Womenswear brand Henne is set to open its first bricks-and-mortar store, following its inaugural showcase at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week.
Speaking to Ragtrader, founder Nadia Bartel confirmed the site would be located at Greville Street in Prahran, Melbourne.
The move coincides with the launch of Henne's first collection of winter coats, which are 100% locally made in Melbourne, as well as an expanded range of denim.
Bartel said like other fashion retailers, the brand has been navigating supply chain disruption as a result of Covid-19.
"Some of our international fabric mills are sadly still in their own localised covid lockdowns so logistically it’s made it difficult to get access to samples and product," she said.
"This means that we have had to look at alternative suppliers locally and overseas, and also changing our product offering."
One of Henne’s key pillars is sustainability, including materials, local production and waste reduction. Bartel said elevated loungewear helped drive strong sales growth during the pandemic.
"We were lucky that our pieces are not trend driven and more focussed on wearability and longevity so we found that customers were still buying our pieces as they could wear them at home.
"Lounge is an example of extending on our original brand vision, purely based on the changing environment, and has become one of our strongest categories."
Bartel said absorbing costs to safeguard service was also a priority during the pandemic.
"We have faced challenges during the pandemic as it was difficult when our suppliers were in lockdown. Like the rest of the world, it resulted in large product delays.
"We managed significant cost increases to freight internationally, and coupled with the shipping delays internationally and locally, it resulted in the customers receiving their goods."
Looking forward, Bartel said retail expansion and range growth will continue to drive the business.
"We are really looking forward to offering our customers an in-store shopping experience where they can come and experience the product firsthand, specifically the touch and feel and fit of our products."