Portas

This month’s newsletter is all about the extraordinary commercial and cultural transformation of the Beauty industry, as we take a moment to step back, dig deep, and ask simply - why? And really importantly - where is it all going now? Sign up at weareportas.com, have a read, tell us what you think! #beautifulbusiness

In this week’s newsletter we ask: ‘What makes place’? ‘Placemaking’ as a term has been so widely adopted by anyone in the business of developing and operating place, that in some ways it’s lost meaning. But the act of making places – the business, the science, the art of it all – has never been as important as it is today. Sign up to discover more at weareportas.com #beautifulbusiness #placemaking

Award-winning musicians Krept and Konan are opening a supermarket in their hometown to help better serve the area's diverse population and give back to the community that raised them. The pair told BBC London that ‘Saveways Supermarket' is Britain's first large-scale supermarket, housed in 15,000 sq ft venue to meet the needs of Black, Asian, and ethnic communities who, despite making up over 250,000 of the residents across Croydon and Sutton, remain underserved the pair said. We love this. Not just because we’re working with Croydon communities to imagine their future. But because it’s a brilliant example of the magic that can happen when commerce, culture, and community converge. "We like to get involved with businesses that solve problems and give back to the community," says Konan. Amen to that. #BeautifulBusiness #SavewaysSupermarket

Our next bit of good news is one especially close to our hearts. Oxford’s Department of Education is launching groundbreaking new research over the next 3 years into how the ability to critically observe, analyse, question and interpret images enhance students’ potential for success in life in an increasingly image-dominated world. Funded thanks to a donation from the Robson Orr Foundation, the project will be led by academics at the University of Oxford’s Department of Education, working in collaboration with the University’s Gardens Libraries and Museums Division, Government Art Collection and Art UK. Art UK also launch The Superpower of Looking® last year - a highly innovative and inclusive programme designed to transform the visual literacy skills of primary school children across the UK, taking the world of art and images at its starting point. Developed with all learners in mind, and through collaboration with SEND/ASD/ALN practitioners, the programme has been designed with inclusivity baked in. Last week the teams at University of Oxford and Art UK came together on the BBC Radio 4’s Front Row to discuss the programme and the importance of the upcoming research for our kids. Search on BBC Sounds to listen. Enjoy! #BeautifulBusiness #TheSuperpowerOfLooking #VisualLiteracy

We’re dedicating our first Newsletter of the year to our 2025 Predictions. There’s no lack of ‘trend reports’ out there, forecasting the definitive future. Our approach is a little different (quelle surprise). Our Predictions aren’t hard and fast certainties – they are choices to make in a chaotic world. Unashamedly positive. Unwaveringly human-centred. Defiantly ours to make happen. And celebrating forces in culture that, we hope, feel as exciting as they feel true. 👉 Sign up at the Portas website! #BeautifulBusiness #2025Predictions

In the endless debate between the pros of rail nationalision vs. rail privatisation, let’s not forget there’s a third way – and that’s co-operation. We could all be seeing the UK’s first co-operatively owned railway service running trains in the south-west of England late next year. And it’s looking more than promising with The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) approving a bid from open-access operator Go-op to run several new services between Swindon, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare. They’ll be competing with Great Western Railway on the line. And something tells us they could do pretty damn well… We’ve been on a bit of a journey with co-operatives in the last couple of years, going deep on the huge impact they make – not just socially, but commercially. Our work with Plunkett UK for example, a brilliant charity representing community-owned businesses in rural and urban areas throughout the UK, opened our eyes to an astonishing stat – a 94% success rate amongst their hundreds of community-owned businesses. By the people for the people might sound like a slogan…it’s also a brilliantly impactful strategy for progress. We’re on board. Happy News Year all – we hope these stories serve as little currents of energy to start the year right. Do share yours in the comments. #happynewsyear #beautifulbusiness

