MELBOURNE: Sydney label Sarissa has utilised trade fair Fashion Exposed to drive its blend of Australian and Vietnamese style to the Victorian market.
The label was a first time exhibitor at Melbourne Fashion Exposed from September 9 to 11, as Sarissa founder and sales and marketing director Sophia Nguyen confirmed.
"Sarissa is a wholesale label well supported by accounts in NSW and QLD. However, we would like better representation in Victoria and we will be working closely with our newly appointed Victorian agent Jan Cameron Agencies to make this a reality," she said, adding that Fashion Exposed had also provided a useful entry into the Melbourne market.
"Fashion Exposed has been fantastic in the promotion of Sarissa by allowing a convenient platform for wholesalers and retailers to connect. We opened many new accounts at the show," she said.
With prices ranging from $150 for dressy shirts, to $250 for skirts and $200 to $350 for coats, Sarissa was targeted at "discerning women interested in quality and well designed pieces," she said.
"Our collections have approximately 35 to 40 pieces per season in two to three colours. My favorite piece is made from 100 per cent Shantung silk and is called the "Shu Shu wrap". [It has been] so popular we produced it in seven colours. Another best seller is the Lee satin silk dress, which has intricate hand embroidery detailing along the neckline and is fully lined in a soft silk with a bubble hem, cut on the bias."
Featuring signature layering of silks and shantung silks, hand-loomed by silk villages with traditional techniques, the clothing was designed to be both versatile and suitable for the Australian climate, Nguyen confirmed. The ethos of the brand –- created to connect her Vietnamese heritage with her adopted home in Australia – was to support traditional Vietnamese textile skills, she added.
"By working with highly skilled artisans and showcasing their remarkable hand beaded and embroidered workmanship in my designs, and using modern design techniques, we are able to transform luxurious fabrics into timeless pieces