Catering to that reluctant fashion consumer - the average Australian bloke - is a tricky business, so how do you ensure your menswear label is a man for all seasons and not a man overboard? Belinda Smart investigates.
You'd think a man like Mark Landini - founder of design and branding consultancy Landini Associates, transformer of brands from Mambo to Lanvin and bearing all the hallmarks of a metrosexual fashion visionary - would have evolved past the average male response to retail. But Landini is happy to dash such illusions.
"The fact is, I hate shopping," he admits. Which begs the question: "What hope is there for the rest of mankind?"
In fact, having worked with brands including Harrolds, Tarocash, YD and Connor, Landini claims it's because he hates clothes shopping with a vengeance that he knows how to make it better for other blokes. Now, more than ever, expertise like his is in high demand. Take an economic downturn, add a gender that traditionally sees a trip to the mall as marginally preferable to root canal surgery, and the notion of launching a menswear brand seems mildly deranged.
Yet recent weeks have seen two of Australia's leading retail brands - Witchery and Wayne Cooper - rising to just such a challenge. Witchery's new venture was cleverly disseminated by a now much publicised viral campaign, while Cooper's, aimed at the rock star end of the market, will no doubt be buoyed by his strong relationship with department store Myer. A third label, Country Road, has also announced plans to launch a new brand, Trenery, that will cater to men as well as women, while revising its signature Country Road menswear offer to target a younger market.
So how confident of success can new players in the menswear game be? If Witchery is any indication, the answer is, very. The retailer launched menswear online on February 18, followed by a rapid spate of store openings until mid March. A major flagship store - stocking Witchery woman, Witchery man and Witchery accessories - will open at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction in July.
One look at the blurb accompanying the label and it's clear Witchery knows its customer. The typical Witchery Man is described as "a modern-day gent who wears it well. Never giving in to the whims and vagaries of each season, he's savvy to choose from an accessible collection that will see him well through day to night, whatever the occasion - a timeless evolution of personal style that allows him to go from smartly urban to casual with ease."
This approach would certainly meet with Landini's approval.
"Yes, Witchery menswear is launching in a downturn, but who knows? It has every chance of being successful. I would certainly embrace it, particularly if they are planning to take the same approach that they've taken with their womenswear, which is to provide contemporary, affordable classics."
The mistake many Australian menswear operators have made in the past, Landini claims, is to be too fashion driven.
"My understanding is that men generally want clothes that will last more than one season. They want to be able to build on what they already have in their wardrobe so that their look can keep evolving. I don't think Australia has typically done very well with menswear. A lot of men's fashion is very overdone and looks a bit poncey."
If avoiding the "poncey" factor is important, creating the right instore experience is also key. Landini - who was responsible for implementing the "men's club" feel of high end menswear emporium Harrolds - says the brand's strong emphasis on luxury brands and tailoring meant a top notch environment had to be coupled with highly professional male staff. By contrast, for mass market men's brands, a less intimidating environment works well, often with a smattering of female staff. "Research has shown that most men would prefer to be served by a woman and I agree - I'd much rather walk into a store and be served by an attractive girl who flirts with me a little."
Dom Bagnato, widely regarded as one of Australian menswear's high priests and celebrating a quarter of a century in the business this year, says menswear businesses need to be highly attuned to the segment they're targeting, although this is sometimes easier said than done.
"Nowadays there really is no such thing as the average male shopper. Back in the seventies and eighties there were clearly defined clusters of consumers. But now everything is so segmented and fractured it's hard to get a handle on what consumers want."
While staying close to your customer will help in this regard, Bagnato also has a warning for new players.
"You need very deep pockets to prop a label up in its first few years. I would be floored if any brand came onto the market now and nailed it in the first season, particularly in this climate."
Retail Apparel Group CEO Gary Novis agrees. His company, founder of the Tarocash and YD menswear labels, launched Connor two years ago to target 30-something men.
"Starting from scratch was certainly a challenge. We had a certain guy in mind, but it took around three or four seasons to really cement what worked and what didn't," he says, adding that menswear retailers also require a very specific kind of expertise.
"The stock turns and sell throughs are completely different in menswear," while men also shop more cautiously than women, particularly in a down turn, he says.
Female readers will be relieved to discover that some factors remain the same for both genders however.
"Sizing a huge issue," says Landini Associates' Mark Landini. "I remember shopping at Marcs and realising that you had to either be 18 or have a model's body to wear their slim-line shirts. By contrast I've always loved Diesel jeans because they seem to be cut one size bigger from what it says on the label. I know it's an illusion, but I don't care. I'm more than happy to go along with it."
Landini believes sizing, quality and consistency are what ultimately defines brand names. Regarding the names themselves, "Connor" was arrived at after a few informal phone chats and nary a focus group in sight, while for those who claim Witchery's feminised name could be a problem for male shoppers, he says this.
"Names take on a certain power depending on the strength of the brand and the offer. When I was a kid there was this band called the Beatles. At first I thought they were named after insects, but that connotation died because of who they were. In the end the name just became synonymous with great music."