NATIONAL: International retail giant Kitson has become a battleground for sheepskin boot specialists Emu Australia and Ugg.
The fashion retailer has featured a tongue-in-cheek window camaign in key sites across Japan and Los Angeles, pitching the two brands against each other for autumn/winter 2011.
In the retailer's Shibuya, Tokyo street window, a sprawling window decal reads 'What's hot now!! Emu Boots', while in Los Angeles a Santa Monica shopfront reads 'What's Hot: Emu Boots, What's Not: Ugg Boots'.
Emu Australia Americas CEO Peter Abbott has been quick to promote the campaign, claiming a rise in the number of inferior international sheepskin providers.
"Emu Clothing and footwear has set itself apart from other sheepskin companies as consumers are becoming more educated about sheepskin.
"People now understand that most other brands selling sheepskin are either pretending to be Australian or they are using inferior quality materials and copying everyone else's designs."
Emu Australia is a privately-owned company based in Geelong, Melbourne. Kitson is a department store headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It sells over 240 fashion lables including Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs and celebrity lines from Gwen Stefani and Nicky Hilton.
Kitson: Santa Monica, LA window.
