Marks and Spencer plc (also known as M&S; colloquially known as Marks and Sparks, Markies or, simply, Marks) is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products. M&S was founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds. In 1998, it became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over £1 billion, though a few years later it plunged into a crisis which lasted for several years. In November 2009, it was announced that Marc Bolland, formerly of Morrisons, would take over as chief executive from Executive Chairman Stuart Rose in early 2010; Rose remained in the role of non-executive Chairman until he was replaced by Robert Swannell in January 2011. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
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| Type | Public limited company |
|---|---|
| Traded as | LSE: MKS |
| Industry | Retailer |
| Founded | Leeds, West Yorkshire, England (1884) |
| Founder(s) | Sir Michael Marks Thomas Spencer |
| Headquarters | City of Westminster, London, England |
| Number of locations | 1,010 stores (2010) |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Robert Swannell, (Chairman) Marc Bolland, (CEO) |
| Revenue | £9,740.3 million (2011) |
| Operating income | £836.9 million (2011) |
| Profit | £598.6 million (2011) |
| Employees | 76,250 (2010) |
| Website | marksandspencer.com |
Lakmé Fashion Week Summer Resort 2012 recently took place in Mumbai. The five-day extravaganza of fashion showcased works of some of the biggest designers in India, namely Purvi Doshi, James Ferreira, Gen Next, Sailex, Masaba, Shivan & Narresh and Rohit Bal amongst others. Like any major fashion show, LFW had top Indian super models, sashaying down the ramp, showcasing designs that added to the prestige and glamour of this phenomenal event. This year LFW's theme was bright and vibrant, and aimed to replace the gloomy colours of winters. Day one had all the ingredients that make the event different from others, a generous helping of Bollywood stars, seamless organisation and a touching display of humility in an industry notorious for balancing the proverbial chip on its shoulder. Vikram Phadnis' collection of Indian saris and lehngas were magnificently designed down to each intricate detail. Long gone are the heavy 'in your face' outfits with extremely heavy beading and over the top crystals. Bollywood sisters Malaika and Amrita Arora walked the ramp for him. Malaika wore a stunning black colour velvet full-sleeve blouse with embroidered ghagra while her sister Amrita wore a cream lehnga. Both looked stunning and made a statement in these elegant designs.
