SYDNEY: The designer behind womenswear brand Pink Stitch has launched a sister label to stir up competition in the youth street fashion market. Called August Street, the new brand will feature six collections each year and focus on trend-forward styles for 16 to 25-year-old women, with denim a key element.
Designer Maryanne Petsinis said after launching Pink Stitch two years ago and building it to a base of 400 national stockists, it was time to expand into a new territory.
“We are trying to hit a new sector of stores,” she said. “August Street is not a commercial label, it is a little bit more directional, so we want to hit customers like General Pants, Surfection – the funkier, trendier chain stores. But we [also] need our boutiques as that is where your bread and butter sits.”
The first August Street offer has recently entered stores across the country, with boutique Dissh in Queensland among the early adopters. Themed ‘Fish out of Water’, the 35-piece offer includes maxi dresses, mini-skirts, three-quarter jeans, crop tops, vests, jumpsuits and shorts. Dominant shades are rustic oranges, khakis, off-white and black. Prices range from $49.95 to $159.95.
The high summer collection, themed ‘Techno Tribe’, is to be sold to buyers shortly, followed by a winter collection with a dance club theme, ‘Frequency Edge’.
Petsinis said her aim is to stock the brand in the US and Europe in coming years. She also intends to open an Oxford Street flagship for both brands when the right opportunity arises. “You need to have a window for your label,” she said.
Prints and graphics are central to the brand, with a recently hired in-house graphic designer creating unique looks. The label is manufactured in China.
Petsinis has a 20-year history in the fashion industry, running retail stores called Dejavu. One was recently closed in Westfield Bondi Junction and the second, located in central Sydney, will be closed in October so Petsinis can focus on designing and growing the two womenswear brands.
Melinda Oliver