Dixon, who has previously worked at Fashion Group International and M Webster Holdings, said her appointment to the newly created role will see her handle the growing business side of the company, with PeepToe founder Nikki Hager focusing on product and design.
“My appointment marks a giant leap for PeepToe in terms of size,” she said. “It's been owner-operated since Nikki [Hager] launched it in 2006, but the business is now at a stage of growth where it needs more structure and processes in place and that's where I come in.”
PeepToe will also shift from a senior management system to a board structure, with up to three local industry names to be appointed to external non-executive positions on the management board this month.
Dixon has entered the PeepToe fold at a crucial time and will work with Hagan on a range of budding projects, including upcoming design collaborations with Australian labels Michael Lo Sordo and Romance Was Born.
Both labels will work with PeepToe to design footwear for their runway shows at Rosemount Australia Fashion Week and a limited number of styles – two for Michael Lo Sordo and one for Romance Was Born – will then be sold exclusively online on PeepToe's updated website a week after the event.
PeepToe also recently inked a deal with designer Jayson Brunsdon which will see PeepToe produce bags and shoes for the label under a licensing agreement. All product will be solely designed by Brunsdon and is to be sold in Jayson Brunsdon boutiques, as well as Myer and a handful of selected stockists. The first collection is expected to hit stores around August this year.
Dixon said these developments in the PeepToe business are indicative of a wider push by the label to cement its position as a high-end brand and expand its reach to new markets.
“This is something that is going to put us on the map of Australian designers and when we look at retail opportunities now, we look at what other Australian designers are in the locale of where we're going with the label,” she said.
PeepToe, which currently operates five stand-alone stores in Sydney, is also on the brink of its first Queensland store launch, with plans to open a boutique in Brisbane’s Queens Plaza in April-May this year. Dixon said the label is also looking to roll out more stores in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney as part of a two- to four-year expansion strategy.
Daniela Aroche