With a decade now elapsed since Dainy Sawatzky first began selling her line of uniquely wearable women's clothing, the Body collection is growing up fast, writes Belinda Smart.
It could be argued that Dainy Sawatzky has had a thing about retail ever since she designed, cut and sewed her first batch of clothing and launched it to wholesale in October 1998.
"I lasted one season in wholesale as I really was passionate about retailing and opened the first store in East St Kilda," she recalls.
The Body brand has continually evolved ever since. Recent developments include new store openings and the addition of diffusion lines to the main Body by Dainy Sawatzky brand. These include the Body Ease Collection (a stock line of classics and basics), Urth-ling by Body (a luxury basics line) and Dancer (dancewear-inspired streetwear). They have all served a useful purpose.
"There was so much to the label that it was becoming too challenging to keep it as one line. With the diffusion labels, we can market each in its own way, and some also act as stock service lines to sell to our customers all year round."
If the label's "quirky individuality" and competitive price for quality Australian made garments are what sets it apart, its unique brand of retail across a bevy of hand"The St Kilda store attracts many young mums and pregnant women, I think because of its location near a park and cafÈ and the fact that it's easy to get to. The Melbourne city store sees lots of professional women who shop on their lunch break and also many tourists and students. The store in Woollahra (Sydney) also sees many tourists from all over the world as well as local women who shop along Queen Street."
A recently opened store in Healesville, regional Victoria, while "slightly left of centre", has also paid off, she says.
"This happening tourist hub in one of Victoria's finest food and wine trails was appealing to us because of potential and calibre of shoppers - tourists, weekenders and day-trippers from Melbourne, locals who have moved there recently on a 'tree-change' and locals in the whole Yarra Valley area who have limited shopping choices in the area. We opened in September this year and so far the store is proving to be all that we hoped."
Next up is a new store located in a landmark building on Melbourne's Prahran High Street, which fulfils Sawatzky's requirements to a tee.
"The ingredients I like in a store are that it is in right location for our customers, is slightly 'left of centre' and not an obvious choice for fashion retail. The area has to have beauty and character and the buildings themselves should also have character."
This "off the beaten track" approach means a strong overall brand experience is vital to ensure repeat business. Sawatzky places "huge importance" on every aspect of the ambience of the stores, with visual merchandising a top priority.
"The window needs to inspire and excite the customer, not just show what stock is in store. Once they're attracted in, it's about giving them information quickly and easily and letting the merchandise visually guide the customer around the store. We tend to merchandise tight stories together and colour block. The store needs to be dotted with focal points and highlight colours as well as texture and height distribution. Merchandising to me is about making the collection 'digestible' and taking the angst out of decision-making."
Like all good niche brands worthy of the name, Body aims to provide standout service, including customised styling, alternative shopping hours, and private 'Cinderella' evenings - informative private shopping evenings designed to give customers advice and time to experiment.
"We have a holistic approach to our marketing and it varies with our seasons and products," she adds. "Window installations including live models or giveaway balloon rides over the Yarra Valley are just two examples of initiatives we have employed."
Body may well be one of the few labels that feels prepared for a looming recession, which in fact has its roots in the brand's newest overseas market - the label recently entered the US with representation by Showroom 7 in New York.
"We feel that our quality, styling and price and the fact we are locally made will prove advantageous in the tough times ahead. The challenge we are facing right now is keeping up with our growth both in terms of warehousing and timing."
Such confidence comes at a price however. While driven by her passion for the growing Body empire, Sawatzky is succinct on its downside.
"It never leaves your head for a second."