Womenswear brand Trelise Cooper is on track to tackle a new market, following its retreat from kid’s fashion and the closure of its girls’ clothing boutique in Auckland last month.
The New Zealand-based label, which currently operates a mix of eight stand-alone stores and outlets across Australia and New Zealand, recently ceased production of its childrenswear line Trelise Cooper Kids after a reported decline in sales. The halt in production of kidswear, which the company has said is temporary until global economic conditions improve, also caused the business to shuter its Nuffield Street store in Auckland.
The brand, keen to capture a new market, was approached by department store David Jones to create a collection that would cater to the corporate womenswear sector, and now plans to launch an “affordable” capsule collection titled “Board Room” and trial its success in both regions.
The range, which is scheduled to drop into selected stores and David Jones outlets around February 2012, will be completely separate to the current Trelise Cooper clothing stable, which now includes “Trelise Cooper” and “Cooper by Trelise”.
Designer Trelise Cooper said product in the 30-piece “Board Room” collection will retail from $249 for skirts and print tops, and up to $599 for suiting jackets.
“This line has been created specifically for women who have to have the corporate look and at a more affordable price point,” Cooper said.
The brand is also poised to launch a new outlet store in Melbourne this year, boosting its retail network despite the closure of its Auckland store and issues with its Christchurch outlet earlier this year due to the earthquake disaster. The latest retail addition will be located on Greville Street, in close proximity to key fashion hubs.
