Huffer puffs its way into US

NEW ZEALAND: Streetwear label Huffer is set to celebrate its first decade in business by setting up an American outpost.

The plans, announced during the brand's recent appearance at Air New Zealand Fashion Week, will see the Auckland-based brand team with US-headquartered production house PSI and distribution company The Holcombe Group to boost its presence in the US market.

The venture, which has led the brand to employ industry veteran Susie Walker as project manager, is being flagged as the first step in an ambitious plan to tackle the highly lucrative Northern Hemisphere arena.
The label, which already exports to Japan and has 40 Australian stockists, will be rebranded as Huffer USA for Northern Hemisphere sales.

The news comes just over a year after Huffer scooped top prize in the Air New Zealand Fashion Export Awards, with founders Dan Buckley and Steve Dunstan winning $32,000 worth of travel together with mentoring from New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.

Buckley, also the brand's artistic director, said the brand had targeted a projected turnover of $US15 million ($A16.7 million) within its first four years of selling in the US.

"We have set ourselves some pretty steep goals. It's a little but of guesstimation combined with analysis of how many potential customers we have in the US. We have had five trips [over there] in the past eight months and we have the beginnings of some good looking relationships."

Buckley said the range offered in the US and beyond would be slightly smaller than those available in Australasia.
The brand would continue to design, test and measure in the Southern Hemisphere but would pair back and only supply the "true successes" for the northern hemisphere," he said.

With collection pieces retailing anywhere from $30 for a wallet or belt to $450 for snowboard clothing, Buckley said the brand - manufactured in Fiji, China, North America, New Zealand and India - had yet to set price points for the US but would be guided by his US based partners.

Despite the planned expansion, the label's focus on new markets would not be at the cost of existing ones, he said.
"We are focused on the US while maintaining our existing business in Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Although we've had some interest coming out of the Middle East. . . we only have so much time in the day. Growth is very much dependent on an ability to cultivate organisation - if our skills can grow as a team then perhaps we can tackle other areas."

By Tracey McEldowney