sass & bide founders Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke have responded to reports that they have stepped down as directors of their label.
The pair have issued an official statement about their resignation as directors of the label. Middleton and Clarke also reiterated that they remain in the business as creative director and brand director respectively.
“There are no changes planned for the sass & bide business. It will continue to operate completely separately and with complete autonomy from the Myer business. sass & bide will retain its autonomy of management and most importantly, of design.
“The management, creative direction and strategic direction of the company remain completely separate from Myer and in the control of executive chairman David Briskin, managing director Megan Foster, Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke.
“Since Myer acquired a 65 percent stake in the business in February 2011, they have been the majority shareholder. The September ASX announcement that Myer had acquired the minority 35 per cent share, has no implications in the running of the sass & bide business.”
The official sass & bide statement follows a news piece which appeared yesterday in the Sydney Morning Herald . The report claimed Myer has “filled the board positions on the fashion label’s holding company Boogie & Boogie Pty Ltd as well as a string of subsidiary companies under the sass & bide livery”.
Commenting on the future, sass & bide revealed that, since 2011, the company has delivered a consistently strong performance, growing sales by 45 per cent and more than doubling profit over the period.
A cult following and these strong sales have enabled sass & bide to grow locally and internationally. The expansion includes plans, which are on track, for the brand to open its first international flagship boutique in Soho, New York on November 20, 2013.
“It’s been close to 15 years since we launched sass & bide and we’re looking forward to the next chapter. The September announcement brings with it a fresh energy for the future, and as we expand internationally, it's an exciting time for the business,” Clarke said.
Middleton added that the business will continue to maintain its integrity, creative spirit and its autonomy.
“It’s always been our dream to see sass & bide flourish internationally and now that’s a reality, we couldn’t be happier. sass & bide is our baby and always will be.”
Briskin and Foster echoed the statements of the brand's founders, and expressed their vision for a bright future ahead for the sass & bide business under their care.
“The vision for the sass & bide business has always been for it to be a creatively led, internationally successful business. The DNA and spirit of the business will continue to drive the company forward,” Briskin said.
"It's an incredibly exciting time for sass & bide. We have a fantastic team and I look forward to continuing to bring the creative vision of Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke to life well into the future,” concluded Foster.