Latin designer takes on the world

Fresh from Hong Kong Fashion Week and preparing for departure to India, Nerina Battaglia doesn't stand still for long.

The Queensland designer had been sourcing manufacturers and retail clients for her self-named label in Hong Kong and is currently packing her bags for a fabric sourcing trip in India, all in preparation for the label's official launch in September this year.

Battaglia - whose roots encompass Italy and South America and who lived in Argentina for three years, where a cousin Pablo Battaglia is a renowned fashion designer - said the Nerina Battaglia label was intended to give Australian women some "real colour and attitude".

"This label is about saying, 'look at me, I'm here! It's about making a statement'," Battaglia said.
Featuring between 20 and 30 pieces, the range will encompass daywear, resortwear and eveningwear in vibrant colours and rich fabrics. Targeting women 18 years plus, price points would range from $200 for a day dress to around $2500 for a beaded evening gown, she said.

Having spent 14 years in the fashion business and run successful fashion label Sapphire Creations until her marriage in 1996 - while also a past recipient of the National Retail Association fashion awards for eveningwear (2000) and resortwear (2001), Battaglia is clearly ready for a new challenge.

"I'm planning to open a retail store later this year, but I want to get everything right and get my brand out there before that. That's why I'm launching the Nerina Battaglia website, which will be ready by early April."
She also hopes to wholesale to specialist boutiques across Australia, but her ambitions don't stop there.
"I'm also looking at Asia and once I've got into those markets I'll definitely be looking at Europe."