Opportunity knocks for menswear stockists

Four cutting-edge burgeoning UK menswear brands were offered to the Australian fashion retail market for the first time last month.
Aussie-born, London-based agent, Josh Finzel, who returned home for six months at the end of November, is planning to use the time to sell up-and-coming designer urbanwear labels Kim Jones, Trainer Spotter, T-Book and Call of the Wild, to upmarket boutiques in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
"Australia hasn't seen anything like this before. The labels are funky and there's a gap in the market for them because no one else is selling this style of clothing. There are some great designers coming out of the UK at the moment and Australia should take advantage of them before everyone catches on," Finzel said.
All four labels are characterised by casual, street-orientated and often Japan youth culture-inspired clothing.
Trainer Spotter, based in Brighton on England's south coast, and now in its fourth season, specialises in T-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, jackets and shell suits. Retailing for between $75 and $240, the garments reference the current trainer (runner) culture. Limited edition products and exclusive colours, prints and fabrics will be available to selected stores.
Now in its fifth season, and designed by two London-based graphic designers, Call of the Wild focuses on graphic designs placed on T-shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, and jackets, as well as homewares. Its key pieces sell for between $80 and $240.
The Kim Jones collection comprises 1980's-inspired sportswear including trench coats and an extensive range of casual footwear. Retail prices range from $90 for T-shirts to $195 and $392 for trainers and jackets respectively.
Quirky T-shirts ($80), sweaters ($150) and hoodies ($105) feature in the T-Book collection, as well as some womenswear pieces.
Finzel is currently working at Behave boutique, located just off Carnaby Street in London's West End, which sells several Australian and New Zealand labels, including Tsubi and Karen Walker.
The upmarket retailer recently placed an order with Auckland-based designer knitwear specialist Sabatini White and is looking for more Antipodean labels to boost its stable of brands.