Wealthy and Wise

Morrison designer Kylie Radford and business development manager Richard Poulson recently cracked BRW’s Young Rich List – just one year after taking out a key category in TNT Ragtrader’s Fashion Retailer Of The Year Award. Ragtrader caught up with the pair to discuss how the business has grown since its inception in 2002.

 
What were you both up to before the launch of Morrison?

[Kylie] was in advertising and then HR. [Richard] was in marketing and advertising. We didn’t have any experience whatsoever in fashion, retail or wholesale.



What did your head office look like in 2002 and what does it look like now?

We started with a 20m2 office with two people. Now we have a holistic, hands-on approach with a 1400m space in the centre of Fremantle (Western Australia) and 40 staff including three accountants, CEO, CFO, chairperson, design & production & a three person sales teams plus full dispatch operations, showrooms, pattern, sewing and CAD rooms.




What was your ranging like back then compared to now?

In 2002 we had no label and  just a gift store. Six months in, Kylie designed a pair of basic pants with production of about 50 per week. Now we are the largest producer of fashion clothing in Western Australia, indirectly employing over 80 people.



What about wholesale and retail growth?

Wholesale experienced a double digit growth until 2006, then levelled out as we focussed more on brand positioning. We now have 153 wholesale accounts and six retail stores, with one new store planned for later this year and two more next year. We export into New Zealand and Singapore but planning is in advanced stages for further international expansion, with the assistance of Austrade and various consultants based in foreign countries.




Have there been any major developments this season?

We have introduced our first pair of jeans called the Austen as part of the Summer 2009 collection. This season also saw the introduction of a focused range of dresses entitled La Carnival. Our Vidovic Pants are also working very well in both retail and wholesale, a phenomenon reflective of our original “good butt pant”… added to all of this we just recently undertook our first-ever independent runway parade as part of the Perth Fashion Festival and we have been having quite a year.




What has been the biggest achievement in the life of Morrison?

Being able to attract and retain some of the best people in the industry. Morrison has always been about building a solid business base before building a reputation in the industry and to a very large degree we have stayed under the radar during this process. Its always been about building something special that we are proud of.

Can you tell me how sales have grown since the company’s launch?

We started with $500,000 in first year to more than $12 million in the 2009 financial year.