Fashion Update: Menswear looks up

WHO says designer men's clothes are not selling? London's three celebrated stores - Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges - are all pouring money into their menswear departments on an unprecedented scale.

Four months ago Harvey Nichols opened an impressive contemporary men's designer department in the store basement that gave space to leading names such as Dolce e Gabbana, Adolfo Dominguez, Oliver by Valentino, and Nicole Farhi.

Not to be outdone, Harrods is planning to turn stockrooms in the basement into a designer men's clothing department and is installing new escalators and lifts. Harrods' ambitious plans are unlikely to be complete before early 1994, but in the meantime the store intends to promote labels such as Versace, Nicole Farhi, Moschino and Dries Van Noten.

On Oxford Street, Selfridges has plans to add another 600 square metres to its menswear department by autumn 1993. For this autumn, new labels include Moschino's Cheap'n'Chic, Jasper Conran, and Joe, a new lower-priced collection from Joseph Abboud, the US designer.