Retail rollout for Ruth Tarvydas

 

CELEBRITY designer Ruth Tarvydas has marked the start of a three-year retail rollout with the opening of her first site on Australia's eastern seaboard.

The womenswear designer, in business since the 1960s, opened her second boutique in Westfield Sydney in October. The store adds to her two-year-old flagship site on King Street, Perth.

Tarvydas revealed more retail openings are to follow within the next three years, with Melbourne next in her sights. Los Angeles and Shanghai will follow thereafter, with the former to serve as a base for current high-profile clients including musicians Rhianna and Kelly Roland.

“Los Angeles is a prime location to keep looking after them,” Tarvydas said. “Shanghai would be simply for the size and excitement of the city. We do have a very strong Asian following.”

She described the 135-sqm Westfield Sydney store opening as a response to both the highly publicised leasing opportunity as well as customer demand.

“We targeted the centre but [Westfield] invited us on the luxury level. We also have a position in the Harrods eveningwear department and they saw that and thought we're very much the luxury level area. So they persuaded us to go in and I think it's the best decision we've ever made.”

The Westfield Sydney store carries all of Tarvydas' collections including bridal, bridesmaid, racewear and the spring/summer 2010/11 collection, 'Heatstroke'.

Tarvydas said the business' wholesale division was also travelling well, with 30 wholesale accounts in Australia, 50 in England, and a further 10 across the US and Middle East.
“We're happy with it. I'm not getting the same reports from everybody, but at this stage I can't join anybody with any pessimism.”

Tarvydas’ product is manufactured in Australia, India and China and price points for the S/S 2010/11 collection span $250 to $1400. The label produces sizes 6 to 16.

Erin O'Loughlin