Antipodium leaps into rag trade
After years of selling Australian and Kiwi apparel to a UK audience, the Soho-based retailer-cum-agent is looking to turn the tables by launching its own apparel line to sell across all three markets.
The new womenswear line, whose debut range is appropriately dubbed Buttons up, is something of a long-distance collaboration with Antipodium founder (and former Brisbane resident) Geoffrey J Finch, founder Ashe Peacock and her Fremantle-based sister/designer Fenella all having a hand in the design.
Finch, who has been working on the new collection for the past eight months, said the decision to launch the label was prompted by interest from fellow buyers.
"From speaking to leading buyers we identified an opportunity in the international marketplace for a volume product that could sit in a designer environment. Our customers were chasing fashion fixes but also quality and originality."
Finch said every piece in the collection - which will be selling in Australia from next month, had already been shown at London Fashion Week and would appear at next month's Rendez-Vous in Paris - had been designed to be "super versatile".
Targeted at the same market as the shop customers and manufactured in Perth, Finch said buyers appeared excited that it would work next to a variety of labels and was priced for volume sales.
"Our target market is very much like our shop customers - an ageless bunch from all over the world, ranging from professionals to artists to socialites - each with their own sense of style but a shared love of clever, easy-to-wear clothing."
Finch said the team felt strongly about selling the same collection in both hemispheres so it had been designed to be very trans-seasonal.
At least 30 per cent of the northern hemisphere autumn/winter 2007 range would be available in different weights to cater for both hemispheres, he said.
The range, which includes "easy" frocks, trousers, shorts, shirts, skirts, cotton jersey tops, tunics and blouses, is available in sizes six to 14 and will sell at retail price points of between $A79 and $A250.