Kiwi label sweeps the board

MELBOURNE: If the Australian Shoe Fair were a game of Monopoly, it's a fair assumption that Minx, no doubt in the form of the "boot", would emerge as winner.

The Auckland-based women's footwear brand trounced potential doubts over sluggish trade at ASF - which took place from August 12 to 14 - with Minx creator and director Cushla Reed, a first-time exhibitor in Melbourne, pronouncing it the brand's "best fair ever".

Reed said the Melbourne offering was better than Las Vegas where the brand had previously attended the World Shoe Association fair.

"These fairs are all about writing business and we wrote more orders than we've ever written. We were consistently busy and we were even writing after 4pm on the last day."

Minx - described as "fun, funky, fresh, feminine and innovative footwear" and ranging from quirky Mary Janes to fish-skin fold-over shoe boots, patent leather ankle boots and funky metallic-trim sneakers - has a price tag averaging around $150, a combination that proved a hit with ASF buyers. A rash of Melbourne boutiques signed orders for the brand, which also sealed deals with two SA and four Tasmanian indies, broke into the WA market for the first time - at least one Perth store signed on the dotted line - and fielded orders or leads from numerous NSW retailers.

But this is by no means Minx's first success. Reed currently exports the brand to Australia, the US and the Pacific Islands and has received numerous accolades for business excellence and entrepreneurship. She is also currently the first female and the youngest individual to hold the presidency of the NZ Footwear Association.

Minx's appeal lay in its comfort factor, quirky fashion longevity and reasonable price points - made possible by a standout relationship with seven Fair Trade factories in China, she explained, adding the brand's unique design sensibility and distinctive business ethos also set it apart.

"A lot of our shoes bear a specially designed 'koru' by Maori artist Doc Ferris, which gives them a very special New Zealand identity. In 2002 we were also the first shoe label in the world to use strips of Paua shell in our designs, a feature which remains a strong part of the collection today."

By Belinda Smart