NATIONAL: Independent designer brands Therese Rawsthorne, Gary Bigeni, Karla Spetic and boutique Pretty Dog are reportedly entering the competitive online retail market with their own e-commerce websites.
According to the Melbourne based creative director of e-commerce softwear system Swappler, Andrew Apostola, these brands are scheduled to launch a new e-commerce website using the programme in February. He said other designer labels including Antipodium and Josh Goot were in discussions to possibly follow.
He said they will join approximately 20 labels and boutiques that have created e-commerce sites or new websites using the system since its November 2009 launch. These include Arnsdorf, Gail Sorronda, TV, Sara Phillips and Melbourne boutique Milly Sleeping.
The website construction system, created by digital technology company Portable, is marketed as an easy to apply and inexpensive programme for launching and running fashion websites and online stores.
“Once we started doing research we found out that designers in particular often have a terrible time with digital,” said Apostola.
“We wanted to create something that evolves as the web evolves, that makes sense for everyone in the long term and takes away the headaches of going online.”
He said price was often an issue for emerging designers, so he started basic service packages at $49.95 per month, up to $249.95 per month for high turnover designers.
Portable, which also created portablefilmfestival.com in 2006 has its sights set on launching Swappler into the US market in 2010, beginning with interactive technology trade show South by South West in Texas in March.