Goddess brand leaves international imprint

A recent sojourn to America and Europe has paid big dividends for Australian swimwear challenger label Wahine.
The trip across the Atlantic Ocean resulted in the brand, owned by Running Bear, Wahine export development manager Sophie Morgan said the trip came about after the label, positioned just under high profile competitor Moontide, was invited to show at the Miami Swim Show and the Intimates, Body & Beach trade fair in London.
The brand already had a presence in New Zealand, Fiji and a limited showing in Hawaii, but it was really the first time in its 10-year history Wahine had been taken outside of Asia, Morgan said.
While admitting the Miami trip wasn't "overly successful" in terms of sales, the brand - which sells at price points of between $A50 and $A100 dollars - still managed to secure orders from US department store Bloomingdales, Canada's Holt Renfrew as well as a number of smaller boutique outlets.
"The US leg was really about boosting the profile of the brand and gauging responses. What we [Morgan and Wahine brandy manager Felicity Stevens] also discovered was that there are a number of barriers to entry into that market with the likes of duty costs and the US' free trade agreements with countries such as Columbia. That said, the US market is still one we will pursue."
While in Europe the brand