Jenny still rockin’ and rollin’

 

In 1976, Jenny Bannister launched her eponymous womenswear label in Melbourne.

Bannister’s designs began on an experimental note – there was the plastic clipped mini dress of 1979 for instance – before evolving into contemporary eveningwear. Her work captured the zeitgeist of these decades, so much so that key garments are still exhibited by major art galleries and museums in Australia.

However, these nostalgic moments are not front of mind today. Last month, Bannister contributed a blog to www.ragtrader.com.au, expressing her concern at the lack of garment manufacturers in Melbourne.

You’ll remember Bannister was forced to shut up shop last year due to ‘union issues’ and roaring competition from cheap apparel imports.

Surprisingly, she skim-med over these issues and pointed the finger at independent boutiques. Not all, but enough to tangle a few threads.

“Due to boutique territorialism, unique and creative designers are being told by their stockists not to sell anywhere else in the same city,” she wrote.

“Boutiques do this to keep the label exclusive to themselves, thinking they will make all the profit from ‘the next kid in vogue’ and have a product of difference to entice people into their store.”

The problem is that boutiques only ever purchase a few styles per season, she said. How often do you see an entire collection stocked in a mixed-label store?

This “boutique territorialism” forces designers to hunt for manufacturers who will produce very, very small quantities. The few remaining manufacturers who have not been driven out by offshore competition can rarely afford to do this.

“Time after time they will say, ‘sorry love, to cut seven is the same as cutting 100. If you had 30 units I might do the work but I will have to charge you another 30 per cent for a small run as I have to make some money myself to keep this factory open’.”

I applaud Bannister’s frank analysis – it’s not a new problem by any means, although it does seem to be on the rise – because it’s a topic no designer is willing to speak about on the record.

I hold my own opinions about this triple-edged dagger. I can understand a boutique demanding exclusivity – heck, how else can you cement yourself as a destination retailer?

On the other hand, I also sympathise with designers who, quite frankly, want to make a living. The same goes for manufacturers who decide to focus on volume runs and refuse smaller orders.

It turns out I’m not the only one with an opinion. Head over to www.ragtrader.com.au/blogs to read up on the ensuing firestorm.