As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia (MBFWA) prepares to kick off, we catch up with one of the key international delegates, Browns buyer Holly Tenser.
What prompted you to attend MBFWA this year?
Having recently moved over to cover our ready-to-wear and resort offer at Browns, I was really interested to look at new and existing talent in Australia. Browns have been attending MBFWA for the last few years now, as we see Australia as a key market for talent, both specifically to resort, but also in the pure RTW offer. Being Australian, I’ve always been really passionate about supporting our amazing local talent, and it is such a pleasure to be able to do this on a more global scale.
What Australian designers are on your radar?
Given I am new to the area, I am really excited to see as much as possible! A few brands that I am have on my radar include St Agni, Kacey/Devlin, Anna Quan, Bondi Born, Albus Lumen, Ephemera and I love what Réalisation Par are doing.
Do you stock any Australian designer brands?
Yes, we stock a variety of Australian brands currently such as Zimmerman, Michael lo Sordo, Ambra Maddelena, Double Rainbouu, Lee Mathews, Matteau, Ten Pieces, and we are excited to be launching P.E Nation Denim and Amelia Studio footwear next season.
How important is the resort season to overall sales?
Pre-collection is always a very significant part of our spend. As a very general rule of thumb, we tend to invest up to 70% of our spend each season on pre-collection, unless a brand is known to be particularly strong in runway.
Pre is where we are generally able to invest greater depths and spend as it tends to be the more commercial part of the seasonal offer and has a longer full-price selling window due to earlier deliveries.
Although winter is a larger season for Browns in terms of investment (we do have a strong local UK customer base), resort is still a large proportion of our annual spend. It gives us a great opportunity to offer buy now wear now for some key brands, particularly focusing on important sales periods such as party, and winter sun vacations.
What is an advantage of resort over other seasons?
Resort allows us to have a fresh delivery that caters to our Europe based customers looking for some new pieces for their winter sun getaways. With delivery pre-Christmas we are able to offer our customers new season ahead of Christmas sales – this can help to counter-balance the challenge of customers waiting for Boxing Day bargains. At Browns we do not do any markdowns in store – so resort deliveries are particularly key to ensure we have a strong offer and display with new and exciting product in-store.
What are the top selling categories and brands for you currently in the resort season?
Some of our top performing true resort brands include: Agent Provocateur, Vita Kin, Zimmermann, Burberry and Versace swim. One-piece swim suits have taken the lead this season as our number one category, with bikini’s closely following. We are focusing on growing and developing our ready-to-wear offer within resort, with beach dresses being highlighted as a key opportunity.
Are there any challenges in stocking brands from Australia/Southern Hemisphere?
Other than the obvious seasonal differences, logistically we are unfortunately not able to be as reactive with trading in-season due to long shipping times.
What criteria is most important?
It’s always a combination, you naturally need the right product in at the right time, at the right price, but its essential that the product resonates with our Browns customer. We are really focused on discovering and launching developing talent and ensuring our customers find something unique and exciting with each individual Browns experience.
What do you see as the biggest change to your role as buyer recently?
The market is getting more and more competitive. With the maturity of the e-tail space, everyone is competing in a more saturated, global space. Everyone is looking to discover and own the next big thing. This is making the buyers work harder and smarter to secure new talent. Although a challenge, it’s a positive one as it ensures everyone has a point of difference and a dynamic offer. The key to this is also ensuring talent is nurtured and supported to create long-term success.