It has a lucky name, a solid offering and is well versed in the art of re-invention. So what challenges has New Zealand casualwear brand Line 7 left to conquer? Tracey Porter investigates.
If Austrade was ever to search for a blue print of apparel exporters well positioned to survive the global financial crisis it would be foolish to look past Kiwi label Line 7.
Well traversed in the art of wooing both a domestic and international audience, the wholesale, retail and licensing brand has dedicated nearly half a century to exacting its approach.
Aptly named after 'The Line Seven' - a phrase that once referred to the seventh line of the palm of the hand whose length was reputed to signify the luck quotient of the bearer - the label was initially set up to provide wet weather clothing to sailors.
Today the marine world is just one of several sector's contributing to the company's bottom line with an expanded range catering to diverse audiences across the fashion, lifestyle and technical outdoor industries.
Competitively positioned alongside labels such as RM Williams, Nautica and compatriot Rodd & Gunn, its retail price points range from $25 for caps to more than $1000 for wet weather jackets. However the label's casualwear offering averages around $100 with shorts sold for around $70 and woven shirts retailing for $140.
Current owners Ross Munro and Marilyn Horne bought the label in 1990 and are now responsible for the salaries of around 80 staff across both sides of the Tasman. The decision to diversify the business and open it to new activity was made shortly after the Munro/Horne clan took to the helm, with the Auckland-headquartered company producing its first casualwear range for men in 1992 and less than 12 months later its first licensed product.
Its affinity with Australia dates back some time with the brand first attracting attention here when worn aboard Australia 11 when Australia became the first country outside the US to win The America's Cup.
Having first officially entered the market here in 2001, the brand bought back its Australian distributor in 2002 and its Sydney office now directs sales across more than 100 stores. It also exports to the United Kingdom, Antigua, Scotland, the United States, the US Virgin Islands and Germany.
Head designer Nigel Eru, a former auditor who has designed for brands ranging from Moontide to Bendon, believes Line 7's longevity can be attributed to the brand's ability to play on its strengths.
Eru says that while the brand boasts a few different customer profiles across its product range, its product mix has always attracted the consumer who "likes quality clothes and is prepared to pay for quality".
"For casualwear our core customer tends to be aged 35 to 65. They tend to come from a high socio-economic group but we have always tried to market our brand as much by attitude and the way customers lead their lives than by pigeon holing them by age. This customer has not really changed over the years mainly because this is who we have focussed on and we make clothes that fit these people's body shapes and garments that they like to wear. We have not expanded into areas like childrenswear or tried to move the range to a much younger audience."
However Eru, who joined the Line 7 team in early 2008, believes - in the short term at least - it's the brand's licensing arm that could hold the key to the company's future.
Line 7 already holds the exclusive rights to carry specialty-licensed clothing for Emirates Team New Zealand, Rowing New Zealand, and the Sir Peter Blake Trust.
This has also been a growth area for the brand's Australian arm with the brand licensing clothing for the Sydney 2000 OlymHowever, along with the arrival of the RWC to New Zealand shores in 2011 comes potentially the company's biggest ever licensing opportunity with the brand teaming with Canterbury of New Zealand to secure its multi-million dollar apparel licence.
To capitalise on the announcement the company has already introduced a range, instore now, featuring men's and women's T-shirts, polo shirts, rugby jerseys, jackets, merino and caps with a further opportunity to launch into each of the 20 nations participating in the event.
Eru says maximising the build up and sales opportunities around the Rugby World Cup 2011 is a key priority for the company.
"We have an e-commerce site opening up for RWC 2011 [this month] and then later this year will be the first of a few planned RWC super stores in New Zealand. If everything that we are planning comes off then it will provide a massive sales boost to our company."
But is the one-off contract sufficient to protect the company in the toughest trading conditions ever faced by many businesses? Eru believes so.
While admitting the company had trimmed back on its casualwear range sizes, he claims Line 7's strategy to operate across a number of different sectors meant it was in a good position to face the financial challenges faced by the apparel industry.
"We realise people are going to buy a bit less when times are tough but what we won't change is our quality position as we believe people will buy less but will still buy quality because over the long term it's a better value proposition for them."