For our first instalment of Happy News Year, we start with a story that hits at the heart of the fashion’ industry’s biggest challenge – Circularity. This industry we love is screamingly aware of the impact it has on the planet but is also genuinely struggling with how to move forward responsibly, with no end of noisy and contradictory opinions making action harder than ever. Last year our hearts sank at the news that many brands have put sustainability efforts on ice with pioneer brands such as Mara Hoffman closing shop. Our biggest enemy right now it seems is paralysis. And we get it - had we listened to every opinion thrown our way when we launched Mary’s Living & Giving, nothing would have budged. But we are seeing green shoots of action, including this California bill, known as the Responsible Textile Recovery Act, which proposes that brands with a global turnover of more than $1 million will need to help establish and fund a programme to enable the reuse, repair and recycling of clothes and fabric sold in California. Enabling communities is a key part of this national-first legislation, with consumers able to bring unwanted and damaged apparel and household textiles to second-hand stores, charities and other accessible collection sites throughout the state for sorting and recycling. Now, some may say it’s about bloody time. Others that this is nowhere near enough. But it’s a critical step in that toughest of sweet-spots, where environmental meets social meets governance. And as history has shown us time and again – there’s nothing quite like a power of example to trigger a movement wherein, to quote Hemmingway, we “gradually then suddenly” embrace a new and better norm. The bill‘s had more than 150 endorsements from environmental organisations and retailers such as Ikea, Everlane and Goodwill. The legislation could also create more than 1,000 green jobs. The bill was approved by state legislators late last year, with the Governor’s signature its last remaining hurdle. Proof that as complex and political the fashion system can be – when stakeholders partner and align around a joint and focusses goal, great things happen. Here are a few more green shoots of green progress we’ve seen in just the last few weeks…now let’s aim for that tipping point… - H&M and Vargas-Backed Recycling Venture to Hit Commercial Production by Mid-2025 / read more - Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla Group has committed to buy up 5,000 tonnes of raw material from textile-to-textile recycler Circ - Paris-based recycler Reju announced plans to team up with Goodwill and waste management company WM to develop infrastructure for textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling in the US Happy News Year all – we hope these stories serve as little currents of energy to start the year right. Do share yours. #happynewsyear #beautifulbusiness

The first ‘proper’ week of the 2025, and we’re bringing back our Happy News Year series this Jan – because as it turns out, those stories of hope and progress are needed on tap these days. Yes because we need good news, concrete examples of positive change and the human experiences making an actual difference. Yes because Jan is always a bit bleurgh. But even more profoundly. We all need to know and believe that, within the uncertainty of our times, we can write our own story. That we have agency – starting small, within our immediate sphere of influence. And the more we each believe that - the more we embed our intentions, and act on them – the more we can make positive change an unstoppable butterfly effect. So Happy News Year all – we hope these stories serve as little currents of energy to start the year right. Do share yours in the comments. And look out for our upcoming Predictions ’25 - sign up to our newsletter at https://ow.ly/YneY50UAysK #happynewsyear #beautifulbusiness

Our Top 5 Independent Retailer ‘Windows of Wonder’ are in! It’s the last of our Windows of Wonder instalments…and what an unbelievable run it’s been this year, marvelling at the return of real-world creativity lighting up the streets of London. From more is more merriment at Selfridges; to woodland wows at Fortnum & Mason’s; to Bond Street’s ‘Spiritual Homes’ making us dizzy with awe – up, down and all around. And as for you independent retailers…the windows you’ve shared with us have quite frankly stolen the show. Every week we’ve received hundreds of entries from up and down the country, and honestly – it’s got us excited about the love and creativity of high streets all over again. We hope you spotted yours on our stories! But we couldn’t resist pulling out our Top 5 and (drum roll) here they are. Creativity, craft, cleverness…but most of all, these ones just made us feel something. And in the end, that’s exactly the game we’re in. Thank you so much to all those who sent us your windows. We can’t wait to start all over again next year…! And lastly to anyone who has shopping still to do shop them. Support them. They really are our lifeline. #windowsofwonder #beautifulbusiness Our 2024 WoWs: 1. @mileagevintagedeal 2. @kindlehouse 3. @risingstarkent 4. @wintersmoonuk 5. @splitfigs For more fuel for the mind & soul, subscribe to our newsletter at weareportas.com

Our Top 5 Independent Retailer ‘Windows of Wonder’ are in! It’s the last of our Windows of Wonder instalments…and what an unbelievable run it’s been this year, marvelling at the return of real-world creativity lighting up the streets of London. From more is more merriment at Selfidges; to woodland wows at Fortnum & Mason’s; to Bond Street’s ‘Spiritual Homes’ making us dizzy with awe – up, down and all around. And as for you independent retailers…the windows you’ve shared with us have quite frankly stolen the show. Every week we’ve received hundreds of entries from up and down the country, and honestly – it’s got us excited about the love and creativity of high streets all over again. We hope you spotted yours on our stories! But we couldn’t resist pulling out our Top 5 and (drum roll) here they are. Creativity, craft, cleverness…but most of all, these ones just made us feel something. And in the end, that’s exactly the game we’re in. Thank you so much to all those who sent us your windows. We can’t wait to start all over again next year…! And lastly to anyone who has shopping still to do shop them. Support them. They really are our lifeline. #windowsofwonder #beautifulbusiness Our 2024 WoWs: 1. @mileagevintagedeal 2. @kindlehouse 3. @risingstarkent 4. @wintersmoonuk 5. @splitfigs For more fuel for the mind & soul, subscribe to our newsletter at weareportas.com