Well travelled luggage
Whether it's a two-piece airport set in a smart black and beige flock design or a funky scarlet PVC tote, Catherine Manuell's bags hark back to an age when people actually got dressed up to travel. Wheeling one of her suitcases through a departure lounge instantly confers a sense of chic on the traveller and puts the "high" back into flying.
Originally a milliner, Manuell herself spent extensive periods overseas before she launched Catherine Manuell Design (CMD) in Melbourne a decade ago. At that time the brand carried 20 styles and distributed across 10 local stockists, but, as time went on, it became clear she had tapped into an insatiable demand for practical colourful bags, luggage and accessories.
"By the second year of business we had doubled [to 40 styles and 20 stockists] and these days we have about 100 styles and 250 stockists, as well as three stores and a clearance outlet in Australia. We now also have about 70 overseas stockists."
Like many Aussie designers, Manuell's export business launched in New Zealand. That was six years ago; three years ago she conquered Scandinavia, a move that was more the result of serendipity than strategy.
"My brother decided to live in Sweden and was looking to import some Australian products. He decided to start with mine as he had already being doing some work with me and knew the product. Shortly after that, I was approached by an American lady [a former customer and keen CMD fan] who wanted to become a US distributor."
Fortuitous or not, exports account for around 20 per cent of the business and are now a key growth area for CMD. The brand sells widely in the US, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Hungary, Singapore and New Zealand. It also has a small but growing presence in the UK, Hong Kong, and Japan. A strong relationship with distributors has led to hand-"Among others we sell to a beautiful department store in Scandinavia called NK, the Mondrian Hote store on Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, the Palm Springs Art Museum and Felt, a wonderful Australian clothes store in Singapore."
Exporting is not without its challenges - organising production for multiple distributors is a juggle, especially while CMD is increasing its own production - but Government export body Austrade has smoothed the way.
"They have been invaluable to my business. They introduced me to international contacts, which have led to major sales. They have also been supportive to my existing international accounts by referring customers to them and helping with promotions."
Today's internet savvy global shoppers are now also hitting the CMD website in droves.
"We get heaps of enquiries daily and receive hits and queries from all around the world, which in turn supports all of our distributors," although selling directly from the site is not an option since CMD prefers to support its stockists, Manuell confirms.
For a company with an annual turnover of $3 million, CMD's immediate export plans seem modest. Rather than world domination, Manuell wants to refine her support systems for existing distributors and increase exports to selected targets, particularly the UK. Of course making all this work while pumping out fresh designs on a six-monthly basis is not an easy ride, but if her verve is any indication, it must be a satisfying one.
"You've got to select the right trade fairs for your products, feel happy with your agents, build brand awareness overseas, and find what products work best in different countries. However all of these difficulties can be hugely rewarding and stimulating once you receive positive feedback and it all starts to come together."