose Per Una brand was a fundamental part of the turnaround of Marks & Spencer under its then chief executive Stuart Rose, has considered a number of projects and partners in the past 12 months.

Sources said one option discussed has been working with a ‘major British retailer’.

They said it was likely he had spoken to M&S and that he still had connections in the store, though M&S insiders said there were no plans on the table.

Davies is understood to be close to making a decision, and an announcement could follow in the spring.

He founded clothing chain Next in 1981, then introduced the Next Directory delivery service, which left the chain well placed when the online revolution came. He went on to launch George at Asda, which has become a multi-billion pound global business.

But one of his biggest successes was Per Una, which gave M&S new credibility, at one point accounting for an estimated 25 per cent of the chain’s womenswear sales.

He later sold his share of the business back to M&S for £125million.

Davies has spoken to other retailers in the past – including Asda’s rival Morrisons – about launching new clothing brands.

In 2009, he launched the Give brand in the UK, but packed it in during the recession to turn his attention overseas.

Davies has been opening stores in the Far East since 2011 with his FG4 brand.

Under the joint venture with Saudi retail group Fawaz Alhokair, he has opened almost 100 stores in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

But a source close to Davies said: ‘George is passionate about the UK womenswear industry and it always seemed inevitable that he would try to do something new. He likes building businesses and creating brands. But don’t expect that to be a carbon copy of Per Una or George at Asda.’