European brand adds stylish touch

SYDNEY: While in some countries white clothing is a sign of mourning, a Sydney-based distributor is hoping it will have quite the reverse effect in Australia.

A chance meeting between the general manager of Australasian retail apparel brand Meredith and the owner of Dutch-headquartered apparel brand White has led to Meredith securing the exclusive licence to distribute the popular womenswear label across the Australia and New Zealand markets.

Meredith general manager Peter Lipshut said he first laid eyes on the White collection - a joint collaboration between owner Jacqueline de Koning and designer Rudie Arling - during a seasonal buying trip to Europe early last year.
So impressed was he by the design direction that he tracked the company to the Netherlands and insisted on visiting it on his next trip.

"We immediately hit it off. We could see that they had a hand-writing that suited our market and that everything they did, from garment construction, packaging and marketing was of a very high standard. This married well with the Meredith corporate philosophy."

While admitting competition on the Australian market was always ferocious - particularly among European labels - Lipshut said he was confident the brand would sell well here owing to its sharp styling and attention to detail.
Already distributed widely throughout Belgium, Greece and the United Kingdom, the brand is viewed as one of the new breed of strong Dutch labels alongside Stills and Sandwich, he said.

"Like most European brands, production is in Greece and Turkey. Fabrics are sourced from Europe's finest mills and the attention to detail is quickly apparent. The ranges comprise around 100 pieces in colour palettes that are subdued and sophisticated - a little 'Armani-ish'."

Pieces in the range encompass jackets, pants, skirts and blouses.
Lipshut said a small select range of summer 2007 stock was available for immediate delivery now with the 50-style winter 2008 collection selling later this month.
Available in a full size range, price points vary from $138 to $299.

By Tracey McEldowney